Tumors on corals

[peter Houk]

Dear All,
      During recent inner lagoon surveys completed in Saipan Lagoon, CNMI, 
my colleague and I have observed and photographed what appeared to be a 
coral tumor on a Astreopora myriophthalma colony.  I have this location in 
my GPS unit and if desired I can collect a sample or the colony.  
Interesting topic, I look forward to reviewing the web site listed.

Peter Houk
CNMI Division of Environmental Quality
Saipan, MP. 96950




>Dear Ruby, Simon, and others
>
>In addition to the tumors found by Steve Coles in Oman, several examples of
>other types of skeletal abnormalities have been observed.  They can be
>divided into hyperplasms and neoplasms (cancerous tumors).
>
>We have a section on skeletal abnormalities on The Coral Disease Page at:
>
>http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/mccarty_and_peters/coraldis.htm
>
>The following paper reviewed the literature and documented the kinds of
>tumors recognized through the mid-1980s:
>
>Peters, E.C., J.C. Halas, and H.B. McCarty.  1986.  Calicoblastic neoplasms
>in Acropora palmata with a review of reports of anomalies of growth and
>form in corals.  J. Nat. Cancer Inst. 76(5):895-912.
>
>Coles and colleagues investigated UV-radiation as a possible causal agent
>of acroporid tumors in:
>
>Coles, S.L., and D.G. Seapy.  1998.  Ultra-violet absorbing compounds and
>tumorous growths on acroporid corals from Bandar Khayran, Gulf of Oman,
>Indian Ocean.  Coral Reefs 17:195-198.
>
>More recently, calicoblastic epitheliomas have been found in Montipora:
>
>Yamashiro, H., M. Yamamoto, and R. van Woesik.  2000.  Tumor formation on
>the coral Montipora informis.  Dis. Aquat. Org. 41:211-217.
>
>Hyperplasms in several species of corals are currently being investigated
>by researchers on reefs of the eastern Pacific, Hawaii, Red Sea, and other
>areas.  This condition is characterized by more rapid skeletal deposition
>and tissue hypertrophy compared to surrounding polyps and might be what
>Ruby has found.  More detailed description of these and the tumorous
>growths Simon has seen are needed.
>
>Examples of both kinds of coral tumors and tissue sections, as well as
>reprints of pertinent papers, are archived at the Registry of Tumors in
>Lower Animals (RTLA), Department of Pathology, George Washington University
>Medical Center, Washington, DC.  The RTLA is interested in documenting
>additional reports of these lesions (contact: John Harshbarger, Director,
>e-mail:  patjch at gwumc.edu; or Esther Peters).
>
>Hope this helps!
>
>Chip McCarty and Esther Peters
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