[Coral-List] NEED ADVICE!! - ACTIVE MORTALITY EVENT AT FLOWER GARDENS!

Thu Jul 28 11:33:38 EDT 2016

This sounds like a hypoxic event because it is affecting so many species
and different taxa. Those white bacteria are likely Beggiatoa mays that
grow in low oxygen conditions. Perhaps this is the result of water
stratification (hence low oxygen at depth) from the high temps. It is
unlikely the bacteria are the cause of the die off more of a downstream
effect from the prevailing conditions. -Becky

On Thu, Jul 28, 2016 at 8:06 AM, Rüdiger Siek <ruediger.siek at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Dear all,
>
> Are you sure that this has nothing to do with anoxic / dead zone?
> First of all I thought that this might be a corresponding event of
> dinoflagellates + abnormal high temperature which led to a production of
> toxic secondary metabolites. But Steve told me, that the bacterial(?) mats
> are white, not gold / brown.
> As far as I know, those white bacterial(?) blooms correlate often with
> anoxic events.
> (When you import live rock for reef tanks and the rocks had too less water
> / air in the boxes you sometimes have white mats of bacteria.)
>
> Kind regards,
> Ruediger
>
> Am 28.07.2016 16:41 schrieb "Judith Lang" <jlang at riposi.net>:
>
> > Hi everyone,
> > A nightmare indeed; condolences from all of us who treasure the Flower
> > Garden Bank reefs.
> >
> > Although 86F (30C) isn’t extravagently high, I think this is about the
> > annual warmest temperature on the banks and, if so, it might already be
> > above the seasonal average for mid-summer.
> >
> > Lynton Land (my husband) immediately asked if the Gulf dead zone might
> > have impacted this area. Told him I’m pretty sure the banks are too far
> > offshore to be under its influence, but weather patterns over the
> continent
> > have been unusual this year, so maybe that’s another straw at which to
> > grasp….At least a NOAA vessel should be tracking its movements around the
> > Gulf this week (http://www.noaa.gov/average-
> > ‘dead-zone’-gulf-mexico-predicted).
> >
> > Les,
> > Please quickly clarify how to preserve affected tissues for metagenomic
> > analyses for Emma and her team.
> >
> > Judy
> >
> > Judy Lang
> > AGRRA Scientific Coordinator
> >
> >
> > > On Jul 28, 2016, at 9:45 AM, Kaufman, Leslie S <lesk at bu.edu> wrote:
> > >
> > > Hey Bill.
> > >
> > > Oh, wow- the nightmare. It’s like when something bad afoot finally
> > reaches out to an actual family member.
> > >
> > > OK.
> > >
> > > Emma and GP- beside what you’d already mentioned, I suggest preserving
> > affected tissues for metagenomic analysis (DNA and mRNA).  We do not have
> > to run them, but as the situation clarifies, sequence and transcriptomic
> > data could be clinchers.
> > >
> > > It doesn’t sound like temperature, but of course thermal data will be
> > important- if there are loggers out might be wise to download them just
> to
> > make sure the data are secure.
> > >
> > > Might be worth talking to Esther Peters for instructions on
> histological
> > preservation, but since this is a cross-taxon mass-kill most of the
> > pathology will likely just indicate (superficially) that the critters are
> > sick and dying, not necessarily how come.
> > >
> > > I think a brief moratorium during close monitoring are justified as a
> > cautionary move.  This won’t be fun.
> > >
> > > There has not been any oil spotted in the area, right?  Because that is
> > one thing that this sounds like.  Have there ever been seeps observed
> > actually within the reef caps on either E or W?  Grasping at straws
> here….
> > >
> > > Les
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Les Kaufman
> > > Professor of Biology
> > > Boston University Marine Program
> > > Faculty Fellow, Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future
> > > and
> > > Conservation Fellow
> > > Betty and Gordon Moore Center for Science
> > > Conservation International
> > > lesk at bu.edu <mailto:lesk at bu.edu>
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > On Jul 28, 2016, at 9:17 AM, William Precht <william.precht at gmail.com
> > <mailto:william.precht at gmail.com>> wrote:
> > >
> > >> This made me ill while reading:-(
> > >>
> > >> Sent from my iPhone
> > >>
> > >> Begin forwarded message:
> > >>
> > >>> From: James Hendee <jim.hendee at noaa.gov <mailto:jim.hendee at noaa.gov
> >>
> > >>> Date: July 28, 2016 at 6:30:36 AM EDT
> > >>> To: Coral-List <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov <mailto:
> > coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>>
> > >>> Subject: [Coral-List] NEED ADVICE!! - ACTIVE MORTALITY EVENT AT
> FLOWER
