A global synthesis of the current knowledge on the taxonomic and geographic distribution of major coral diseases

Although knowledge on the diseases affecting corals has been accumulating exponentially since 2000s, even more effort is required to summarize and guide further investigation. Here, we used Web of Science database review 226 studies published, between 2000 2020, identify major geographic taxonomic gaps in literature, propose future directions for study coral diseases. We classified according ocean, ecoregion, species, disease types, approach (e.g., observational or experimental), depth. In total, 22 types were reported 165 species. Acropora spp. was most studied taxa with 12 8.2% records. Black band, white plague, syndromes, skeletal eroding, dark spot, yellow band six common diseases, accounting together 76.8% As expected, conducted Caribbean Indo-Pacific (34.0% 28.7%, respectively), but only 44 141 global ecoregions that harbour corals. Observational approaches frequent (75.6% records), while experimental accounted 19.9% mainly done Acropora. The vast majority (?98%) performed shallow waters (<30 m depth). conclude over past two decades, have assessed a very small fraction few locations around globe, at limited range their depth distribution. While monitoring bleaching mandatory reef ecology conservation, ecoepidemiology deserves space research agenda ecosystems.