Yellow Band on the Rise!

[Ursula Keuper-Bennett]

James M. Cervino wrote:

>I have recently heard of a Yellow Band affecting Acroporid species in the
>Red Sea, Jan Korrubel of the University of Natal South Africa is tracking
>this epizootic in the Red Sea. Yellow band was first spotted and tracked by
>Creg Qurillo of Reef Relief (Fl. Keys), and I and Dr. TJ Goreau  have now
>tracked it in Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire, Cayman, and Panama.  I will be
>checking the Virgin Islands next week for RWD and YB, and hopfully getting
>the permits in time for sample collection. Fast action and emergency
>funding is needed when tracking coral diseases in the field.


Hi James,

I have read your post regarding Yellow Band disease with great interest
particularly in light of your references to eutrophication and related
anthropogenic activities on land.  

My interest is in a disease of sea turtles called fibropapilloma (FP) which
I continue to believe is related to the decline of our ocean environment.

See:  http://turtles.org/honohist.htm  

which summarizes the conditions at our dive site in Hawaii (from which we
have just returned less than 24 hours ago).

You mention eutrophication, sewage, run-off, drastic changes related to
human activities on land.  This has been our Hawaiian experience as well.
As a fellow diver I sympathize with your concern for the marine environment.

You mentioned several island nations in the Caribbean (that I know have
turtles with FP) experiencing Yellow Band Disease.  A while back I did a
run down on the environmental concerns of several of the Caribbean Island
nations and yes, sewage, run-off, over-fishing were certainly concerns.

You mention you'll be visiting the Virgin Islands next week.  They have
turtles with fibropapillomas there too.  I would be interested in knowing
the extent high incidence of Yellow Band in corals is correlated to the
prevalence of FP in turtles. (So would a bunch of other people I hang out
with)

I know right now there isn't an answer to this question.  I would
appreciate information regarding specific sites where Yellow Band is high
because I would like to try and match them up with known high turtle
fibropapilloma sites.

Thanks for your help and vigilance.  I believe the coral reseachers are
really important for green sea turtles and their foraging habitat.  

Any info re. high Yellow Band sites would be appreciated from you or anyone
else reading this message.  

Best wishes to your corals and reefs.  I got some good green friends who
sun themselves all day long on them.

All the best
-----------------------------------------------
              ^               Ursula Keuper-Bennett
             0 0              Email: howzit at turtles.org
    /V^\            /^V\             
  /V     Turtle Trax    V\    http://www.turtles.org 
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When you study members of another species, when you
habituate them in the wild, when you begin to understand
the intimate details of their private lives, and then 
you learn that the population or whole group is sliding
towards extinction, what do you do?  In good conscience,
you must defend them...
          \       /                                
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