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The Incidence Of Coral Disease In The
Florida Keys And Dry Tortugas Deborah L. Santavy1, Erich Mueller2, Esther C. Peters3, James W. Porter4 and Lauri MacLaughlin5 1US EPA, Gulf
Ecology Div., Gulf Breeze, FL 32561; 2Mote Marine Laboratory, Center
for Tropical Research, Summerland Key, FL 33042; 3Tetra Tech. Inc.,
Fairfax, VA 22030; 4Ecology Dept., Univ. of GA, Athens, GA 30602;
and 5FKNMS, Lower Region, Key West, FL 33040
Disease
in corals is one factor that has been implicated in serious declines in the
ecological condition of coral reefs. In particular, coral reefs in the Western
Atlantic Province have undergone large-scale and consistent ecological changes
during the last two decades. Few studies
have attempted to document the prevalence of different coral diseases in a
large geographic area. Most coral
disease studies have focused on a single disease within several proximal reefs. In 1997 and 1998, we initiated a
comprehensive effort to assess coral diseases in the Florida Keys National
Marine Sanctuary and the Dry Tortugas National Park. Systematic efforts began in 1997 to develop protocols for the
selection of permanent stations and data collection methodology. Permanent reef stations were established in
1998 by using a stratified random design and employing benthic maps to
demarcate reef areas. Sampling was conducted inside a radial belt transect with
a 10 m-radius (314 m2). At each
station, colonies (>10 cm) of species known
to be affected by described diseases were counted to determine disease
frequency. Eleven disease conditions affecting eighteen
species of scleractinian corals and sea fans were described by gross visual
signs. Reefs in the Key West area had a
higher incidence of disease than reefs in the New Grounds or Dry Tortugas. The greatest incidence of disease was
observed at Key West reefs in September 1997 (22.4% ± 6.9), excluding bleached
corals. Bleaching data were recorded by
a separate observer for September 1998.
Overall bleaching of colonies ranged from 26.0% ± 4.4 at Key West reefs
to 2.20% ± 1.7 at New Grounds reefs.
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