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Disease Problems

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Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems

Part of the book series: Coral Reefs of the World ((CORW,volume 12))

Abstract

Worldwide ecological deterioration of coral reefs is mostly caused by disease-induced mass mortalities linked to thermal anomalies, and aided by local anthropogenic stressors. Mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs; 30–150 m) are found deeper where temperatures are cooler, in low light, and mostly offshore. These characteristics are proposed to protect MCEs (“deep reef refugia” hypothesis) from shallow-water threats (e.g., thermal stress and pollution). The most commonly reported mesophotic health problem is thermal-induced bleaching, which is now more widespread due to global climate change (GCC). The oldest deep bleaching report (90 m) is from 1989, in the Caribbean, but recent reports indicate bleached corals below 120 m in Grand Cayman. Cold-water intrusions and turbidity can also cause mesophotic coral bleaching. Not much is known about biotic diseases and potential drivers in MCEs. “White syndromes” (WS) seem to be the most common in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. Overall, 9 of the 28 common MCE scleractinian species have been observed with disease signs similar to shallow WS and white plague disease. A new disease termed “intercostal mortality syndrome” affected 19% of the colonies of Orbicella, Siderastrea, and Agaricia spp. in Hind Bank. MCE surveys showed coral community disease prevalence in Puerto Rico varied between 0% and 15%, with a mean of 6%. This chapter presents a summary of what is known about disease threats to MCEs and the disruptive potential of GCC-induced changes in seawater thermal dynamics on species susceptibility, and how this could affect the protection these deeper environments may provide.

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Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Kimberly Puglise and Yossi Loya for their kind invitation to be part of this important contribution. K. Puglise, E. Peters, and two anonymous reviewers provided constructive comments and corrections that helped to improve this chapter. Part of the work in Puerto Rico was supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NOAA/CSCOR; NA06NOS4780190 and NA10NOS42602223) through the Caribbean Coral Reef Institute (CCRI) at the Department of Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez (DMS-UPRM). The project could not have gone through without the participation of Drs. R. Appeldoorn, C. Sherman, Nick Schizas, F. Pagan, D. Ballantine, and P. Yoshioka and our students M. Lucas, D. Soto, I. Bejarano, M. Nemeth, M. Schärer, and H. Ruiz. Mr. Milton Carlo, Diving Safety Officer of DMS-UPRM, was an integral component of the diving team and also provided extensive logistical support throughout field operations. D. Kesling, T. Dunmire, and S. Fowler, NOAA Undersea Research Center at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, and T. Cerezo, Puerto Rico Technical Diving Center, assisted with both diver training and field operations support. I would like to thank the captain and crew of the Nekton and Spree vessels for their logistical and personal support during the cruises. Photo-transects were taken by H. Ruiz and M. Nemeth. Other photos and video were provided by D. Kesling and our ROV operated by R. Appeldoorn and F. Pagan. T. Smith and GP Schmahl provided photos from the USVI and the Flower Gardens, respectively. I thank the DMS-UPR for logistical support throughout the projects.

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  1. Department of Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, PR, USA

    Ernesto Weil

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  1. George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Yossi Loya

  2. National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Silver Spring, MD, USA

    Kimberly A. Puglise

  3. Biodiversity and Geosciences Program, Museum of Tropical Queensland, Queensland Museum Network, Townsville, QLD, Australia

    Tom C.L. Bridge

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Weil, E. (2019). Disease Problems. In: Loya, Y., Puglise, K., Bridge, T. (eds) Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems. Coral Reefs of the World, vol 12. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-92735-0_41

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