Article
Environmental Sciences
Nicole K. Hayes, Charles J. Walton, David S. Gilliam
Summary: The stony coral tissue loss disease outbreak has had a long-term impact on coral communities, causing changes in population structure and composition. While some species still exist, the likelihood of recovery is limited without immediate action to address local and global stressors.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lauren T. Toth, Travis A. Courtney, Michael A. Colella, Rob R. Ruzicka
Summary: SCTLD has had an unprecedented impact on the western Atlantic coral-reef ecosystems, causing a decline in reef-accretion potential and altering the composition of coral assemblages. The loss of reef-building corals has significantly decreased carbonate production, leading to a decline in their capacity for growth.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ian R. Combs, Michael S. Studivan, Ryan J. Eckert, Joshua D. Voss
Summary: Since 2014, stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) has caused significant declines in reef-building corals in Florida. This study combined SCTLD prevalence assessments with colony-level monitoring to understand disease dynamics, revealing that disease prevalence varied among different locations but did not change significantly over time. By using 3D photogrammetry to track the fate of infected coral colonies, researchers found that total colony area and healthy tissue area decreased significantly over time.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Alexander B. Modys, Anton Oleinik, Richard A. Mortlock, Lauren T. Toth, William F. Precht
Summary: This study establishes a new high-resolution record of coral community development off southeast Florida during a period of variable climate in the late Holocene. The findings indicate that cold-sensitive reef-building coral communities expanded to the high-latitude reefs off southeast Florida during a period of regional warming, suggesting a link between regional oceanographic climate and the expansion of these coral communities. This has important implications for future range expansions of reef-building coral communities in response to modern climate change.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nicholas P. Jones, Lystina Kabay, Kathleen Semon Lunz, David S. Gilliam
Summary: The study reveals the ecological extinction of the threatened pillar coral species Dendrogyra cylindrus in southeast Florida due to consecutive heat stress events and white-syndrome disease outbreak. It highlights the severe compromise of stony coral resilience by chronic environmental disturbance, hindering community recovery.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Aldo Croquer, Ernesto Weil, Caroline S. Rogers
Summary: The study found that White Plagues and Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease share similarities in external symptoms, but have significant differences in terms of pathology, etiology, and epizootiology. Both diseases impact the coral microbiome, but differ in causative agents and transmission methods. Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease is more persistent and has higher mortality rates. More detailed information is needed for a better comparison between the two diseases.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Graham Kolodziej, Michael S. Studivan, Arthur C. R. Gleason, Chris Langdon, Ian C. Enochs, Derek P. Manzello
Summary: Since 2014, stony coral tissue loss disease has spread throughout Florida's coral reef tract and the Caribbean, reaching the upper Florida Keys by 2016. Despite the presence of the disease at Cheeca Rocks, the impact on coral cover and community structure has been relatively low compared to other sites on Florida's coral reef tract, highlighting the potential role of this site in coral resilience.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Nicholas P. Jones, Rob R. Ruzicka, Mike A. Colella, Morgan S. Pratchett, David S. Gilliam
Summary: Acute disturbances and chronic pressures have significant and increasing impacts on coral reef community structure. This study reveals that high disturbance frequency and chronic anthropogenic pressures have led to sustained declines in stony corals and proliferation of macroalgae on Florida's Coral Reef. Even in locations with lower chronic pressure, recovery of stony corals is severely limited.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Michael S. Studivan, Ryan J. Eckert, Erin Shilling, Nash Soderberg, Ian C. Enochs, Joshua D. Voss
Summary: Stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) is a highly deadly and fast-spreading disease that affects Florida's Coral Reef and the wider Caribbean. Researchers are working together to find strategies to mitigate the spread of SCTLD, including using disease-resistant genotypes, genetic rescue, and therapeutics. Through experiments, they have found that antibiotic treatment can help reverse the damage caused by SCTLD and improve coral immune responses.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Andia Chaves-Fonnegra, Bernd Panassiti, Tyler B. Smith, Elizabeth Brown, Elizabeth Clemens, Moriah Sevier, Marilyn E. Brandt
