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Page CE, Anderson E, Ainsworth TD. Building living systematic reviews and reporting standards for comparative microscopic analysis of white diseases in hard corals. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11616. [PMID: 38975266 PMCID: PMC11224507 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2023] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Over the last 4 decades, coral disease research has continued to provide reports of diseases, the occurrence and severity of disease outbreaks and associated disease signs. Histology using systematic protocols is a gold standard for the microscopic assessment of diseases in veterinary and medical research, while also providing valuable information on host condition. However, uptake of histological analysis for coral disease remains limited. Increasing disease outbreaks on coral reefs as human impacts intensify highlights a need to understand the use of histology to date in coral disease research. Here, we apply a systematic approach to collating, mapping and reviewing histological methods used to study coral diseases with 'white' signs (i.e., white diseases) in hard coral taxa and map research effort in this field spanning study design, sample processing and analysis in the 33 publications identified between 1984 and 2022. We find that studies to date have not uniformly detailed methodologies, and terminology associated with reporting and disease description is inconsistent between studies. Combined these limitations reduce study repeatability, limiting the capacity for researchers to compare disease reports. A primary outcome of this study is the provision of transparent and repeatable protocols for systematically reviewing literature associated with white diseases of hard coral taxa, and development of recommendations for standardised reporting procedures with the aim of increasing uptake of histology in addition to allowing for ongoing comparative analysis through living systematic reviews for the coral disease field.
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Affiliation(s)
- C. E. Page
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences (BEES)University of New South Wales (UNSW)KensingtonNew South WalesAustralia
| | - E. Anderson
- College of Science and EngineeringFlinders UniversityBedford ParkSouth AustraliaAustralia
| | - T. D. Ainsworth
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences (BEES)University of New South Wales (UNSW)KensingtonNew South WalesAustralia
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2
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Work TM, Singhakarn C, Weatherby TM. Cytology in cnidaria using Exaiptasia as a model. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2024; 158:37-53. [PMID: 38661136 DOI: 10.3354/dao03781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
A need exists for additional methods to examine cnidaria at the cellular level to aid our understanding of health, anatomy, and physiology of this important group of organisms. This need is particularly acute given that disease is emerging as a major factor in declines of ecologically important functional groups such as corals. Here we describe a simple method to process cnidarian cells for microscopic examination using the model organism Exaiptasia. We show that this organism has at least 18 cell types or structures that can be readily distinguished based on defined morphological features. Some of these cells can be related back to anatomic features of the animal both at the light microscope and ultrastructural level. The cnidome of Exaiptasia may be more complex than what is currently understood. Moreover, cnidarian cells, including some types of cnidocytes, phagocytize cells other than endosymbionts. Finally, our findings shed light on morphologic complexity of cell-associated microbial aggregates and their intimate intracellular associations. The tools described here could be useful for other cnidaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thierry M Work
- US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station, PO Box 50187, Honolulu, HI 96850, USA
| | - Chutimon Singhakarn
- US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station, PO Box 50187, Honolulu, HI 96850, USA
| | - Tina M Weatherby
- University of Hawaii at Manoa, Biological Electron Microscope Facility, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
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Heitzman JM, Mitushasi G, Spatafora D, Agostini S. Seasonal coral-algae interactions drive White Mat Syndrome coral disease outbreaks. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 900:166379. [PMID: 37595912 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023]
Abstract
Ocean warming drives not only the increase of known coral disease prevalence but facilitates the emergence of new undescribed ones too. As climate change is restructuring coral ecosystems, novel biological interactions could lead to an increase in coral disease in both tropical and marginal coral communities. White Mat Syndrome (WMS) represents one such emerging coral disease, with outbreaks associated with high algal interactions and seasonal summer temperatures. However, the mechanisms behind its pathogenesis, modes of transmission and causative pathogens remain to be identified. Ex situ infection experiments pairing the coral Porites heronensis together with local potential contributory factors show that the macroalga Gelidium elegans hosts and proliferates the WMS microbial mat. This pathogenic consortium then infects adjacent corals, leading to their mortality. WMS was also observed to transmit following the fragmentation of the microbial mat, which was able to infect healthy corals. Sulfur-cycling bacteria (i.e., Beggiatoa, Desulfobacter sp., Arcobacteraceae species) and the free-living spirochete Oceanospirochaeta sediminicola were found consistently in both WMS and G. elegans consortia, suggesting they are putative pathogens of WMS. The predicted functional roles of these pathogenic consortia showed degradative processes, hinting that tissue lyses could drive mat formation and spread. Coral-algae interactions will rise due to ongoing ocean warming and coral ecosystem degradation, likely promoting the virulence and prevalence of algal-driven coral diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua M Heitzman
- Shimoda Marine Research Center, University of Tsukuba, 5-10-1 Shimoda, Shizuoka, Japan.
