Microbial Degradation of the Crustose Red Alga Peyssonnelia spp. on Reefs of the Caribbean and Great Barrier Reef
Diaz-Pulido G. Microbial Degradation of the Crustose Red Alga Peyssonnelia spp. on Reefs of the Caribbean and Great Barrier Reef. In Proceedings 9th International Coral Reef Symposium. Bali, Indonesia. October 23-27, 2000. Proceedings of the International Coral Reef Symposium
A previously undescribed microbial degradation of the calcified crustose red alga Peyssonnelia spp. has been observed on coral reefs of the Colombian Caribbean and the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), Australia. Named Peyssonnelia Yellow Band Syndrome due to its banding appearance and yellow color, it has been observed to degrade 3 species of Peyssonnelia over a wide depth range (6 - 24 m). The syndrome generally manifests itself as a more or less distinct yellow band of 0.5 to 4 cm wide, composed of densely interwoven gliding filaments of a procaryotic microorganism. The yellow band moves across the surface of the crustose algae, followed by a white mat of the gliding bacterium Beggiatoa sp., leaving behind dead algal tissue. Both the invasion process and the microorganisms involved in the disease are similar in behavior and morphology among samples obtained from the Caribbean and GBR, and seem to represent the same infection.
- Type
- Conference Proceeding Paper
- Authors
- Diaz-Pulido, G
- Units
- SFCN
- Keywords
- Coral, Disease, Health, Infection, marine ecosystem, Sick, sickness