The impact of rising temperatures on the prevalence of coral diseases and its predictability: A global meta‐analysis

Ecology Letters, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 26(8), P. 1466 - 1481

Published: June 6, 2023

Abstract Coral reefs are under threat from disease as climate change alters environmental conditions. Rising temperatures exacerbate coral disease, but this relationship is likely complex other factors also influence prevalence. To better understand relationship, we meta‐analytically examined 108 studies for changes in global over time alongside temperature, expressed using average summer sea surface temperature (SST) and cumulative heat stress weekly anomalies (WSSTAs). We found that both rising SST WSSTA were associated with increases the mean variability Global prevalence tripled, reaching 9.92% 25 years examined, effect of ‘year’ became more stable (i.e. has lower variance time), contrasting effects two stressors. Regional patterns diverged differed response to SST. Our model predicted that, same trajectory, 76.8% corals would be diseased globally by 2100, even assuming moderate WSSTA. These results highlight need urgent action mitigate disease. Mitigating impact ocean on a challenge requiring discussion further study.

Language: Английский

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Stony coral tissue loss disease: a review of emergence, impacts, etiology, diagnostics, and intervention

Frontiers in Marine Science, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 10

Published: Jan. 25, 2024

Stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) is destructive and poses a significant threat to Caribbean reef ecosystems. Characterized by the acute of tissue, SCTLD has impacted over 22 stony species across region, leading visible declines in health. Based on duration, lethality, host range, spread this disease, considered most devastating outbreak ever recorded. Researchers are actively investigating cause transmission SCTLD, but exact mechanisms, triggers, etiological agent(s) remain elusive. If left unchecked, could have profound implications for health resilience reefs worldwide. To summarize what known about identify potential knowledge gaps, review provides holistic overview research, including susceptibility, transmission, ecological impacts, etiology, diagnostic tools, defense treatments. Additionally, future research avenues highlighted, which also relevant other diseases. As continues spread, collaborative efforts necessary develop effective strategies mitigating its impacts critical These need include researchers from diverse backgrounds underrepresented groups provide additional perspectives that requires creative urgent solutions.

Language: Английский

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Multi‐year evaluation of rearing techniques for three sexually propagated Caribbean corals in a restoration setting

Restoration Ecology, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: April 2, 2025

In response to declining coral populations worldwide, conservation groups are increasingly applying restoration strategies bolster abundance and diversity, including sexual propagation of corals. Collection fertilization gametes as well larval rearing settlement have been successful. However, post‐settlement stages remain a bottleneck (80–100% mortality), which makes this technique costly implement at scale. To address challenge, we compared the survival colony size three sexually propagated Caribbean species, Diploria labyrinthiformis , Pseudodiploria strigosa Orbicella faveolata reared levels investment: direct outplant reef, in situ field nursery rearing, ex aquaculture facility rearing. As part work St. Croix, United States Virgin Islands, recruits were for 1 year before being outplanted reef plots monitored annually subsequent years. The cost‐effectiveness each strategy was calculated monitoring time point via seeding unit yield cost per unit. Although low 4 years (0–1.8%), corals displayed significantly higher therefore lower than other two investment strategies. These results highlight benefits an stage increase long‐term juvenile cost‐effectiveness. return on suggests that outplanting may be viable strategy; however, proportion surviving highlights current limitations when degraded reefs.

Language: Английский

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Assessing the impact of stony coral tissue loss disease on coral cover on Bonaire’s Leeward side

Frontiers in Marine Science, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 11

Published: Jan. 10, 2025

The effects of stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) in the Dutch Caribbean, specifically Bonaire, have not been documented since its first sighting March 2023. By comparing results 2023 surveys with data from previous conducted over past 9 years, this study quantifies overall decline cover and investigates spatial variability SCTLD’s impact across different subregions reef on leeward side Bonaire. In year 2023, a crucial period initial phase progression SCTLD, significant reduction coverage was observed, six key reef-building species showing vulnerability. Importantly, research identifies specific that disproportionately affected. insights gained are important for potential development conservation restoration strategies underscoring necessity ongoing ecosystem monitoring to safeguard future highly sensitive reefs changing ocean. advancing our understanding SCTLD dynamics, contributes global effort preserve ecosystems face emerging diseases.

Language: Английский

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The effects of probiotics and stony coral tissue loss disease exposure on coral recruits

Coral Reefs, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Jan. 12, 2025

Language: Английский

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Transmission of stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) in simulated ballast water confirms the potential for ship-born spread

Scientific Reports, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 12(1)

Published: Nov. 10, 2022

Abstract Stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) remains an unprecedented epizootic disease, representing a substantial threat to the persistence and health of reef ecosystems in Tropical Western Atlantic since its first observation near Miami, Florida 2014. In addition transport between adjacent reefs indicative waterborne pathogen(s) dispersing on ocean currents, it has spread throughout Caribbean geographically- oceanographically-isolated reefs, manner suggestive ship ballast water transmission. Here we evaluate potential for transmission SCTLD including via simulated water, test efficacy commonly-used UV radiation treatment water. Two species reef-building corals ( Orbicella faveolata Pseudodiploria strigosa ) were subjected (1) disease-exposed or UV-treated (2) hold time series two carefully-controlled experiments Our demonstrated through rather than direct contact diseased healthy corals. While led 50% reduction number exhibiting signs both species, statistical risk volume needed elicit lesions remained similar untreated The (24 h vs. 120 h) did not have significant effect onset visible either though there appeared be some evidence concentration P. as only observed after time. Results from suggest that pathogens can persist remain pathogenic. Ballast may indeed pose continued SCTLD, warranting further investigation additional treatments pathogen detection methods.