| | - Guinther Mitushasi
- Shimoda Marine Research Center, University of Tsukuba, 5-10-1 Shimoda, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Davide Spatafora
- Shimoda Marine Research Center, University of Tsukuba, 5-10-1 Shimoda, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Sylvain Agostini
- Shimoda Marine Research Center, University of Tsukuba, 5-10-1 Shimoda, Shizuoka, Japan
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4
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Greene A, Moriarty T, Leggatt W, Ainsworth TD, Donahue MJ, Raymundo L. Spatial extent of dysbiosis in the branching coral Pocillopora damicornis during an acute disease outbreak. Sci Rep 2023; 13:16522. [PMID: 37783737 PMCID: PMC10545779 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43490-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Globally, coral reefs face increasing disease prevalence and large-scale outbreak events. These outbreaks offer insights into microbial and functional patterns of coral disease, including early indicators of disease that may be present in visually-healthy tissues. Outbreak events also allow investigation of how reef-building corals, typically colonial organisms, respond to disease. We studied Pocillopora damicornis during an acute tissue loss disease outbreak on Guam to determine whether dysbiosis was present in visually-healthy tissues ahead of advancing disease lesions. These data reveal that coral fragments with visual evidence of disease are expectedly dysbiotic with high microbial and metabolomic variability. However, visually-healthy tissues from the same colonies lacked dysbiosis, suggesting disease containment near the affected area. These results challenge the idea of using broad dysbiosis as a pre-visual disease indicator and prompt reevaluation of disease assessment in colonial organisms such as reef-building corals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin Greene
- University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, USA.
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, Kāne'Ohe, HI, USA.
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, USA.
| | | | | | | | - Megan J Donahue
- University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, USA
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, Kāne'Ohe, HI, USA
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5
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Hawthorn A, Berzins IK, Dennis MM, Kiupel M, Newton AL, Peters EC, Reyes VA, Work TM. An introduction to lesions and histology of scleractinian corals. Vet Pathol 2023; 60:529-546. [PMID: 37519147 DOI: 10.1177/03009858231189289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Stony corals (Scleractinia) are in the Phylum Cnidaria (cnidae referring to various types of stinging cells). They may be solitary or colonial, but all secrete an external, supporting aragonite skeleton. Large, colonial members of this phylum are responsible for the accretion of coral reefs in tropical and subtropical waters that form the foundations of the most biodiverse marine ecosystems. Coral reefs worldwide, but particularly in the Caribbean, are experiencing unprecedented levels of disease, resulting in reef degradation. Most coral diseases remain poorly described and lack clear case definitions, while the etiologies and pathogenesis are even more elusive. This introductory guide is focused on reef-building corals and describes basic gross and microscopic lesions in these corals in order to serve as an invitation to other veterinary pathologists to play a critical role in defining and advancing the field of coral pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aine Hawthorn
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
- U.S. Geological Survey, Seattle, WA
| | - Ilze K Berzins
- University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
- One Water, One Health, LLC, Golden Valley, MN
| | | | | | - Alisa L Newton
- ZooQuatic Laboratory, LLC, Baltimore, MD
- OCEARCH, Park City, UT
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Hutson KS, Davidson IC, Bennett J, Poulin R, Cahill PL. Assigning cause for emerging diseases of aquatic organisms. Trends Microbiol 2023:S0966-842X(23)00031-8. [PMID: 36841735 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2023.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
Resolving the cause of disease (= aetiology) in aquatic organisms is a challenging but essential goal, heightened by increasing disease prevalence in a changing climate and an interconnected world of anthropogenic pathogen spread. Emerging diseases play important roles in evolutionary ecology, wildlife conservation, the seafood industry, recreation, cultural practices, and human health. As we emerge from a global pandemic of zoonotic origin, we must focus on timely diagnosis to confirm aetiology and enable response to diseases in aquatic ecosystems. Those systems' resilience, and our own sustainable use of seafood, depend on it. Synchronising traditional and recent advances in microbiology that span ecological, veterinary, and medical fields will enable definitive assignment of risk factors and causal agents for better biosecurity management and healthier aquatic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate S Hutson
- Cawthron Institute, 98 Halifax St East, Nelson, New Zealand; College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia.
