Prevalence of Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease at El Seco, a Mesophotic Reef System off Vieques Island, Puerto Rico
نویسندگان
چکیده
Mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs) are ecologically and functionally vital, as they Essential Fish Habitats that function refugia for corals sponges of shallow-water reefs. Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD) is a relatively new lethal disease, first affecting reefs in Florida has now spread through most the Caribbean. SCTLD was observed Puerto Rico December 2019 Culebra Island. Since then, appeared along east coast Rico, primarily shallow San Juan, Vieques Island, Fajardo. During late June July 2020, four mesophotic reef habitats were surveyed at El Seco (off Island), on southeast Rico. colonized pavement (CPRT – 23–30 m), bank (BCR 35–40 patch (PCR 36–42 rhodolith (Rhodo 40–50 m) habitats. The mean percent substrate cover by sessile-benthic categories varied significantly between (PERMANOVA, p < 0.001), with higher (± SE) BCR (26.95 ± 5.60%), followed PCR (12.88 3.88%). detected all habitats, but disease prevalence BCR, ranging from 9.70 to 21.13% colonies infected (Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA, 0.007). Even though exhibited less cover, still elevated 6.66 15.07%. deepest record 40.9 m. majority (∼98%) Orbicella complex spp. ( faveolata / franksi ). However, there other species, such Agaricia grahamae, A. lamarcki , Montastraea cavernosa Porites astreoides . As seen surveys conducted 2011 loss allows emergence benthic “detractors,” peyssonnelids, specifically Ramicrusta spp., an aggressive encrusting red alga known take over available space overgrow corals, increased its impacted Therefore, severity virulence will likely have severe long-lasting negative impacts communities system.
منابع مشابه
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ژورنال
عنوان ژورنال: Frontiers in Marine Science
سال: 2021
ISSN: ['2296-7745']
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.668669