Identification and virulence testing of Symbiodiniaceae-associated viral particles from Florida corals.

Florida’s coral reef is currently experiencing a multi-year disease-related mortality event that has resulted in massive die-offs in multiple coral species. The best available information indicates that the disease outbreak is continuing to spread throughout the Caribbean. The causative agent(s) of SCTLD has yet to be identified; however, previous work implicated a virus as a potential causative agent for SCTLD. To determine if there were potential viral pathogens associated with SCTLD, this project had two main goals: (1) to identify potential viral pathogens and (2) to determine if Symbiodiniaceae-associated viruses are pathogenic. These two goals were aimed to improve understanding of primary and secondary causes of SCTLD and ultimately prevent future outbreaks.