[Coral-List] Disease of Florida commercial sponges

[Martina Milanese]

Dear LISTERS,
according to FAO data there has been a clear-cut drop in 
the production of commercial sponges in Florida in 2000 
(harvest was more than 2000 tons in 1999, to drop to 
approx 400 tons in 2000). 
I know that a number of sponge diseases have been recorded 
in the Caribbean especially between 1996 and 1998 (year of 
a severe coral belaching event). But I can not find any 
official report stating that this drop in commercial 
sponge harvest is linked to spreading disease. Is there 
anybody able to confirm it?
Thank you so much!
Martina



Martina Milanese
Dip.Te.Ris. - University of Genova
C.so Europa 26 16132 Genova
Italy

Phone +39-010-3538036
Fax +39-010-3538209

e-mail m.milanese at dipteris.unige.it
        martinix at iol.it