| | - Ian C Davidson
- Cawthron Institute, 98 Halifax St East, Nelson, New Zealand
| | - Jerusha Bennett
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Robert Poulin
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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Work TM, Dagenais J, Rameyer B, Breeden R, Weatherby TM. Mass mortality of collector urchins Tripneustes gratilla in Hawai`i. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2023; 153:17-29. [PMID: 36727688 DOI: 10.3354/dao03716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
As grazers, sea urchins are keystone species in tropical marine ecosystems, and their loss can have important ecological ramifications. Die-offs of urchins are frequently described, but their causes are often unclear, in part because systematic examinations of animal tissues at gross and microscopic level are not done. In some areas, urchins are being employed to control invasive marine algae. Here, we describe the pathology of a mortality event in Tripneustes gratilla in Hawai`i where urchins were translocated to control invasive algae. Although we did not determine the cause of the mortality event, our investigation indicates that animals died from inflammation of the test and epidermal ulceration, followed by inability to maintain coelomic fluid volume, colonization of coelomic fluid by opportunists (diatom, algae), and inappetence. Parasites, bacteria, fungi, and viruses were not evident as a primary cause of death. Pathology was suggestive of a toxin or other environmental cause such as lack of food, possibilities that could be pursued in future investigations. These findings highlight the need for caution and additional tools to better assess health when translocating marine invertebrates to ensure maximal biosecurity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thierry M Work
- US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station, Honolulu, Hawai`i, USA
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Chen YT, Ding DS, Lim YC, Singhania RR, Hsieh S, Chen CW, Hsieh SL, Dong CD. Impact of polyethylene microplastics on coral Goniopora columna causing oxidative stress and histopathology damages. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 828:154234. [PMID: 35245553 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, the increase of microplastics in the sea exerted a negative impact on coral health. This study has been undertaken to analyze the impact of microplastics on corals. Here, Goniopora columna was exposed to different concentrations of polyethylene microplastics (PE-MP). The daily polyps length and adaptability were recorded. Analysis of the zooxanthellae density and antioxidant activity of coral was done after 1, 3, 5 and 7 days. Further tissue morphology and accumulation of PE-MP were analyzed. The results showed that PE-MP at different concentrations can be adsorbed on the surface of corals and enter inside corals after 7 days. PE-MP at different concentrations reduced polyps length, adaptability and cause the changes in the density of zooxanthellae to be the reason for unbalancing of corals. PE-MP at different concentrations reduced the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity after exposure to 1 day. PE-MP increased the catalase (CAT) activity at 100 mg/L after exposure; even after reducing the concentration has the same effect. PE-MP at various concentrations increased the glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity after exposure to 5 and 7 days. It also increased the glutathione transferase (GST) and glutathione (GSH) activity after exposure to 5 and 7 days. PE-MP at different concentrations increased the malondialdehyde (MDA) content after exposure from 1 to 7 days. Analysis of tissue morphology and tissue accumulation shows that different concentrations of PE-MP cause mesenteric atrophy, vacuole, and accumulation in the coral mesenteric. These results indicate that the PE-MP can impact the antioxidant system and hampers the function of enzymes responsible for detoxification of G. columna, increase lipid peroxide content and also cause tissue damage through accumulating in the coral mesenteric.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Ting Chen
- Department of Seafood Science, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung 81157, Taiwan
| | - De-Sing Ding
- Department and Graduate Institute of Aquaculture, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung 811, Taiwan
| | - Yee Cheng Lim
- Department of Marine Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung 81157, Taiwan
| | - Reeta Rani Singhania
- Department of Marine Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung 81157, Taiwan
| | - Shuchen Hsieh
- Department of Chemistry, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan
| | - Chiu-Wen Chen
- Department of Marine Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung 81157, Taiwan
| | - Shu-Ling Hsieh
- Department of Seafood Science, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung 81157, Taiwan.