> > GARDENS!
> > >>>
> > >>> Greetings,
> > >>>
> > >>>    Dr. Gittings' message was incorrectly formatted (image was
> > >>> attached), but due to the emergency nature of the message, I am
> posting
> > >>> this for him.  Please note this is from him, and to contact him for
> any
> > >>> feedback (i.e., not me).
> > >>>
> > >>>    Thanks!
> > >>>    Jim
> > >>>
> > >>> Subject:
> > >>> NEED ADVICE!! - ACTIVE MORTALITY EVENT AT FLOWER GARDENS!
> > >>> From:
> > >>> Steve Gittings - NOAA Federal <steve.gittings at noaa.gov <mailto:
> > steve.gittings at noaa.gov>>
> > >>> Date:
> > >>> 7/27/16, 5:08 PM
> > >>>
> > >>> To:
> > >>> "coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov <mailto:
> coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>"
> > <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov <mailto:coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> >>,
> > >>> Cheryl Woodley - NOAA Federal <cheryl.woodley at noaa.gov <mailto:
> > cheryl.woodley at noaa.gov>>, _NOS ONMS
> > >>> Leadership Team <onmslt at noaa.gov <mailto:onmslt at noaa.gov>>, _NOS
> ONMS
> > Conservation Science
> > >>> Division <onmscsd at noaa.gov <mailto:onmscsd at noaa.gov>>,
> nmsprc at noaa.gov
> > <mailto:nmsprc at noaa.gov>, Ed Levine - NOAA Federal
> > >>> <ed.levine at noaa.gov <mailto:ed.levine at noaa.gov>>, Lisa Symons <
> > Lisa.Symons at noaa.gov <mailto:Lisa.Symons at noaa.gov>>, Edward
> > >>> Lindelof - NOAA Federal <edward.lindelof at noaa.gov <mailto:
> > edward.lindelof at noaa.gov>>, Bill Goodwin - NOAA
> > >>> Federal <Bill.Goodwin at noaa.gov <mailto:Bill.Goodwin at noaa.gov>>, Bill
> > Precht <bill.precht at noaa.gov <mailto:bill.precht at noaa.gov>>,
> > >>> "Boland, Gregory S" <Gregory.Boland at boem.gov <mailto:
> > Gregory.Boland at boem.gov>>, William Kiene
> > >>> <william.kiene at noaa.gov <mailto:william.kiene at noaa.gov>>
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>> I just got a call from Emma Hickerson, Research Coordinator for the
> > >>> Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.  She's on the East
> > Flower
> > >>> Garden Bank and reports what appears to be an unprecedented mass
> dieoff
> > >>> of numerous species of at least corals, sea urchins, brittle stars,
> and
> > >>> sponges over a large area.  She says large mats of tissue are
> sloughing
> > >>> off and there appear to be large bacterial mats on the bottom.  Large
> > >>> amounts of material and haze in the water is making for virtually
> zero
> > >>> visibility in some places.  Water temperature is 86F.  She isn't
> > certain
> > >>> of areal coverage, but believes it to be affecting the areas
> containing
> > >>> at least three mooring buoys (4, 5, and 6).  I believe these buoys
> are
> > >>> about 100 m from one another.  She did not see it at Buoy 2 (the
> > >>> long-term monitoring study site), which is on the east edge of the
> reef
> > >>> a similar distance away.  They will continue survey and do random
> drops
> > >>> to determine the extent.
> > >>>
> > >>> 1) Emma would like advice on collection and preservation of
> materials..
> > >>> They have ethanol, formalin, and freezer space on board, but I don't
> > >>> know about other details (jars, etc.)
> > >>>
> > >>> 2) Does anyone believe that an emergency closure is warranted to
> reduce
> > >>> spread of the problem by divers, or for any other reason?
> > >>>
> > >>> 3) They are disinfecting dive gear, I believe with a vinegar
> solution..
> > >>> Any additional suggestions on better or additional protocols?
> > >>>
> > >>> Thanks very much for any advice.  I can pass it along to the field
> crew
> > >>> via sat phone.
> > >>>
> > >>> Steve
> > >>>
> > >>> --
> > >>> Dr. Steve Gittings, Science Coordinator
> > >>> NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
> > >>> 1305 East West Hwy., N/ORM62
> > >>> Silver Spring, MD  20910
> > >>> (240) 533-0708 (w), (301) 529-1854 (c)
> > >>> _______________________________________________
> > >>> Coral-List mailing list
> > >>> Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov <mailto:
> Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
> > >>> http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list <
> > http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list>
> > >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> >
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-- 
Dr. Rebecca Vega Thurber
Associate Professor of Microbiology
Oregon State University
454 Nash Hall
Corvallis OR  97331-3804, U.S.A
541-737-1851 (office) 541-737-0496 (FAX)
rvegathurber at gmail.com;Rebecca.Vega-Thurber at oregonstate.edu
<Rebecca.Vega.Thurber at oregonstate.edu>