Language: Английский

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Assisted sexual coral recruits show high thermal tolerance to the 2023 Caribbean mass bleaching event

PLoS ONE, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 19(9), P. e0309719 - e0309719

Published: Sept. 18, 2024

Assisted sexual coral propagation, resulting in greater genet diversity via genetic recombination, has been hypothesized to lead more adaptable and, hence, resilient restored populations compared common clonal techniques. Coral restoration efforts have resulted substantial of 'Assisted Recruits' (i.e., juvenile corals derived from assisted reproduction; AR) multiple species outplanted reefs or held situ nurseries across many locations the Caribbean. These AR provided context evaluate their relative resilience co-occurring during 2023 marine heat wave unprecedented duration and intensity that affected entire Populations six AR, most ranging age 1-4 years, were surveyed five regions mass bleaching season (Aug-Dec), alongside groups compare prevalence related mortality. Comparison included conspecific adult colonies as available, but also extant assemblages which conspecifics rare lacking, well small, propagated fragments. recruits had significantly lower impacts (overall pooled ~ 10%) than typically comprised larger (~ 60-100% depending on species). In addition, small fragmentation (rather propagation) two showed susceptibility intermediate between wild adults. Overall, exhibited high resistance under stress exposure up exceeding Degree Heating Weeks 20°C-weeks. As throughout globe are subject increasingly frequent intense heatwaves, activities include reproduction seeding can make an important contribution sustain populations.

Language: Английский

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Coral affected by stony coral tissue loss disease can produce viable offspring

PeerJ, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 11, P. e15519 - e15519

Published: July 14, 2023

Stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) has caused high mortality of at least 25 species across the Caribbean, with Pseudodiploria strigosa being second most affected in Mexican Caribbean. The resulting decreased abundance and colony density reduces fertilization potential SCTLD-susceptible species. Therefore, larval-based restoration could be great benefit, though precautionary concerns about transmission may foster reluctance to implement this approach We evaluated performance offspring obtained by crossing gametes a healthy P. (100% apparently tissue) that SCTLD (>50% loss) compared these prior crosses between parents. Fertilization settlement were as among parents, post-settlement survivorship over year outdoor tanks was 7.8%. After thirteen months, diseased-parent recruits outplanted degraded reef. Their ∼44% their growth rate 0.365 mm ± 1.29 SD per month. This study shows even diseased parent colonies can effective assisted sexual reproduction for SCTLD.

Language: Английский

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Kinship and genetic variation in aquarium-spawned Acropora hyacinthus corals

Frontiers in Marine Science, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 9

Published: Nov. 14, 2022

Recent scientific advances in ex situ system design and operation make it possible to complete gametogenic cycles of broadcast spawning corals. Breeding corals aquaria is a critical advance for population management, particularly genetic rescue assisted gene flow efforts. Genetic projects are already underway bring threatened species into culture propagation, thereby preserving standing variation. However, while breeding increasingly feasible, the consequences aquarium environment on phenotypic composition coral populations not yet known. The may itself be selective pressures corals, but also presents relaxed other respects. In 2019 2020, gravid Acropora hyacinthus colonies were collected from Palauan reefs shipped California Academy Sciences (CAS) San Francisco. both years, gametes batch-fertilized produce larvae that then settled reared recruits. As April 2021, when they sampled sequencing, 23 produced at CAS 16 2020 had survived two years one year, respectively. We sequenced full genomes 39 offspring their 15 potential parents median 26x depth coverage. find clear differential parentage, with some producing vast majority offspring, no surviving offspring. After scanning 12.9 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), we found 887 SNPs under selection environment, identified genes pathways these affect. present recommendations variation aquarium-bred based results this pilot project.

Language: Английский

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Transmission of stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) in simulated ballast water confirms the potential for ship-born spread

Research Square (Research Square), Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: June 3, 2022

Abstract Stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) remains an unprecedented epizootic disease, representing a substantial threat to the persistence and health of reef ecosystems in Tropical Western Atlantic since its first observation near Miami, Florida 2014. In addition transport between adjacent reefs indicative waterborne pathogen(s) dispersing on ocean currents, it has spread throughout Caribbean geographically- oceanographically-isolated reefs, manner suggestive ship ballast water transmission. Here we evaluate potential for transmission SCTLD including via simulated water, test efficacy commonly-used UV radiation treatment water. Two species reef-building corals ( Orbicella faveolata Pseudodiploria strigosa ) were subjected 1) disease-exposed or UV-treated 2) hold time series two carefully-controlled experiments Our demonstrated through rather than direct contact diseased healthy corals. While led 50% reduction number exhibiting signs both species, statistical risk volume needed elicit lesions remained similar untreated The (24 h versus 120 h) did not have significant effect onset visible either though there appeared be some evidence concentration P. as only observed after time. Results from suggest that pathogens can persist remain pathogenic. Ballast may indeed pose continued SCTLD, warranting further investigation additional treatments pathogen detection methods.

Language: Английский

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