| | - Cheng-Di Dong
- Department of Marine Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung 81157, Taiwan.
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Appah JKM, Lynch SA, Lim A, O' Riordan R, O'Reilly L, de Oliveira L, Wheeler AJ. A health survey of the reef forming scleractinian cold-water corals Lophelia pertusa and Madrepora oculata in a remote submarine canyon on the European continental margin, NE Atlantic. J Invertebr Pathol 2022; 192:107782. [PMID: 35667398 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2022.107782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Monitoring of cold-water corals (CWCs) for pathogens and diseases is limited due to the environment, protected nature of the corals and their habitat and as well as the challenging and sampling effort required. It is recognised that environmental factors such as temperature and pH can expedite the ability of pathogens to cause diseases in cold-water corals therefore the characterisation of pathogen diversity, prevalence and associated pathologies is essential. The present study combined histology and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnostic techniques to screen for two significant pathogen groups (bacteria of the genus Vibrio and the protozoan Haplosporidia) in the dominant NE Atlantic deep-water framework corals Lophelia pertusa (13 colonies) and Madrepora oculata (2 colonies) at three sampling locations (canyon head, south branch and the flank) in the Porcupine Bank Canyon (PBC), NE Atlantic. One M. oculata colony and four L. pertusa colonies were collected from both the canyon flank and the south branch whilst five L. pertusa colonies were collected from the canyon head. No pathogens were detected in the M. oculata samples. Neither histology nor PCR detected Vibrio spp. in L. pertusa, although Illumina technology used in this study to profile the CWCs microbiome, detected V. shilonii (0.03%) in a single L. pertusa individual, from the canyon head, that had also been screened in this study. A macroborer was observed at a prevalence of 0.07% at the canyon head only. Rickettsiales-like organisms (RLOs) were visualised with an overall prevalence of 40% and with a low intensity of 1 to 4 (RLO) colonies per individual polyp by histology. L. pertusa from the PBC canyon head had an RLO prevalence of 13.3% with the highest detection of 26.7% recorded in the south branch corals. Similarly, unidentified cells observed in L. pertusa from the south branch (20%) were more common than those observed in L. pertusa from the canyon head (6.7%). No RLOs or unidentified cells were observed in corals from the flank. Mean particulate organic matter concentration is highest in the south branch (2,612 μg l-1) followed by the canyon head (1,065 μg l-1) and lowest at the canyon flank (494 μg l-1). Although the route of pathogen entry and the impact of RLO infection on L. pertusa is unclear, particulate availability and the feeding strategies employed by the scleractinian corals may be influencing their exposure to pathogens. The absence of a pathogen in M. oculata may be attributed to the smaller number of colonies screened or the narrower diet in M. oculata compared to the unrestricted diet exhibited in L. pertusa, if ingestion is a route of entry for pathogen groups. The findings of this study also shed some light on how environmental conditions experienced by deep sea organisms and their life strategies may be limiting pathogen diversity and prevalence.
