Resumen
Coral diseases have been documented in many areas of the Caribbean, but studies in the eastern Caribbean region have been lacking. The prevalence, distribution patterns and contribution to the mortality of coral tissue by black band disease (BBD), white plague (WP) and dark spots disease (DSD) were examined at five reef sites along the west coast of Dominica. 185 of the 325 diseased colonies recorded between March and August 2000, in a survey area of 5884 m2, were WP. This disease contributed to 89% of the total 4.08 m2 of tissue mortality caused by diseases during the survey period. WP also affected the largest average tissue surface area (relative to colony size) per colony and exhibited the largest average tissue loss per infection when compared to BBD and DSD. The species most susceptible to WP and BBD in Dominica differed from most other described Caribbean locations with Siderastrea siderea being most susceptible. S. siderea was also the only species noted to be susceptible to DSD. Measurements of colony size revealed that each disease affected the larger colonies of some coral species. Comparisons between disease prevalence at each site and various physical parameters, including temperature, wave height, depth, and current patterns, did not exhibit significant correlations. The lack of a direct correlation between temperature and disease prevalence indicates that there are other seasonal factors contributing to the higher prevalence of diseases recorded during the summer months in Dominica. WP prevalence at each site was positively correlated to the relative species abundances of the species most susceptible to WP. This was the dominant factor in determining sitespecific disease densities of this disease and may therefore be a valuable predictive and management tool. There were no correlations between BBD or DSD and the relative abundances of susceptible species. The spatial distribution patterns of WP, BBD and DSD were clustered, which is a distribution pattern that suggests an infectious disease.Citas
Antonius A. 1973. New observations on coral destruction in reefs. 10th Meeting of Island Marine Laboratories of the Caribbean (Abstr.), University of Puerto Rico (Mayaguez): 3.
Antonius A. 1981. The “band” diseases in coral reefs. Proc. 4th Int. Coral Reef Symp. 2: 3-6.
Antonius A. 1985a. Coral disease in the Indo-Pacific: a first record. PSZNI. Mar Ecol 6: 197-218.
Antonius A. 1985b. Black band disease infection experiments on hexacorals and octocorals. Proc. 5th Int. Coral Reef Symp. 6: 155-160.
Antonius A. 1988. Black band disease behavior on Red Sea reef corals. Proc. Sixth Coral Reef Symp. 6: 155-160.
Aronson R.B. & WF Precht. 1997. Stasis, biological disturbance, and community structure of a Holocene coral reef. Paleobiology 23: 326-346.
Bruckner A.W., Bruckner R.J. & E.H. Williams Jr. 1997. Spread of black-band disease epizootic through the coral reef system in St. Ann’s Bay, Jamaica. Bull. Mar. Sci. 61: 919-928.
Bruckner A.W. & R.J. Bruckner. 1997a. Outbreak of coral disease in Puerto Rico. Coral Reefs 16: 260.
Bruckner A.W. & R.J. Bruckner. 1997b. The persistence of black-band disease in Jamaica: Impact on community structure. Proc. 8th Int. Coral Reef Symp. 1: 601-606.
Carlton R.G. & Richardson L.L. 1995. Oxygen and sulfide dynamics in a horizontally migrating cyanobacterial mat: Black band disease of corals. FEMS Microb. Ecol. 18: 155-162.
Cervino J., T.J. Goreau, I. Nagelkerken, G.W. Smith and R. Hayes. 2001. Yellow band and dark spot syndromes in Caribbean corals: distribution, rate of spread, cytology, and effects of abundance and division rate of zooxanthellae. Hydrobiologia 460: 53-63.
Connell J.H. 1973. Population ecology of reef building corals, p. 205-245. In O.A. Jones & R. Endean (eds.) Biology and geology of coral reefs, Vol I. Academic, New York..
Dustan P. 1977. Vitality of reef coral population off Key Largo, Florida: recruitment and mortality. Environ. Geol. 2: 51-58.
Edmunds P. 1991. Extent and effect of black band disease on Caribbean reefs. Coral Reefs 10: 161-165.
Garrett P. & P. Ducklow. 1975. Coral disease in Bermuda. Nature 253: 349-350.
Garzon-Ferreira J. & D.L. Gil. 1998. Another unknown Caribbean coral phenomenon? Reef Encounter 24: 10.
