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CORAL DISEASE & DISTURBANCE ANNUAL NEWSLETTER
Sub-title: Sharing Coral Disturbance Knowledge and Experience across U.S. Coral Jurisdictions | Spring 2025
Logos present: U.S. Coral Reef Task Force, NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program, and Sea Grant Florida.
Table of Contents (Left Sidebar)
THE LATEST CORAL NEWS
- 1 From Disease to Disturbance
CORAL BLEACHING
- 2 4th Global Coral Bleaching Event: Biggest on Record
- 2 2024 Impacts of Coral Bleaching
- 3 “We’re Disturbed”
INVASIVE SPECIES
- 4 Identification and Removal of Invasive Soft Pulse Coral
- 4 Preparing for Pulse Coral
- 5 Pulse Coral Plan
- 5 Teaming up on Invasive Corals
- 6 Building Resilience
HUMAN CAPACITY FOR CORAL CONSERVATION
- 7 Citizen Science and Data Efforts
- 7 The Coral Aquarist Program
- 8 Welcome Aboard
- 9 Susceptible Species
HUMAN ACTIVITY
- 10 Grounds for Concern
- 10 U.S. Coast Guard Educates Shippers
- 10 Updated Standards for Vessel Discharge
- 11 How Turbidity Challenges Florida’s Threatened Corals
WORKSHOPS
- 12 U.S. Caribbean Regional Coral Disease Workshop
- 12 Caribbean Practitioners Collaborate on Pillar Coral Spawning
Featured Article
From Disease to Disturbance
By: Caroline McLaughlin, Florida Sea Grant / NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program
Last year, the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force Coral Disease Working Group officially became the Coral Disease & Disturbance Working Group, expanding its focus beyond coral disease to include other coral disturbances. Coral disturbances are major events that can have acute, widespread impacts on coral reef ecosystems and can include major coral disease outbreaks, thermal stress events, invasive or nuisance species, major storm events like hurricanes and typhoons, and anthropogenic events like large-scale dredging projects. In addition to the damage from the events themselves, coral disturbances leave reefs vulnerable to impacts from other stressors. Creating a well-defined plan for disturbance response can help lessen the impacts of these events on coral reef ecosystems and the communities and economies that depend on them.
In an effort to share information from members of the Coral Disease & Disturbance Working Group, this newsletter includes updates, challenges, and accomplishments related to coral disturbances from around the country, aimed at sharing information and highlighting the needs facing America’s coral reefs and the dedicated group of professionals working to protect them.
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The featured article includes a wide underwater photograph displaying an extensive marine reef system with varied hard and soft coral colonies extending toward the deep blue horizon. A circular graphic badge on the right is labeled ‘THE LATEST CORAL NEWS’ and features a green megaphone icon emitting three decorative lines.
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Coral Disturbance Annual Newsletter, Spring 2025 | 1
