Coral Diseases

By: Jeremy Dilley

Coral Diseases

• There are many types of Coral Diseases. Some are more drastic than others, however, for the most part coral diseases spread at an extremely fast rate.

• Coral diseases are named by their symptoms and their appearance. (Brown Jelly Disease and Rapid Wasting Disease)

What Causes Coral Diseases

• It is not for certain what causes coral diseases for the reason that they can effect any area with coral, it does not matter how high quality water it has or how clean it is.

• Although coral diseases commonly effect clean areas. Areas with over fishing, low quality water, and human activity in general help create diseases.

• Diseases can even be found in aquariums.• Like humans, when coral is injured it is prone to disease

or infection.• It is also said that some creatures that live within coral

can spread diseases to the coral that can cause decay.

Brown Jelly Disease

• If a coral is injured slightly it is very prone to this infection.

• It looks like big brown globs of mucus on the coral.

• This infection consumes the flesh of its victim and destroys it.

• It can be spread if it is in a current and part of the ‘jelly’ is blown off onto another coral reef.

Rapid Tissue Necrosis

• Called RTN for short.

• Like Brown Jelly Disease it is named for its symptoms / appearance.

• It quickly destroys Tissue inside of the coral until nothing is left.

Other Diseases

• Rapid Wasting Disease – spreads inches per day destroying the coral

• Black Band Disease – effects Brain and Star coral mostly and is recognized by a bland band on the head of coral that looks like a line of fire.

Information

• Coral Diseases were not reported until the 70s, and they never did any drastic damage until the 80s/90s.

• Around the 80s an unknown disease killed 80% of sea urchins.

• Sea urchins are the main algae consumer for coral.

• Algae flourished and coral began to die away.• Coral Diseases are most common in the

Caribbean.

Information Continued

• The main coral reef builders Staghorn and Elkhorn were nearly wiped out by an unknown coral disease.

• 80%-100% of the two reef builders were killed depending on the area.

• Coral Diseases are chronic in most cases, they randomly appear and randomly leave to return later.

• Sometimes not attempting to help the coral is the best treatment.

• Coral diseases can be spread by wetsuits if they are not properly cleaned. Algae is harbored in the wetsuits and spread to other coral when touched. It can also help spread human diseases.

Theory

• One major theory of how coral diseases are started is by African dust that is transported from Africa to America.

• Apparently changes the ecosystem and causes coral to die.

• African Dust is found in coral skeletons.

THE END