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Postdoctoral research in coral pathogen isolation

Document Type: 
Report
Author Name: 
Blake Ushijima, Ph.D., and Valerie Paul, Ph.D.

Florida’s coral reefs are currently experiencing a multi-year disease-related mortality event that has resulted in massive die-offs in multiple coral species. Approximately 21 species of coral, including both Endangered Species Act-listed and the primary reef-building species, have displayed tissue loss lesions which often result in whole colony mortality. First observed near Virginia Key in late 2014, the disease has since spread to the northernmost extent of the Florida Reef Tract, and south into the Florida Keys. The best available information indicates that the disease outbreak is continuing to spread southwest through the Florida Keys.

An initial investigation into the transmission, infectiousness and differential host specificity of the disease outbreak was completed in 2017. Preliminary results have demonstrated that the currently investigated disease is transmissible from diseased M. cavernosa or O. faveolata fragments to healthy M. cavernosa or O. faveolata fragments, indicating the presence of an infectious agent. Additionally, disease progression can be slowed or halted by treatment with antibiotics, suggesting the infectious agent is bacterial. Additionally, multiple bacteria suspected to be pathogenic to coral were isolated from diseased samples from the transmission experiments during the 2017 study.



Last Modified:
February 14, 2024 - 10:39am

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