- Title
- Identification of coral disease within the high-latitude reef, Lord Howe Island Marine Park
- Creator
- Moriarty, Tess; Ainsworth, Tracy D.; Leggat, William
- Relation
- Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution Vol. 11, no. 1194485
- Publisher Link
- http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2023.1194485
- Publisher
- Frontiers Research Foundation
- Resource Type
- journal article
- Date
- 2023
- Description
- Coral disease prevalence has significantly increased under a changing climate, impacting coral community structure and functionality. The impacts and ecology of coral diseases are unclear in most high-latitude reefs (coral reefs above 28° north and below 28° south). High-latitude locations are vulnerable to climate change; therefore, identifying diseases and developing region-specific baselines are important for local management. We report the first coral disease findings at the UNESCO World Heritage listed Lord Howe Island Marine Park (31.5°S, 159°E), the southernmost coral reef system. This study assessed coral disease prevalence during November 2018, March 2019 and October 2019. Surveys from three lagoonal reefs identified four coral diseases: white syndrome, skeletal eroding band, growth anomalies and endolithic hypermycosis impacting six coral taxa (Acropora, Isopora, Montipora, Pocillopora, Porites and Seriatopora). Overall, disease prevalence was 5 ± 1% and significantly differed between time and site. Disease prevalence was highest in November 2018 (10 ± 1%) and significantly lower during March 2019 (5 ± 1%), coinciding with a bleaching event. White syndrome was the most prevalent disease (4 ± 1%) with 83 colonies of six taxa affected, predominately Isopora. Acroporids recorded the highest disease susceptibility, with three of the four diseases observed. Documenting baseline coral disease prevalence and monitoring throughout a bleaching event assists our understanding of disease ecology dynamics under current climate change impacts at high-latitude reefs.
- Subject
- coral disease; world heritage listed; high-latitude reef; coral bleaching; subtropical; Lord Howe Island; SDG 11; SDG 13; SDG 14; Sustainable Development Goals
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1495479
- Identifier
- uon:54032
- Identifier
- ISSN:2296-701X
- Language
- eng
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