Coral diseases of mushroom coral (Fungiidae) in Pari Island, Kepulauan Seribu, Jakarta

Coral disease is one of the causes of the decline in the condition of coral reef ecosystems. This study aims to measure coral health based on the abundance and prevalence of coral health categories. The research was conducted in the Pari Island Cluster, Seribu Islands at four stations. The Belt Transect method with 2 × 100 meters was used to calculate coral health and a 30 m Line Intercept Transect (LIT) with three replications to determine substrate cover. The condition of coral reefs can be categorized as moderate to good based on this percentage value. The study results found five genera from the Fungiidae, namely Fungia, Ctenactis, Herpolitha, Heliofungia, and Sandalolitha. The most commonly found genus is the genus Fungia. The health condition of Fungiidae corals in Pari Island is divided into two categories, namely 35% healthy and 65% unhealthy, consisting of changes in tissue color - white (coral bleaching), changes in tissue color - not white (yellow band disease), and compromised health (damage by sedimentation). Yellow band disease is only found in the genus ˆ and is not found in other genera.

New records of coral diseases in the Persian Gulf

We report first observations of three coral diseases including black band disease on Acropora, a syndrome resembling yellow band disease and red band disease on Porites colonies from depth 5–6 m at Abu-Musa Island after widespread coral bleaching in the northern part of the Persian Gulf in October 2012.

New records of coral diseases in the Persian Gulf

We report first observations of three coral diseases including black band disease on Acropora, a syndrome resembling yellow band disease and red band disease on Porites colonies from depth 5–6 m at Abu-Musa Island after widespread coral bleaching in the northern part of the Persian Gulf in October 2012.

KELIMPAHAN DAN PREVALENSI PENYAKIT KARANG DI PERAIRAN LANGARA, KONAWA KEPULAUAN, SULAWESI TENGGARA

Penyakit karang adalah gangguan terhadap kesehatan karang yang menyebabkan hilang atau rusaknya jaringan karang. Biota karang yang terinfeksi penyakit telah diidentifikasikan sebagai salah satu faktor utama yang memperburuk tutupan terumbu karang secara global. Tujuan dari penelitian ini untuk mengetahui kelimpahan dan prevalensi penyakit karang di Perairan Langara, Konawe Kepulauan, Sulawesi Tenggara. Pengambilan data dilakukan di bulan April 2018 pada tiga stasiun penelitian. Metode pengambilan data kelimpahan dan prevalensi penyakit karang menggunakan metode belt transect (transek sabuk) dengan luas area transek 350 m2, yang ditarik sejajar garis pantai. Hasil penelitian menyebutkan bahwa penyakit karang yang ditemukan di lokasi penelitian sebanyak 8 jenis [Black Band Disease (BBD), Dark Spots Disease (DSD), Ulcerative White Spots (UWS), White Band Disease (WBD), Explained Growth Anomalies (EGA), White Syndrom (WS), Bleacing (BL) dan Yellow Band Disease (YBD)]. Kelimpahan dan prevalensi penyakit karang yang tertinggi terdapat di stasiun II, dimana nilai kelimpahan yaitu 0.063 koloni/m2 dan nilai prevalensi yaitu 92.187%. Jenis penyakit karang yang mendominasi di lokasi penelitian secara berturut-turut adalah UWS, BBD dan WS.Kata Kunci: Kelimpahan; Penyakit Karang; Perairan Langara; Prevalensi

PORIFERAN ABUNDANCE IS NEGATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH CORAL HEALTH IN THE MESOAMERICAN REEF

The Mesoamerican Reef is the second largest coral reef in the world and has experienced a 50% loss of coral coverage in recent decades. Due to the high biodiversity of marine life that depend on the Mesoamerican Reef, identifying drivers of coral loss is crucial. This study was designed to assess the relationship between the presence of yellow band disease (YBD) and white plague type-II (WPII) on stony corals with environmental (water depth) and biological stressors (abundance of sponges in close proximity) in the reef surrounding the Bay Islands, Honduras. Both radial and parallel transect survey techniques were used to quantify the abundance of seven sponge species within a one-meter radius of Orbicella species and Montastraea cavernsoa. The strongest predictor of coral health was the abundance of Callyspongia plicifera, followed by Svenzea zeai, in close proximity to diseased coral. A weak, but positive, correlation between poriferan abundance and the presence of disease lesions on coral was observed. However, no significant relationship of disease prevalence with water depth was observed. Additionally, no differences in the prevalence of disease lesions between four species of native stony corals were observed. These findings suggest coral species are equally susceptible to bacterial pathogens, but that close association with poriferans may increase the transmission and persistence of harmful bacteria in coral reef ecosystems.

Testing methods to mitigate Caribbean yellow-band disease on Orbicella faveolata

Outbreaks of coral diseases continue to reduce global coral populations. In the Caribbean, yellow band is a severe and wide-spread disease that commonly affects corals of the Orbicella spp. complex, significantly impeding coral reproduction, and hindering the natural recovery of Orbicella spp. populations. Caribbean yellow-band disease (CYBD) lesions may be severe, and often result in the complete loss of coral tissue. The slow spread of CYBD, however, provides an opportunity to test methods to mitigate the disease. Here we report the results of in situ experiments, conducted within Buck Island Reef National Monument in St. Croix, USVI, to test the effectiveness of three techniques to minimize disease impact on Orbicella faveolata: (1) shading, (2) aspirating, and (3) chiseling a “firebreak” to isolate the lesion. Neither shading nor aspirating the diseased tissue significantly reduced CYBD tissue loss. However, chiseling reduced the rate and amount of tissue lost by 31%. While 30–40% of the chiseled lesions appeared to be free of disease signs 12–16 months after treatment, success significantly and steadily declined over 23 months, indicating a possible lack of long-term viability of the technique. The results of this study demonstrate that creating a “firebreak” between diseased and healthy-appearing tissue slows the spread of the disease and may prolong the life of O. faveolata colonies. The firebreak method yielded the best results of all the techniques tested, and also required the least amount of effort and resources. However, we do not recommend that this treatment alone be used for long-term disease mitigation. Rather, we propose that modifications of this and other treatment options be sought. The results also highlight the need for extended monitoring of CYBD after any treatment, due to the slow but variable rate and pattern of tissue loss in this disease.