ReefDiary

Besides the White Pox Diease mentioned in one of the previous post, there are also many other Coral diseases.Below are information on the other diseases.

1995 was the year REEF RELIEF's Craig Quirolo observed that the majority of purple sea fans were turning brown. The filter feeders appear to be "stuffed" with particulate matter. Some have lesions that create gaping holes while others were infected with a fungus that causes deep purple spots on the sea fan. Quirolo shared his data with Drew Harvell of Cornell University, who is studying the sea fans along with Kio Kim (Un Buffalo), and Garriett Smith (Un-N.C.). They have learned that the fungus attacking the fragile gorgonians is aspergillus, typically found in soil. Sea fans in Puerto Rico, the Bahamas and Jamaica are also turning brown.

Blackband disease has attacked boulder corals like the lesser and greater star corals for many years, but an acceleration of diseased coralheads began in the late 1980's at Keys reefs. The leading edge of the disease is a cyanobacteria. Healthy coral growth appears to mushroom up and around the dead area over time. Harold Hudson of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary developed a method of preventing its spread by vacuuming the disease off corals and applying protective clay to the affected tissue. Since the disease is high in phosphates, REEF RELIEF introduced and fought hard for passage of a phosphate ban on soaps and detergents used throughout the Florida Keys that is one of the strongest phosphate bans in America.