We are particularly interested in using recent massive coral disease outbreaks as a natural study system for answering questions related to the evolution of complex holobiont systems. Corals are a great study system for addressing questions under this topic: they involve associations between partners on drastically different evolutionary timescales. Consequently adaptation and evolution in response to strong selective pressure such as disease outbreaks may proceed in complex ways in these systems. We are working with collaborators at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, the University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez, Louisiana State University, and Mote Marine Laboratory to use coral disease outbreaks in the Caribbean to address these questions. Funding from the Paul M. Angel Foundation, Association of Marine Laboratories of the Caribbean, and Florida Department of Environmental Protection has supported this work.