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=Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD)= | =Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD)= | ||
Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD), discovered in 2014, is a contagious waterborne disease killing stony corals in the Caribbean off Jamaica, Mexico, Saint Maarten, the US Virgin Islands, Dominican Republic, Turks & Caicos Islands, Saint-Martin, Belize, Sint Eustatius, The Bahamas, Puerto Rico, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Guadeloupe, St. Lucia, Honduras and Martinique. Sick colonies display multifocal lytic necrosis, appearing as lesions, that start in the gastrodermis and extend out to the surface epithelia. Highly susceptible species are the meandroid corals–i.e., pillar corals (<em>Dendrogyra cylindrus</em>), elliptical star corals (<em>Dichocoenia stokesii</em>), smooth flower corals (<em>Eusmilia fastigiata</em>) and maze corals (<em>Meandrina spp.</em>). Starlet corals that develop numerous "blotchy" lesions, as well as diverse brain and star (boulder) corals, are also dying fairly quickly, followed by star corals (<em>Orbicella spp.</em>, <em>Montastraea cavernosa</em>) and other coral species <ref name="traylor">Traylor-Knowles N, Connelly MT, Young BD, Eaton K, Muller EM, Paul VJ, et al. Gene Expression Response to Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease Transmission in M. cavernosa and O. faveolata From Florida [Internet]. <em>Coral Reef Research</em>. Frontiers in Marine Science; 2021 [cited 2022May25]. Available from: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.681563/full?& | Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD), discovered in 2014, is a contagious waterborne disease killing stony corals in the Caribbean off Jamaica, Mexico, Saint Maarten, the US Virgin Islands, Dominican Republic, Turks & Caicos Islands, Saint-Martin, Belize, Sint Eustatius, The Bahamas, Puerto Rico, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Guadeloupe, St. Lucia, Honduras and Martinique. Sick colonies display multifocal lytic necrosis, appearing as lesions, that start in the gastrodermis and extend out to the surface epithelia. Highly susceptible species are the meandroid corals–i.e., pillar corals (<em>Dendrogyra cylindrus</em>), elliptical star corals (<em>Dichocoenia stokesii</em>), smooth flower corals (<em>Eusmilia fastigiata</em>) and maze corals (<em>Meandrina spp.</em>). Starlet corals that develop numerous "blotchy" lesions, as well as diverse brain and star (boulder) corals, are also dying fairly quickly, followed by star corals (<em>Orbicella spp.</em>, <em>Montastraea cavernosa</em>) and other coral species <ref name="traylor">Traylor-Knowles N, Connelly MT, Young BD, Eaton K, Muller EM, Paul VJ, et al. Gene Expression Response to Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease Transmission in M. cavernosa and O. faveolata From Florida [Internet]. <em>Coral Reef Research</em>. Frontiers in Marine Science; 2021 [cited 2022May25]. Available from: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.681563/full</ref>. | ||
One important resource to improve public outreach is the [https://oref.maps.arcgis.com/apps/View/index.html?appid=6bf1ce3fcd8948598000aac1dda9e84a&extent=-133.8154,-0.5271,-49.4404,38.7200|SCTLD Tracking Map] created by the Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment organization <ref name="oref">Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD) Tracking Map [Internet]. Oref.maps.arcgis.com. Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment; [cited 2022May25]. Available from: https://oref.maps.arcgis.com/apps/View/index.html?appid=6bf1ce3fcd8948598000aac1dda9e84a&extent=-133.8154%2C-0.5271%2C-49.4404%2C38.7200</ref>. This interactive map displays location based reef assessments of SCTLD by combining numerous coral surveys throughout the world. | |||
There is limited understanding of SCTLD disease, including its cause. Researchers can confirm that it is waterborne, but are unsure whether it is bacterial, viral, or environmental. The lack of research makes treatment rather difficult, but here are a few ways in which scientists are trying to help coral communities. | |||
==Genetic Expression to Prevent SCTLD== | |||
A 2021 study by the University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science and in collaboration with the Mote Marine Laboratory and the Smithsonian Marine Station has been the first of its kind to document coral gene response against SCTLD. Their work explores the genetic immune response of infected <em>O. faveolata</em> and <em>M. cavernosa</em> corals by exposing these healthy corals to samples of infected corals collected from reefs. The intent of this research is to document the corals' immune responses in order to understand how SCTLD affects the corals' biological mechanisms and to compare species to interpret varied responses and their outcomes. | |||
