demonstrated that the
mucus from A. palmata inhibits bacterial growth in seawater by up to
10-fold, and 20% of the cultured bacteria from the mucus of A. palmata
have antibiotic activity against the coral pathogen that causes white
pox disease. It is thought that the coral-associated bacteria are responsible
for the antimicrobial activity, and themucus is regarded as a possible
first line of defense in a coral