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Affiliation(s)
- J K M Appah
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences / Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Cork, Ireland.
| | - S A Lynch
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences / Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Cork, Ireland
| | - A Lim
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences / Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Cork, Ireland; Green Rebel Marine, Crosshaven Boatyard, Crosshaven, Co Cork, Ireland
| | - R O' Riordan
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences / Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Cork, Ireland
| | - L O'Reilly
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences / Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Cork, Ireland
| | - L de Oliveira
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences / Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Cork, Ireland
| | - A J Wheeler
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences / Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Cork, Ireland; Irish Centre for Research in Applied Geosciences / Marine & Renewable Energy Institute (MaREI), University College, Cork
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Evaluation of Clove Extract for Drug Therapy of Ciliate Infection in Coral ( Goniopora columna). BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11020280. [PMID: 35205146 PMCID: PMC8869591 DOI: 10.3390/biology11020280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary In recent years, studies have found that coral infectious diseases are gradually spreading. Ciliate disease poses a serious threat to corals, and infected corals will fester and die within a short period of time. Clove is a traditional Chinese medicine. In this study, Clove extract was used to evaluate the treatment of ciliate diseases to achieve safety and to reduce the stress response of corals. Studies have shown that 1500 ppm clove extract can effectively treat ciliate parasitism, and does not affect coral zooxanthellae, chlorophyll a, or stress response. This extract has been successfully applied to a Taiwan coral king coral farm, which will have great significance for large-scale coral aquaculture. Abstract In recent years, ciliate infections have caused serious casualties to corals in the ocean. Infected corals die within a short period of time, which not only poses a threat to wild coral reefs, but also has a major impact on large scale aquaculture of coral. Clove is a kind of Chinese medicine with antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral, insecticidal, and other functions. Clove is a natural product. If it can be used in the treatment of coral ciliates, it will reduce this threat to the environment. The clove extract was diluted with sterile seawater to 500 ppm, 1500 ppm, 2500 ppm, 5000 ppm, 7500 ppm, and 10,000 ppm to carry out virulence test on ciliates. The results show that the LC50 value is 1500 ppm, which can cause the death of ciliates in 10 min without causing significant changes in G. columna SOD, CAT, chlorophyll a, and zooxanthellae. In addition, observation of tissue slices revealed that no ciliates and vacuum were found in the G. columna tissue after 10 min of medicated bathing. In summary, 1500 ppm of clove extract can be used for the treatment of coral ciliates.
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Sweet M, Villela H, Keller-Costa T, Costa R, Romano S, Bourne DG, Cárdenas A, Huggett MJ, Kerwin AH, Kuek F, Medina M, Meyer JL, Müller M, Pollock FJ, Rappé MS, Sere M, Sharp KH, Voolstra CR, Zaccardi N, Ziegler M, Peixoto R. Insights into the Cultured Bacterial Fraction of Corals. mSystems 2021; 6:e0124920. [PMID: 34156291 PMCID: PMC8269258 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.01249-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteria associated with coral hosts are diverse and abundant, with recent studies suggesting involvement of these symbionts in host resilience to anthropogenic stress. Despite their putative importance, the work dedicated to culturing coral-associated bacteria has received little attention. Combining published and unpublished data, here we report a comprehensive overview of the diversity and function of culturable bacteria isolated from corals originating from tropical, temperate, and cold-water habitats. A total of 3,055 isolates from 52 studies were considered by our metasurvey. Of these, 1,045 had full-length 16S rRNA gene sequences, spanning 138 formally described and 12 putatively novel bacterial genera across the Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria phyla. We performed comparative genomic analysis using the available genomes of 74 strains and identified potential signatures of beneficial bacterium-coral symbioses among the strains. Our analysis revealed >400 biosynthetic gene clusters that underlie the biosynthesis of antioxidant, antimicrobial, cytotoxic, and other secondary metabolites. Moreover, we uncovered genomic features-not previously described for coral-bacterium symbioses-potentially involved in host colonization and host-symbiont recognition, antiviral defense mechanisms, and/or integrated metabolic interactions, which we suggest as novel targets for the screening of coral probiotics. Our