Disease prevalence and bacterial diversity in stony corals
Coral reefs are globally one of the most threatened ecosystems, both from natural as well as anthropogenic pressures. The Indian coastline harbours around 1% of the global reef area, which form an important part of our natural resource endowment, and are of high priority for conservation and managem...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Book Part |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
ICAR - Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute
2019
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://eprints.cmfri.org.in/13925/ http://eprints.cmfri.org.in/13925/1/Stony%20corals,%20sponges%20and%20reef%20fishes_Disease%20prevalence%20and%20bacterial.pdf |
| Summary: | Coral reefs are globally one of the most threatened ecosystems, both from natural as well as anthropogenic pressures. The Indian coastline harbours around 1% of the global reef area, which form an important part of our natural resource endowment, and are of high priority for conservation and management. Despite their usefulness, coral reefs are being degraded by destructive anthropogenic activities and natural causes such as competition, predation, diseases and bleaching. Coral disease is a rising problem within all reef areas in India which can cause significant changes in reproduction, growth, community structure, species diversity of corals and many reef associated organisms. Environmental stressors including elevated sea surface temperature, ocean acidification, variations in salinity, water quality depletion, increased pollution loads, sedimentation and eutrophication lead to incidence of diseases in corals and associated fauna. The coral bleaching and mortality event that occurred in 1998 was the most serious natural calamity ever recorded in the Indian Ocean. Currently, the coral reefs in India are showing signs of increasing prevalence of various coral diseases. As regular assessment of health of coral communities are fundamental to protection and conservation of marine biodiversity, the present study was undertaken aimed at identifying the health status and disease conditions in stony corals in the patchy reef areas from Enayam to Kollam along the south-west coast of India. Conditions such as white syndrome, pink line syndrome, sporadic/patchy bleaching, lesions due to trematode infestations, predation by corallivorous fishes, snails and sea urchins, infestation by sponges, zooanthids, mussels, filamentous as well as macroalgae were recorded in different locations along the study sites. |
|---|