The Persistence of Black-Band Disease in Jamaica: Impact on Community Structure

Bruckner, A; Bruckner, R

The distribution of black-band disease (BBD) and the fates of corals infected with BBD were quantitatively monitored in St. Ann's Bay, Jamaica over four years. Black-band disease was concentrated in the back reef and on shallow fringing reefs among the species Diploria clivosa, D. strigosa, Montastraea annularis, M. cavernosa and Siderastrea siderea; BBD was rare below 10 m. Between July 1991 and September 1995 BBD occurred on 342 corals within 20 sites (total area 6280 m^2 ), representing 6.1% of the coral population. Infected corals appeared to be clumped and BBD was observed to spread from one coral to neighboring colonies, suggesting that this disease is highly infective. The abundance of BBD increased throughout 1992 and 1993, and a high incidence of BBD persists among the dominant coral species. In 1995, 65 corals had BBD, including 15 colonies observed with BBD in 1993. Large corals were rarely killed after one infection event. Instead, BBD corals were divided into two or more remnant colonies before the infection disappeared; a recurrence was observed later in the season or in subsequent years in 39 corals (11.4%). Overall 47.9% of the corals infected prior to 1995 have died. Black-band disease is contributing to a progressive elimination of massive corals from these reefs.