- Title
- A coral disease outbreak highlights vulnerability of remote high-latitude lagoons to global and local stressors
- Creator
- Page, Charlotte E.; Leggat, William; Egan, Suhelen; Ainsworth, Tracy D.
- Relation
- iScience Vol. 26, Issue 3, no. 106205
- Publisher Link
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2023.106205
- Publisher
- Cell Press
- Resource Type
- journal article
- Date
- 2023
- Description
- Outbreaks of coral disease are often associated with global and local stressors like changes in temperature and poor water quality. A severe coral disease outbreak was recorded in the primary reef-building taxa Montipora spp. in a high-latitude lagoon at Norfolk Island following heat stress and pollution events in 2020. Disease signs suggest the occurrence of a Montiporid White Syndrome with four distinct phases and maximum measured tissue loss of 329 mm−2 day−1. In December 2020 and April 2021, 60% of the Montipora community were impacted and disease severity increased by 54% over this period. Spatial patterns in prevalence indicate the disease is associated with exposure to poor water quality in addition to size class of coral colonies. High prevalence levels make this event comparable to some of the most severe coral disease outbreaks recorded to date demonstrating the vulnerability of this system to combined impacts of warming and pollution.
- Subject
- zoology; environmental science; global change; aquatic science; SDG 3; SDG 6; SDG 14; Sustainable Development Goals
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1484148
- Identifier
- uon:51270
- Identifier
- ISSN:2589-0042
- Rights
- This article is available under the Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/) and permits non-commercial use of the work as published, without adaptation or alteration provided the work is fully attributed.
- Language
- eng
- Full Text
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Goal 14: Life Below Water
Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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