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Microbial Pathogens And The Etiology Of Coral Diseases Laurie L. Richardson Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International
University, Miami, Florida 33199 There
has been much interest in coral disease etiology in recent years, a direct
result of an increase in the numbers and types of coral diseases. Yet, while up to 15 individual diseases have
been proposed, the study of only four of these has resulted in publication of
peer-reviewed disease characterizations. Of the four characterized coral
diseases the variability is fascinating.
Two are caused by individual pathogens, of which one is a fungus (Aspergillis sydowii, the pathogen of
aspergillosis of seafans) and the other is a gram-negative bacterium postulated
to be a new species of the genus Sphingomonas
(responsible for plague type II).
The two other characterized diseases are caused by microbial consortia,
one of which is very tightly structured (black band disease) while the other
appears to be loosely organized (white band disease type II). Because of the
differences in coral diseases at the most basic level, the manner in which they
are studied must, by necessity, also be different. Successful disease characterization has involved different
combinations of several techniques and disciplines, including (but not limited
to) tools in microbial physiology and ecology, biochemistry, microsensors,
molecular genetics, and traditional and advanced microscopy. This talk will illustrate the complexity of
studying coral diseases by presenting the details of our continuing
investigations into two very different diseases – black band disease and
plague. One of these studies, that of
black band disease, has required a long process of unraveling a complex, highly
synergistic microbial consortium. The
other study, focused on plague, demonstrates the difficulties of working with a
disease that keeps emerging in more virulent forms. The presentation will also address the complexities and
variability of questions that need to be addressed in this research area.
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