Experiments between 2019 and 2020 concluded that SCTLD is evoking the feedback of a network of genes important for cell responses including cell death, immunity and tissue rearrangement, indicating that the disease is causing swift cell death and rearrangement of the tissue <ref name="sd">Study finds genes role in immune response of Florida corals to rapidly spreading disease [Internet]. Science News. ScienceDaily; 2021 [cited 2022May26]. Available from: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/07/210706115400.htm</ref>. Overall, diseased <em>O. faveolata</em> had 2194 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) compared with healthy colonies, whereas diseased <em>M. cavernosa</em> had 582 DEGs compared with healthy colonies. <ref name="traylor" /> | |||
Revision as of 08:54, 28 May 2022
Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD)
Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD), discovered in 2014, is a contagious waterborne disease killing stony corals in the Caribbean off Jamaica, Mexico, Saint Maarten, the US Virgin Islands, Dominican Republic, Turks & Caicos Islands, Saint-Martin, Belize, Sint Eustatius, The Bahamas, Puerto Rico, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Guadeloupe, St. Lucia, Honduras and Martinique. Sick colonies display multifocal lytic necrosis, appearing as lesions, that start in the gastrodermis and extend out to the surface epithelia. Highly susceptible species are the meandroid corals–i.e., pillar corals (Dendrogyra cylindrus), elliptical star corals (Dichocoenia stokesii), smooth flower corals (Eusmilia fastigiata) and maze corals (Meandrina spp.). Starlet corals that develop numerous "blotchy" lesions, as well as diverse brain and star (boulder) corals, are also dying fairly quickly, followed by star corals (Orbicella spp., Montastraea cavernosa) and other coral species [1].
One important resource to improve public outreach is the Tracking Map created by the Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment organization [2]. This interactive map displays location based reef assessments of SCTLD by combining numerous coral surveys throughout the world.
There is limited understanding of SCTLD disease, including its cause. Researchers can confirm that it is waterborne, but are unsure whether it is bacterial, viral, or environmental. The lack of research makes treatment rather difficult, but here are a few ways in which scientists are trying to help coral communities.
Genetic Expression to Prevent SCTLD
A 2021 study by the University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science and in collaboration with the Mote Marine Laboratory and the Smithsonian Marine Station has been the first of its kind to document coral gene response against SCTLD. Their work explores the genetic immune response of infected O. faveolata and M. cavernosa corals by exposing these healthy corals to samples of infected corals collected from reefs. The intent of this research is to document the corals' immune responses in order to understand how SCTLD affects the corals' biological mechanisms and to compare species to interpret varied responses and their outcomes.
Experiments between 2019 and 2020 concluded that SCTLD is evoking the feedback of a network of genes important for cell responses including cell death, immunity and tissue rearrangement, indicating that the disease is causing swift cell death and rearrangement of the tissue [3]. Overall, diseased O. faveolata had 2194 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) compared with healthy colonies, whereas diseased M. cavernosa had 582 DEGs compared with healthy colonies. [1]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Traylor-Knowles N, Connelly MT, Young BD, Eaton K, Muller EM, Paul VJ, et al. Gene Expression Response to Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease Transmission in M. cavernosa and O. faveolata From Florida [Internet]. Coral Reef Research. Frontiers in Marine Science; 2021 [cited 2022May25]. Available from: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.681563/full
- ↑ Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD) Tracking Map [Internet]. Oref.maps.arcgis.com. Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment; [cited 2022May25]. Available from: https://oref.maps.arcgis.com/apps/View/index.html?appid=6bf1ce3fcd8948598000aac1dda9e84a&extent=-133.8154%2C-0.5271%2C-49.4404%2C38.7200
- ↑ Study finds genes role in immune response of Florida corals to rapidly spreading disease [Internet]. Science News. ScienceDaily; 2021 [cited 2022May26]. Available from: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/07/210706115400.htm