Coral disease refers to a negative deviation from a coral's normal state or condition. This deviation can include functional or structural impairment and eventually ends in the death of coral tissue. Coral diseases are often characterized in terms of their identity (e.g. black band disease ) and are caused by pathogens such as bacteria, parasites and fungi. Very little information is known about the organisms that cause disease and their means of transmission making control difficult, if not impossible at this present time.
On a reef ecosystem scale, direct and indirect mortality as a result of disease can modify the composition and structure of reefs by removing common and locally abundant species. Currently there are 23 differently named diseases and syndromes affecting corals in the Caribbean. Three of these diseases‹black band disease, white band disease , and white plague ‹account for two-thirds of reports and affect at least 38 species of corals across the Caribbean. The reasons for the sudden emergence and rapid spread of diseases throughout the Caribbean in the last 30 years are not well understood. Linkages to other sources of stress to reefs (e.g., sedimentation or pollution) are poorly understood and the role of human activities in bringing these diseases into the region is also unclear. Further research and integrated environmental monitoring are needed to better understand and help predict this major, widespread threat to coral reefs.
Coral reefs are under increasing stress globally numerous threats, including climate change, pollution, over fishing and bleaching. Disease outbreaks not only result in coral loss, but they also cause significant changes in community structure, species diversity and reef-associated organisms. It is important to assess the levels of disease on a reef to determine levels of resilience and recovery in the event of large-scale disturbances like mass bleaching or a natural disaster. Healthy corals have greater resilience and are therefore more likely to recover after these events than unhealthy diseased corals.
Coral diseases in the Caribbean have now become a major contributor to the progressive decline of these important communities and the percentage of diseased colonies provides a sound indicator of coral condition and general reef health.
UCME aims to identify diseases around Utila¹s coral reefs and survey for coral disease prevalence. We also aim to gather information on the distribution and abundance of coral diseases on local reefs and monitor the health of local coral reefs, as well as identifying potential drivers of disease abundance.
