This section explores the variety and extent of coral diseases attacking the reef of the Florida Keys. This work is a result of the on-going Coral Monitoring Survey directed by REEF RELIEF founder and Director of Marine Projects, Craig Quirolo. Major support for the program is provided by Turner Foundation, the Edith and Curtis Munson Foundation and the Henry Foundation.
Introduction to Coral Stress, Summer of 1997
Index to Coral Diseases
White Pox Disease
Sea Fan Browning & Fungus
Sea Fan Browning & Fungus
Sea Fan Browning & Fungus
Blackband Disease
Blackband Disease
Yellowband or Yellow Blotch Disease
Yellowband Disease
White Plague Type II Disease
White Plague Disease
Photograph of White Pox
Disease
White Pox Disease is a newly discovered disease that appears as
blotches all over the coral, from base to tip. In its advanced
stages the living tissue of the coral is reduced 50-80% in Dr.
James Porter's photo-monitoring sites. It is attacking corals at
Rock Key and Eastern Dry Rocks reefs near Key West. At these locations,
it has decimated 50-80% of elkhorn corals (acropora palmata),
the major reef-building coral for shallow reefs. Elkhorns only
inhabit western Atlantic and Caribbean waters. It was first observed
at Key West-area reefs in the summer of 1996 by REEF RELIEF's
Craig Quirolo, who alerted coral reef scientist Dr. James Porter
(Un-Ga), Debbie Santavy of the USEPA Gulf Breeze Lab and Florida
Keys National Marine Sanctuary personnel.
Sea Fan Browning & Fungus
Photograph of Sea Fan
Browning and Fungus
1995 was the year REEF RELIEF's Craig Quirolo observed that
the majority of purple sea fans were turning brown. The filter
feeders appear to be "stuffed" with particulate matter.
Some have lesions that create gaping holes while others were infected
with a fungus that causes deep purple spots on the sea fan. Quirolo
shared his data with Drew Harvell of Cornell University, who is
studying the sea fans along with Kio Kim (Un Buffalo), and Garriett
Smith (Un-N.C.). They have learned that the fungus attacking the
fragile gorgonians is aspergillus, typically found in soil. Sea
fans in Puerto Rico, the Bahamas and Jamaica are also turning
brown.
Sea Fan Browning & Fungus
Photograph of Sea Fan Browning
and Fungus #2
Photograph
of Sea Fan Browning and Fungus #3
Blackband Disease
Photograph of Blackband
Disease
Blackband disease has attacked boulder corals like the lesser
and greater star corals for many years, but an acceleration of
diseased coralheads began in the late 1980's at Keys reefs. The
leading edge of the disease is a cyanobacteria. Healthy coral
growth appears to mushroom up and around the dead area over time.
Harold Hudson of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary developed
a method of preventing its spread by vacuuming the disease off
corals and applying protective clay to the affected tissue. Since
the disease is high in phosphates, REEF RELIEF introduced and
fought hard for passage of a phosphate ban on soaps and detergents
used throughout the Florida Keys that is one of the strongest
phosphate bans in America.
Blackband Disease
Photograph of Blackband Disease
Yellowband or Yellow Blotch Disease
Photograph of Yellowband
Disease
Yellowband or Yellow Blotch Disease was first observed by REEF
RELIEF's Craig Quirolo at Key West area reefs in 1994. The disease
is characterized by wide, irregularly shaped bands or blotches
on the leading edge of the disease, which progressively consumes
live coral tissue, leaving behind only white substrata. It usually
affects boulder corals (montastria anularis). Very little is known
about the disease. REEF RELIEF provided Dr. Debra Santavy with
tissue samples which she is currently processing.
Yellowband Disease
Photograph of Yellowband Disease
White Plague Type II Disease
Photograph of White Plague
Type II Disease
White Plague Type II is the fastest growing new disease to attack
Keys coral reefs. First observed on up to 16 species by Dr. Steve
Miller in the Upper Keys, it usually affects small star corals,
dichocoenia stokesii. Craig Quirolo first recorded this disease
in the Lower Keys where it was affecting Pillar Corals, Boulder
Corals, and Star Corals and documented that it destroys tissue
at an alarming rate. This may occur several times during the course
of a season. This disease has also been reported in the Bahamas.