Epizootic?

James M. Cervino cnidaria at earthlink.net
Tue Jun 9 08:05:52 EDT 1998


Reguarding the Blue and Pink Pigment.

Is it possible that you are seeing the Porites Ring/Blotch Disease. Sort of
a raised increased mass of tissue above the normal tissue line
(hyperplasia?) forming a Blotch of bluish pink ring?? This ring develops
into a depressed lesion on the tops as well as the base or sides.  This is
what we are noticing at  most of the sites we dived in the Philippines.
Laurie Ramundo of Cornell University has also observed similar lesions on
Porites sp. at her study sites, although her photos reveal white blotchs or
spots during the early signs.

Our observations were made outside of bleaching events.

Reports of this syndrome have been coming in in the past 12 months, while
in Papaua New Guinea after the 95 bleaching event the Porites seemed in
perfect health.  The soft coral Gonipora sp.will also exhibit this blue
pigmentation on the tops of the polyps, while the rest of the tissue is
white, is this also due to BLEACHING and the LOSS of zooxanthellae?? We
will be back in PNG this Aug. to monitor and re-collect data from those
same sites.

Thanks, James M. Cervino

************************************
James M. Cervino
Marine Biologist
Global Coral Reef Alliance
124-19 9th ave. College Point
New York, N.Y. 11356
Phone/Fax-(718) 539-8155
************************************




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