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STONY CORAL TISSUE LOSS DISEASE ANNUAL NEWSLETTER

Sub-title: Sharing Coral Disease Knowledge and Experience across U.S. Coral Jurisdictions | Spring 2024

Logos present: USCRTF (United States Coral Reef Task Force), NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program, and Sea Grant Florida.

Table of Contents (Left Sidebar)

THE LATEST ON SCTLD

• 1 Interaction between SCTLD and Bleaching Dynamics
• 2 Collaboration between Coral Disease and Climate Change Working Groups

ATLANTIC-CARIBBEAN

• 2 Capacity Building for Coral Rescue
• 3 Florida’s Shift to ‘Disturbance Response & Recovery’
• 4 Coast to Coast Coral Rescue
• 4 2023 Coral Bleaching in Puerto Rico
• 5 Puerto Rico’s Coral Reef Health Citizen Science Efforts Launched!

PACIFIC PREPAREDNESS

• 6 Collaborating with Invasive Species Experts on SCTLD
• 7 Vessel Traffic in American Samoa
• 7 Hawaiʻi Emergency Regulations

COLLABORATIVE WORKSHOPS

• 8 International Meeting Brings Global Leaders Together to Address Coral Reef Conservation
• 9 Uniting Efforts for Coral Health and Conservation at the 2023 & 2024 U.S. Caribbean Regional SCTLD Workshops
• 9 Sea Grant Programs Meet to Promote Coral Health for Community Health

U.S. CORAL REEF TASK FORCE MEETING FALL 2023

• 10 Meeting in St. Thomas
• 10 Exploring Coral Disease around Buck Island National Wildlife Refuge
• 11 Agency Leaders Focus on Action to Address Coral Disease
• 11 Passing of the National Action on Coral Disease Resolution
• 12 Awarding Two Coral Disease Champions
• 12 SCTLD Pacific Preparedness Workshop

Featured Article

Hot Topic: The Interaction between SCTLD and Bleaching

By: Alexis Sturm, Ph.D., NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program

Since its discovery in 2014, stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) has been top of mind for most Caribbean coral reef researchers and managers. However, 2023 was a different story. During the spring and summer of 2023, the Caribbean region faced a formidable thermal stress event, resulting in record-breaking sustained high water temperatures, widespread bleaching, and in many cases, coral mortality. As researchers monitored and responded to the bleaching event, an interesting pattern emerged – SCTLD activity decreased noticeably. In some areas, the prevalence of diseased corals decreased so much that researchers faced challenges in locating colonies with active SCTLD to be used for experiments.

At the height of the thermal stress event last September, research labs led by Nova Southeastern University’s Dr. Karen Neely and Dr. Brian Walker observed significant coral bleaching in southeastern Florida and the Florida Keys. Intriguingly, the prevalence of active SCTLD during this same time period was limited. While the analysis of this data is still underway, an earlier study in the Virgin Islands by Sonora Meiling (University of the Virgin Islands) and colleagues similarly found that many SCTLD lesions stopped progressing during peak thermal stress.

So why does a coral bleaching event seem to drive down SCTLD prevalence? Studies suggest that SCTLD primarily impacts the coral’s algal symbionts, the photosynthetic algae that give corals their color and provide them with the food they need to survive. As bleaching is essentially the loss of algal symbionts in a coral colony, there may be fewer targets for the SCTLD pathogen to infect, potentially driving a decline in its prevalence.

With temperatures cooling, surviving colonies will hopefully begin to recover. However, they are likely still stressed, with depleted energy stores and weakened immune systems. Only time will tell if there is a resurgence of SCTLD or some other coral disease. Notably, some studies have suggested that SCTLD emerges in warmer months and is more active with increased temperatures, up until bleaching occurs, when SCTLD activity sharply declines. Studies on other coral diseases have also found they are more prevalent with increased temperatures and following bleaching events. Continued monitoring of the coral reefs and rapid responses in case of outbreaks will be critical to prevent further coral loss in the aftermath of bleaching events.

Visual Graphic Description

The layout features a wide underwater header photograph showcasing an expansive blue coral reef system. A circular badge graphic on the right is labeled ‘THE LATEST ON SCTLD’ and contains a green megaphone icon emitting decorative sound wave lines.

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Coral Disturbance Annual Newsletter, Spring 2024 | 1