[Coral-List] question about coral disease: white syndrome

[John Bruno]

Victor, I think the corals in your photos are very likely infected  
with white syndrome, a fairly common coral disease on the GBR and in  
other areas of the Indo-Pacific.   Willis et al. (2004) describe  
several aspects of the disease including its prevalence across the  
GBR.  There were also several talks on white syndrome at the ASLO  
Ocean Sciences meeting last month.  You can search the abstracts at:   
http://www.agu.org/meetings/os06/waisos06.html

Willis, B.L., C.A. Page, and E.A. Dinsdale, Coral disease on the  
Great Barrier Reef, in Coral Health and Disease, edited by E.  
Rosenberg, and  Y. Loya, pp. 69-104, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 2004.

JB

John Bruno, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Marine Sciences
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3300
Email: jbruno at unc.edu
Phone: 919-962-0263


> Dear Colleagues,
>
> These photos have been taken at Gove/Nhulunbuy area, Arafura sea, the
> Northern Territory, Australia (GPS reading: S12 04.413; E136 35.976)
> http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a166/VGomelyuk/white8.jpg
> http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a166/VGomelyuk/white7.jpg
> http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a166/VGomelyuk/white5.jpg
> http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a166/VGomelyuk/white3.jpg
>
> White spots and bands on Acropora corals are not related to coral
> bleaching (quite often affected colonies are located 0.5-1 m deeper  
> than
> unaffected colonies). Also, spots location and distribution pattern
> excludes coral bleaching as a cause of these white spots).  
> Predators like
> Crown-of-thorn starfish  are not found in the area and Drupiella
> gastropods are rare.
> What is that,  a "white band disease"?
>
> Your suggestions are appreciated
>
> Regards,
>
>
> Victor Gomelyuk
>
>
> Dr Victor Gomelyuk
> Marine Scientist
> Parks & Wildlife Commission
> of the Northern Territory
> Darwin,  NT,  Australia 0812
> tel +61(0)889209281
> fax 61(0)889209222
>