Summary: Outbreaks of coral white plague disease is causing significant regional declines of reef-building Caribbean corals. Studies have shown that the prevalence of WP disease is higher on upper mesophotic coral reefs in the U.S. Virgin Islands compared to shallow or mid-depth reefs, potentially due to greater availability of coral hosts and a temperature threshold for long-term persistence of the disease.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Lauren T. Toth, Travis A. Courtney, Michael A. Colella, Selena A. Kupfner Johnson, Robert R. Ruzicka
Summary: Coral-reef degradation is causing reductions in reef-building capacity and its associated functions. The persistence of these functions depends on coral-reef management's ability to balance reef accretion and erosion. This study reconstructs the carbonate budgets of Florida Keys reefs from 1996 to 2019 and finds that most reefs had positive budgets historically, but declines in coral populations caused a shift to negative budgets. The study also suggests that coral restoration has the potential to mitigate declines in reef accretion.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sara D. Williams, Cory S. Walter, Erinn M. Muller
Summary: The study on SCTLD epidemiology in the lower Florida Keys revealed that the disease first appeared in offshore and mid-channel reef sites, and showed a negative correlation with thermal stress. Additionally, it was found that the prevalence and tissue loss associated with SCTLD were higher in areas with more Montastraea cavernosa and Orbicella faveolata colonies.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Michael S. Studivan, Alycia Shatters, Danielle L. Dodge, Jeff L. Beal, Joshua D. Voss
Summary: Experiments on coral populations in nearshore environments in Florida revealed that corals are more responsive to thermal stress than to estuarine discharge, with evidence of a synergistic relationship between the two stressors. Transcriptomic responses to thermal stress were largely based on coral genotype, indicating potential stress resilience among certain members of coral populations from southeast Florida.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Abigail S. Clark, Sara D. Williams, Kerry Maxwell, Stephanie M. Rosales, Lindsay K. Huebner, Jan H. Landsberg, John H. Hunt, Erinn M. Muller
Summary: The study revealed that coral colonies affected by SCTLD in five susceptible species exhibited specific microbial signatures, with the order Rhodobacterales and Clostridiales potentially playing key roles in the disease's progression. This suggests that stress-induced dysbiosis of coral microbiomes may contribute to the increase in opportunistic pathogens associated with SCTLD.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sara D. Williams, J. Grace Klinges, Samara Zinman, Abigail S. Clark, Erich Bartels, Marina Villoch Diaz Maurino, Erinn M. Muller
Summary: Effective coral restoration requires comprehensive investigations of targeted coral communities, including the coral host, symbiotic algae, and microbiome. This study found that the microbiomes of Acropora cervicornis genotypes differed based on the collection region, indicating that regional processes influenced bacterial community composition. Corals with low abundance of Aquarickettsia had higher species richness and diversity, suggesting their potential for restoration.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Kelly A. Pitts, Justin E. Campbell, Joana Figueiredo, Nicole D. Fogarty
Article
Environmental Sciences
Charles Frys, Antoine St-Amand, Matthieu Le Henaff, Joana Figueiredo, Alyson Kuba, Brian Walker, Jonathan Lambrechts, Valentin Vallaeys, David Vincent, Emmanuel Hanert
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2020)
Article
Ecology
Brian K. Walker, Shelby Eagan, Cory Ames, Sandra Brooke, Sean Keenan, Rene Baumstark
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2020)
Article
Microbiology
Blake Ushijima, Julie L. Meyer, Sharon Thompson, Kelly Pitts, Michael F. Marusich, Jessica Tittl, Elizabeth Weatherup, Jacqueline Reu, Raquel Wetzell, Greta S. Aeby, Claudia C. Hase, Valerie J. Paul
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Oceanography
Brian K. Walker, Charles Messing, Jana Ash, Sandra Brooke, John K. Reed, Stephanie Farrington
Summary: The study analyzed the benthic community characteristics of Pourtale Terrace in the southern Florida Keys, revealing spatial differences among different geographic regions and providing a detailed description of these communities. This research provides new insights into benthic mapping and is a necessary step towards facilitating management actions.
