[Coral-List] SCTLD Review Paper

Sat Jan 27 23:49:21 UTC 2024

Dear List,

It is great that this information on SCTLD is out, however it does nothing
to prevent the spread of the disease into the IndoPacific with horrific
consequences.  As it now stands, SCTLD is our greatest threat we face after
climate change.  And so the survival of coral reefs everywhere now depends
on what you do there.

I recently read an article from the US Coast Guard encouraging mariners to
self-regulate to prevent the spread of the disease into the IndoPacific.
https://www.workboat.com/bluewater/mariners-can-help-reduce-lethal-coral-disease-spread
 This does not make me feel the least bit confident that enough is being
done to increase biosecurity measures.  Self regulation can only delay its
arrival.  So little monitoring occurs in the South Pacific, that if
introduced, SCTLD would likely go undetected for many months, and by that
time, it would already be hopping from port to port, as it did in the
Caribbean.

My strong opinion is that any new marine species that first shows up in
Florida, should first be suspected as being a marine aquarium industry
introduction.  But after all these years, I can find no publication testing
the susceptibility of Indopacific corals in closed aquarium systems against
SCTLD as a means of testing that hypothesis.   If IndoPacific corals of
similar genera end up being highly resistant, that would indicate that the
IndoPacific is not only the origin, but it is also much less susceptible.
 That would be a relief.

However, at any rate, I feel that there is an urgent need to close down the
marine aquarium industry, which has proven to be of extreme risk to
Caribbean coral reefs- enough is enough!  Seriously, how can people be so
seduced?  The only question is what marine species will be next, how badly
it will impact the reefs, and when will it happen?   This laxity threatens
us all.

Regards,

Austin

Austin Bowden-Kerby, PhD
Corals for Conservation
P.O. Box 4649 Samabula, Fiji Islands
https://www.corals4conservation.org
Publication on C4C's coral-focused climate change adaptation strategies:
https://www.mdpi.com/2673-1924/4/1/2/pdf
Film on our "Reefs of Hope" coral restoration for climate change adaptation
strategies:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BG0lqKciXAA
https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/emergency-response-to-massive-coral-bleaching/
<https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/emergency-response-to-massive-coral-bleaching/>

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On Sun, Jan 28, 2024 at 2:01 AM William Precht via Coral-List <
coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov> wrote:

> Erin and team - Congrats!  Awesome job.  This is a great manuscript - but
> then I might be a bit biased because it is part of the SCTLD Special
> Research Topic of which I am a co-editor in the journal Frontiers in Marine
> Science.
>
> But seriously, Erin and her team of cohorts should be congratulated for
> putting together this formidable review. Hopefully, with each paper that is
> published - we are putting together the pieces of the puzzle that will help
> us solve the mystery that is SCTLD.  This manuscript should go a long way
> in that regard.
>
> Unfortunately, with each passing day the news around this disease in the
> Caribbean becomes more grim.  I’ve recently heard that the south coast of
> curaçao is currently lit up with a serious outbreak and I’ve also heard
> rumors of the disease reaching the sister islands in The Caymans. Neither
> of these are the way we want to start 2024.
>
> I am also very worried about the disease running rampant following this
> summers Caribbean-wide heat wave and bleaching event. We will keep a close
> watch on what transpires throughout the region over the next several
> months.  Let’s hope this does not happen!
>
> Again - congrats to the authors for a job well done and keep up the great
> work.
>
> Bill
>
>
> On Fri, Jan 26, 2024 at 9:34 AM Erin Papke via Coral-List <
> coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov> wrote:
>
> > Hello everyone!
> >
> > Please read and share our new paper led by seven early career female
> > scientists reviewing our current knowledge of SCTLD. We cover species
> > susceptibility, disease emergence and impacts, etiology, diagnostic
> tools,
> > and intervention methods.
> >
> > https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2023.1321271/full
> >
> > Thanks!
> >
> > Erin Papke
> > She/Her/Hers
> > Ph.D. Candidate
> > Biology and Marine Biology
> > UNCW - Ushijima Lab
> > <
> >
> https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ushijima-lab.com%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cegp6313%40uncw.edu%7Cdeb44fb2a9b949af45e208dc1db4a9e5%7C2213678197534c75af2868a078871ebf%7C0%7C0%7C638417909010062626%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=WQnxwdZgakavCUm4xspgRw6zef04NZlUMEqrQPPJw7Q%3D&reserved=0
> > >
> > erinpapke.com
> > <
> >
> https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.erinpapke.com%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cegp6313%40uncw.edu%7Cdeb44fb2a9b949af45e208dc1db4a9e5%7C2213678197534c75af2868a078871ebf%7C0%7C0%7C638417909010072409%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Q2KXg%2B579qtg3MKHcD5NSl79BYpwsEX5b8WDw56couc%3D&reserved=0
> > >
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