Goreau T.J., J. Cervino, M. Goreau, R. Hayes, M. Hayes, L. Richardson, G. Smith, K. DeMeyer, I. Nagelkerken, J. Garzon-Ferreira, D. Gil, G. Garrison, E.H. Williams, L. Bunkley-Williams, C. Quirolo, K. Patterson, J. Porter and K. Porter. 1998. Rapid spread of Caribbean coral reef diseases. Rev. Biol. Trop. 46: 157-171.
Grosholz E.D. & G.M. Ruiz. 1997. Evidence for regional adaptation of BBD at Carrie Bow Cay, Belize. Proc. 8th Int. Coral Reef Symp. 1: 579-582.
Harvell C.D., K. Kim, J.M. Burkholder, R.R. Colwell, P.R. Epstein, D.J. Grives, E.E. Hofmann, E.K. Lipp, A.D.M.E. Osterhaus, R.M. Overstreet, J.W. Porter, G.W. Smith & G.R. Vasta. 1999. Emerging marine diseases-climate links and anthropogenic factors. Science 285: 1505-1510.
Hughes T.P. 1984. Population dynamics based on individual size rather than age: a general model with a reef coral example. Am. Nat. 123: 778-795
Hughes T.P. & J.B.C. Jackson. 1985. Population dynamics and life histories of foliaceous corals. Ecol. Monogr. 55: 141-166.
Kojis B.L. & N.J. Quinn. 1984. Puberty in corals: an examination of Connell’s hypotheses. Advances in Reef Science, Joint Meeting Atlantic Reef Committee and International Society for Reef Studies. University of Miami, October 26-28 (extended abstr.).
Kuta K.G. & L.L. Richardson. 1997. Black band disease and the fate of diseased coral colonies in the Florida Keys. Proc. 8th Int. Coral Reef Symp. 1: 575-578.
Littler M.M. & D.S. Littler. 1996. Black band disease in the South Pacific. Coral Reefs 15: 20.
Miller I. 1996. Black band disease on the Great Barrier Reef. Coral Reefs 15: 58. Peters E.C. 2001. The coral disease page. (Downloaded: 2001) http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/ mccarty_and_peters/coraldis.htm
Peters E.C.1993. Diseases of other invertebrate phyla: Porifera, cnidaria, ctenophora, annelida, echinodermata, p. 393-449. In C.A. Fournie (ed.) Adv. Fish Science, Pathology of Marine and Estuarine Organisms. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida.
Porter J.W. & O.W. Meier. 1992. Quantification of loss and change in Floridian reef coral populations. Amer. Zool. 32: 625-640.
Richardson L.L. 1996. Horizontal and vertical migration patterns of Phormidium corallyticum and Beggiatoa spp. associated with black-band disease of corals. Microb. Ecol. 32: 323-335.
Richardson L.L., W.M. Goldberg, K.G. Kuta, R.B. Aronson, G.W. Smith, K.B. Ritchie, J.C. Halas, J.S. Feingold & S.L. Miller. 1998. Florida’s mystery killer identified. Nature 392: 557-558.
Rützler K. & D.L. Santavy. 1983. The black band disease of Atlantic reef corals: I. Description of the cyanophyte pathogen. PSZNI. Mar. Ecol. 4: 301-319.
Rützler K., D.L. Santavy & A. Antonius. 1983. The black band disease of Atlantic reef corals: III. Distribution, ecology and development. P.S.Z.N.I. Mar. Ecol. 4: 329-358.
Schmale M.C. 1991. Prevalence and distribution patterns of tumors in bicolor damselfish (Pomacentrus partitus) on South Florida reefs. Mar. Biol. 109: 203-212.
Steiner S.C.C.S. & J.L. Borger. 2000. Coral Assemblages of Dominica, West Indies: An introduction. Reef Encounter 28: 20-22.
Szmant-Froelich A. 1985. The effect of colony size on the reproductive ability of the Caribbean coral Montastrea annularis (Ellis and Solander). Proc. 5th Int. Coral Reef Cong., Tahiti 4: 295-300.
Szmant A. 1986. Reproductive ecology of Caribbean reef corals. Coral Reefs 5: 43-54.
Van Duyl F.C. 1985. Atlas of the living reefs of Curaçao and Bonair (Netherlands Antilles). Foundation for scientific research in Surinam and the Netherlands Antilles, Utrecht.
Comentarios
Esta obra está bajo una licencia internacional Creative Commons Atribución 4.0.
Derechos de autor 2003 Revista de Biología Tropical