Abundance of Black-band Disease on Corals from One Location on the Great Barrier Reef: A Comparison with Abundance in the Caribbean Region
Dinsdale EA. Abundance of Black-band Disease on Corals from One Location on the Great Barrier Reef: A Comparison with Abundance in the Caribbean Region. In Proceedings 9th International Coral Reef Symposium. Bali, Indonesia. October 23-27, 2000. Proceedings of the International Coral Reef Symposium
Black-band disease (BBD) occurs on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), Australia, with at least 21 species in five families being affected. Surveys of reef crest corals at Lizard Island found 2.8% of 4569 coral colonies were affected with BBD. Acroporidae, in particular Acropora hyacinthus, Acropora intermedia and Acropora millepora, were susceptible to BBD, compared with the Caribbean where acroporid corals are resistant to BBD. Pocilloporidae, including Pocillopora damicornis, Pocillopora verrucosa and Stylophora pistillata, were identified as important host species. The abundance of BBD varied between sites, ranging from 1.3% to 4.9% of colonies affected. The percentage of BED-affected colonies varied between coral families. The percent of colonies affected with BBD were: 6.0% for the Pocilloporidae, 3.6% for the Acroporidae, 3.0% for the Faviidae and 2.1% for the Poritidae. The level of BBD affected colonies on the GBR was within the range of affected colonies reported in the Caribbean.
- Type
- Conference Proceeding Paper
- Authors
- Dinsdale, E
- Units
- SFCN
- Keywords
- Health, Infection, marine ecosystem, Sick, sickness