[Coral-List] Join us! Learn what caused the 2022 Caribbean Diadema die-off. Webinar - May 10, 2023

Tue May 2 14:45:30 UTC 2023

 <https://www.agrra.org/>
May 1, 2023
Save the Date - Webinar

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Photo Credit: R. Camacho, Antigua

Caribbean Diadema sea urchin 2022 mass mortality:

International collaboration identifies a causative agent

Wednesday May 10, 2023, 10:00 – 11:30 am EDT
Diadema Response Network

 <https://www.agrra.org/agrra-webinar-registration/>

ABOUT THE WEBINAR

Diadema antillarum, also known as the long-spined sea urchin, is a key herbivore in Caribbean coral reefs because it removes algae and opens space for corals to recruit and grow.

A large-scale die-off of this important urchin occurred in 2022, raising concern about its negative effects on the region’s reefs. Questions were asked: Where are the die-offs occurring? and Why are the urchins dying?

Join us as we address these questions.

Extent of the Die-off: Alwin Hylkema will describe the signs of sick and dying urchins and the chronological spread of the 2022 die-off across 25 countries and territories in the Caribbean. Alwin is with the Van Hall Larenstein, University of Applied Sciences, Netherlands.

Cause of the Die-off: Ian Hewson will explain how an international collaboration of researchers, park managers and citizen scientists enabled the rapid identification of the cause of the urchin’s demise. He will describe the investigation, its findings, and some future plans. Ian is with the Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, USA.

There will be opportunities to ask questions of the speakers and other participants.

This webinar is open to all who wish to know more about last year’s Diadema die-off event or are concerned about the health of our marine life. We especially hope to reach members of government agencies and conservation organizations who may face this, or similar, mass mortalities in the future.

 <https://www.agrra.org/agrra-webinar-registration/>

Register now to attend the Diadema webinar on May 10, 2023 at 10:00 – 11:30 am EDT.  Start times elsewhere : 

8:00 am Central America
9:00 am Cancun, Jamaica and Bogota
10:00 am Eastern Caribbean
3:00 pm Madeira
5:00 pm Turkey, Israel, East Africa
Registration is free, so reserve your spot now. When you register for the event, we will send you a link for the webinar.   Note: Closed captioning will be available.

If you cannot attend the meeting, please register and we will notify you of the recording. Please extend this invitation to others interested in marine disease events. 

This webinar is hosted by the Ocean Research and Education Foundation’s Atlantic & Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment Program (AGRRA, www.agrra.org <http://www.agrra.org/>) and the Diadema Response Network.

Webinar Resources

Ian Hewson et al. 2023 described the cause of the 2022 Diadema sea urchin mortality event.

I. Hewson, et al. 2023. A scuticociliate causes mass mortality of Diadema antillarum in the Caribbean Sea. Science Advances 9. No. 16 <https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adg3200#sec-3>

Alwin Hylkema et al., 2023 described the chronological spread and duration of this new die-off.

A. Hylkema, K. Kitson-Walters, P. R. Kramer, J. T. Patterson, L. Roth, M. L. B. Sevier, M. Vega-Rodriguez, M. M. Warham, S. M. Williams, J. C. Lang, 2023. The 2022 Diadema antillarum die-off event: Comparisons with the 1983-1984 mass mortality. Front. Mar. Sci. 9, 1067449. <https://www.agrra.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Hylkema-et-al.-2023.pdf>

The Diadema Response Network (DRN) documented the spread of the 2022 die-off with the online ArcGIS Diadema Tracking map. Resources on the Diadema die-off and the Tracking Map can be found on the Diadema Response Network page hosted by AGRRA. <https://www.agrra.org/sea-urchin-die-off/>
For more information about AGRRA's work, visit www. <http://www.agrra.org/>agrra.org <http://www.agrra.org/>
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