Sediments a likely culprit in spread of deadly disease on Florida coral
reefs, study finds
New findings also point to coastal construction as potential way of
further spreading coral disease

Date:
January 25, 2022
Source:
University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric
Science
Summary:
A new study found that seafloor sediments have the potential to
transmit a deadly pathogen to local corals and hypothesizes that
sediments have played a role in the persistence of a devastating
coral disease outbreak throughout Florida and the Caribbean.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
A new study found that seafloor sediments have the potential to transmit
a deadly pathogen to local corals and hypothesizes that sediments have
played a role in the persistence of a devastating coral disease outbreak throughout Florida and the Caribbean.


========================================================================== These new findings from the University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science-led research team could help mitigate the
spread of the deadly disease -- stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) --
that causes white lesions and rapid tissue loss to reef-building corals.

Since first appearing in waters off Miami in 2014, stony coral tissue
loss disease has now spread throughout all of Florida's coral reefs as
well as the wider Caribbean, affecting over 20 coral species and killing millions of coral colonies. To date, the microbe or suite of microbes
causing the disease have not been identified, making it very difficult
to manage and treat.

"Our findings indicate that disease-associated microbes may reside in sediments, which can help explain how this disease outbreak has been
able to spread and persist largely unabated for the last seven years,"
said the study's lead author Michael Studivan, an assistant scientist
with UM's Cooperative Institute of Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS)
based at NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Lab (AOML).

To study the spread of the disease, the scientists built a disease
transmission apparatus in the CIMAS Experimental Reef Lab to test and
identify possible disease vectors and sources. They inoculated reef
sediments with SCTLD from diseased corals and exposed these sediments
to healthy corals. For four weeks, they monitored the corals daily for
signs of the disease's characteristic white lesions to determine how
many individuals were infected, and how quickly the disease progressed.

The researchers found that disease-inoculated sediments were able to
transmit SCTLD pathogens, resulting in visible signs of the disease in
as little as 24 hours.

In addition, the scientists compared DNA extracted from sediments exposed
to SCTLD to those that were not exposed to disease to identify several
known pathogens that are found on reef environments near diseased
corals, including the group of bacteria Vibrio spp., suggesting that
some SCTLD-associated microbes can be found in sediments.

"We hope this new information will provide managers with critical
information needed to respond to the SCTLD outbreak, especially in the
context of mitigating further disease spread with coastal construction activities like dredging and beach renourishment," said study coauthor
Ian Enochs, a research ecologist and head of AOML's Coral Program.

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Miami_Rosenstiel_School_of_Marine_&
Atmospheric_Science. Original written by Diana Udel. Note: Content may
be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Michael S. Studivan, Ashley M. Rossin, Ewelina Rubin, Nash
Soderberg,
Daniel M. Holstein, Ian C. Enochs. Reef Sediments Can Act As a
Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease Vector. Frontiers in Marine Science,
2022; 8 DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2021.815698 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/01/220125112540.htm

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