The project has been extended until March 2024 to allow for the completion of its objectives. Challenges encountered during laboratory experiments necessitate the additional time for resolution. The extension will facilitate the testing of various environmental factors, such as temperature and salinity, to investigate potential triggers for the emergence or proliferation of the pathogen. Furthermore, a return to the Puerto Rico site in July is planned to assess the impact of the die-off on reef condition, which was postponed due to other outbreaks requiring data collection. Additionally, an extra year post-die-off event will afford more time to observe changes in reef structure and potential recovery of urchin populations.