11th ICRS Abstract book - Nova Southeastern University

7.162
Disease Ecology And Local Patterns Of Yellow Band Syndrome in A Caribbean
Reef
Susanne SOKOLOW* 1 , Patrick FOLEY 2 , Janet FOLEY 1
1 University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 2 California State University Sacramento,
Sacramento, CA
Yellow band syndrome (YBS) is a potentially devastating, emerging problem in
Caribbean coral that has not been definitively associated with a specific infectious
pathogen. Host and environmental factors may be important components of the disease
process in coral, and spatial patterns can provide important epidemiological information.
Here, we evaluate multiple host and environmental factors for associations with YBS,
including colony size, host density and spatial configuration, depth, temperature, salinity,
water nutrients, and the local reef community. The prevalence of YBS in this reef was
high, with considerable spatial and temporal variation. Average prevalence was 28.6%,
55.9%, and 10.5% among transects repeatedly sampled in 2002, 2003, and 2004,
respectively. Analysis for spatial clustering documented that Montastraea spp. colonies
were locally spatially clustered, compared to complete spatial randomness; however,
colonies with YBS tended to be less clustered (i.e. more regular) than expected by
chance, a spatial pattern that is not consistent with transmission by simple contagion.
YBS prevalence was not detectably associated with any specific reef organism,
scleractinian richness, host density, nor local environmental conditions. However, the
composition of the reef community was significantly associated with YBS prevalence, in
addition to depth, nitrogenous compounds, and spatial location, when evaluated by
multivariate analysis. The detected association between disease and community
composition suggests that the disease plays a role in the local community ecology, but the
nature of the interaction between disease and reef composition remains unclear. This
work underscores the importance of considering the complex and synergistic effects of
pathogens and environmental stressors within the reef community. Understanding the
causes and impacts of YBS on Caribbean coral reefs across multiple scales remains an
important research challenge.
7.163
Catastrophic Losses in Coral Cover in Us Virgin Islands Follow 2005-06 Coral
Bleaching And Disease Event
Jeff MILLER* 1 , Erinn MULLER 2 , Caroline ROGERS 3 , Andrea ATKINSON 4 , Rob
WAARA 4 , Andy DAVIS 1 , Kevin R. T. WHELAN 4 , Matt PATTERSON 4 , Tony
SPITZACK 3
1 National Park Service, St. John, Virgin Islands (U.S.), 2 Florida Institute of Technology,
Melbourne, FL, 3 US Geological Survey, St. John, Virgin Islands (U.S.), 4 National Park
Service, Village of Palmetto Bay, FL
While the loss of coral cover from disease is not uncommon, the rapid, catastrophic
losses of coral cover recorded in the US Virgin Islands (USVI) associated with the 2005-
06 bleaching and disease event were truly devastating. Prior to this event, monitoring
coral cover at seven sites in the USVI from 1999 through spring 2005 revealed three sites
with statistically significant increases in coral cover, one site decreasing, and three
remained the same. During the record-breaking hurricane season of 2005, no storms
came within 75 miles of the USVI and water temperatures reached record-warm levels,
triggering massive coral bleaching (>90% coral cover bleached). Annual monitoring was
accelerated to bi-monthly to quarterly at five of the seven sites and showed corals began
regaining color as water temperatures cooled (October 2005). However, a subsequent,
catastrophic outbreak of coral disease, primarily white plague, led to a 51-fold increase in
number of disease lesions and a 12.6-fold increase in the area killed by disease when
compared to pre-event levels. Above normal disease levels were observed from
September 2005 to July 2006. Surviving corals remained partially bleached throughout
this time as water temperatures returned to ‘normal’. Coral diseases were found on 19
species, over depths ranging from 3.7m to 18.9m. Statistically significant declines
occurred in coral cover of most species with several decreasing over 50% (e.g.,
Montastraea annularis complex, Colpophyllia natans, and Agaricia agaricites). Mean
coral cover at the seven sites declined an average of 47.3% (range: 34.1% – 61.8%) in 12
months; and 56.3% in 24 months. Coral cover at the South Fore Reef site in Buck Island
Reef National Monument declined 79.3% in just two years (19.8% to 4.1%).
Poster Mini-Symposium 7: Diseases on Coral Reefs
7.164
Status Of Coral Reef Diseases And Decline Of Coral Reefs in Puerto Rico
Ernesto WEIL* 1 , Aldo CROQUER 2 , Emmanuel IRIZARRY 1 , Kathleen FLYNN 1 , Isabel
URREIZTIETA 1
1 Department of Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, Lajas, Puerto Rico, 2 Department of
Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, lajas, Puerto Rico
Infectious diseases and bleaching have become major players in the decline dynamics of coral
reefs in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. A Nested design and well stablished sampling protocols
were used to assess spatial and temporal variability in number and distribution of diseases,
prevalence, host range, rates of advance and impact on corals, octocorals, sponges and crustose
coralline algae (CCA). Six reefs have been surveyed since 1999, nine reefs were surveyed twice
a year since 2003 in La Parguera, sixteen reefs were surveyed island-wide during the summerfall
of 2005-06 and at least 20 other reefs have been qualitatively surveyed over the years.
Overall, 21 diseases/syndromes have been identified in scleractinian corals (11), octocorals (4),
zoanthids (2), sponges (2) and CCA (1). Intensive bleaching events in 1998-99, 2003 and 2005
affected increasing numbers of taxa producing differential mortalities in crustose octocorals,
zoanthids, hydrocorals and some corals. One black band, two patchy necrosis, three white
plague (WP-II), and ongoing yellow band, aspergillosis and crustose-coralline white band
epizootics have produced significant tissue and colony mortalities over the last ten years. White
band keeps killing newly growing colonies of A. cervicornis. The most important reef-building
genera (Montastraea, Acropora, Diploria, Siderastrea, Colpophyllia, Stephanocoenia and
Millepora) have been the most affected. Reefs off La Parguera Natural Reserve lost 53% of
their coral cover in the last 4 years.Similar losses occurred in other areas. Epizootics and disease
prevalence varied significantly (