DEEP-SEA RESEARCH PART I-OCEANOGRAPHIC RESEARCH PAPERS
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Deborah L. Santavy, Susan K. Jackson, Benjamin Jessup, Christina Horstmann, Caroline Rogers, Ernesto Weil, Alina Szmant, David Cuevas Miranda, Brian K. Walker, Christopher Jeffrey, David Ballantine, William S. Fisher, Randy Clark, Hector Ruiz Torres, Brandi Todd, Sandy Raimondo
Summary: The Biological Condition Gradient (BCG) is a conceptual model used to describe incremental changes in biological condition along a gradient of increasing anthropogenic stress. We developed a numeric BCG model for the coral reefs of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands to facilitate ecologically meaningful management decisions. The model employs decision rules based on multiple attributes to assess coral reef condition and has shown high predictive accuracy in site ratings.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Deborah L. Santavy, Susan K. Jackson, Benjamin Jessup, Jeroen Gerritsen, Caroline Rogers, William S. Fisher, Ernesto Weil, Alina Szmant, David Cuevas-Miranda, Brian K. Walker, Christopher Jeffrey, Patricia Bradley, David Ballantine, Loretta Roberson, Hector Ruiz-Torres, Brandi Todd, Tyler Smith, Randy Clark, Ernesto Diaz, Jorge Bauza-Ortega, Christina Horstmann, Sandy Raimondo
Summary: With the decline in coral reef condition worldwide, it is important to understand and communicate the response of coral reefs to management actions, environmental contamination, and natural disasters. A narrative model has been developed to evaluate the condition of coral reefs and detect changes using narrative descriptions. The model can be used to assess actions that affect coral reef ecosystems and develop management plans.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Joseph R. Pawlik, Roy A. Armstrong, Stephanie Farrington, John Reed, Sara Rivero-Calle, Hanumant Singh, Brian K. Walker, Jason White
Summary: There are highly divergent estimates of benthic cover of sponges in Caribbean mesophotic reefs. Two methods, visual surveys conducted by technical divers and analyses of photographs taken by unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), have been used to collect data. The UUV-based method is advantageous due to its access to the full mesophotic zone, higher sample replication, and reduced likelihood of sampling bias. Past tech diving surveys should be repeated using the UUV-based method to reconcile divergent estimates.
MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Samantha King, Antoine Saint-Amand, Brian K. Walker, Emmanuel Hanert, Joana Figueiredo
Summary: Since the 1980s, the populations of Acropora cervicornis and A. palmata have declined significantly due to disease and human activities. This study used larval survival and competency data to model the dispersal patterns of these coral species along Florida's Coral Reef. The results indicate that selective spatial restoration can stimulate natural recovery, and the model can be used to guide the management and restoration of genotypically diverse Acropora populations.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biology
Blake Ushijima, Sarath P. Gunasekera, Julie L. Meyer, Jessica Tittl, Kelly A. Pitts, Sharon Thompson, Jennifer M. Sneed, Yousong Ding, Manyun Chen, L. Jay Houk, Greta S. Aeby, Claudia C. Hase, Valerie J. Paul
Summary: A multidisciplinary approach has identified the bacterium Pseudoalteromonas sp. strain McH1-7 as having broad-spectrum antibacterial activity against stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD), a disease currently threatening Caribbean coral reefs. Laboratory trials showed that McH1-7 was effective in arresting or slowing disease progression and preventing disease transmission. It is considered a potential alternative to antibiotic use for SCTLD treatment.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ellen P. Robertson, Daniel P. Walsh, Julien Martin, Thierry M. Work, Christina A. Kellogg, Victoria Barker, Aine Hawthorn, Greta Aeby, Valerie J. Paul, Brian K. Walker, Yasunari Kiryu, Cheryl M. Woodley, Julie L. Meyer, Stephanie M. Rosales, Michael Studivan, Jennifer F. Moore, Marilyn E. Brandt, Andrew Bruckner
Summary: Emerging diseases can have devastating consequences for wildlife. Identifying the etiology of the disease is crucial for appropriate management, but can be challenging in the early stages. This study presents a rapid prototyping method that combines expert elicitation and Bayesian modeling to quantify belief weights for competing hypotheses. The approach is efficient, providing a snapshot assessment of current knowledge, and can be updated over time as scientific understanding improves.Overall, this approach is valuable for addressing emergent diseases and other urgent conservation problems.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jessica M. Deutsch, Olakunle Jaiyesimi, Kelly Pitts, Jay Houk, Blake Ushijima, Brian K. Walker, Valerie J. Paul, Neha Garg
Summary: Stony coral tissue loss disease, first detected in Florida in 2014, has spread to the entire Florida Reef Tract and numerous Caribbean countries. Metabolomic profiling of Montastraea cavernosa corals affected by the disease revealed significant differences in metabolic markers between healthy and diseased corals. The study suggests that metabolomics can be a valuable tool in understanding the susceptibility and resilience of different coral species to various diseases spreading globally.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)