results highlight the importance of bacterial cultures to elucidate coral holobiont functioning and guide the selection of probiotic candidates to promote coral resilience and improve holistic and customized reef restoration and rehabilitation efforts. IMPORTANCE Our paper is the first study to synthesize currently available but decentralized data of cultured microbes associated with corals. We were able to collate 3,055 isolates across a number of published studies and unpublished collections from various laboratories and researchers around the world. This equated to 1,045 individual isolates which had full-length 16S rRNA gene sequences, after filtering of the original 3,055. We also explored which of these had genomes available. Originally, only 36 were available, and as part of this study, we added a further 38-equating to 74 in total. From this, we investigated potential genetic signatures that may facilitate a host-associated lifestyle. Further, such a resource is an important step in the selection of probiotic candidates, which are being investigated for promoting coral resilience and potentially applied as a novel strategy in reef restoration and rehabilitation efforts. In the spirit of open access, we have ensured this collection is available to the wider research community through the web site http://isolates.reefgenomics.org/ with the hope many scientists across the globe will ask for access to these cultures for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Sweet
- Aquatic Research Facility, Environmental Sustainability Research Centre, University of Derby, Derby, United Kingdom
| | - Helena Villela
- Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Tina Keller-Costa
- Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences (iBB), University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
- Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Rodrigo Costa
- Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences (iBB), University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
- Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
- Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Stefano Romano
- Gut Microbes and Health, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - David G. Bourne
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Australia
| | - Anny Cárdenas
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Megan J. Huggett
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, The University of Newcastle, Ourimbah, NSW, Australia
- Centre for Marine Ecosystems Research, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA, Australia
| | | | - Felicity Kuek
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Australia
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
| | - Mónica Medina
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Julie L. Meyer
- Soil and Water Sciences Department, Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Moritz Müller
- Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Science, Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
| | - F. Joseph Pollock
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
- Hawaii and Palmyra Programs, The Nature Conservancy, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
| | - Michael S. Rappé
- Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawaii, Kaneohe, Hawaii, USA
| | - Mathieu Sere
- Aquatic Research Facility, Environmental Sustainability Research Centre, University of Derby, Derby, United Kingdom
| | - Koty H. Sharp
- Department of Biology and Marine Biology, Roger Williams University, Bristol, Rhode Island, USA
| | | | - Nathan Zaccardi
- Department of Biology and Marine Biology, Roger Williams University, Bristol, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Maren Ziegler
- Department of Animal Ecology and Systematics, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Raquel Peixoto
- Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
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12
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Rich LP, Arnot C, Dennis MM. Pathology of growth anomalies in massive Caribbean corals of the family Faviidae. Vet Pathol 2021; 58:1119-1130. [PMID: 34114529 DOI: 10.1177/03009858211020675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Growth anomalies (GAs) are a morphologically diverse and poorly understood group of lesions affecting corals. The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence and morphology of GAs affecting the faviid corals Diploria labyrinthiformis, Pseudodiploria strigosa, Psudodiploria clivosa, and Colpophyillia natans on St. Kitts. Three gross morphological variants of GAs (exophytic, nodular, and ruminate) were equally prevalent, together affecting 7.8% of corals surveyed across 5 reefs. Prevalence varied by reef and coral species, being highest in C. natans (35.7%). Median colony diameter was larger in corals with GAs relative to those without (Mann-Whitney U test, P < .001). Histopathological examination of exophytic GAs consistently showed corallite and polyp gigantism (n = 7), characterized by polyp enlargement and retained microanatomical structures. In contrast, nodular GAs (n = 9) were consistently hyperplasia of the basal body wall with skeletal dystrophy, composed of micronodular skeletal deposits with abundant hyaline lamellae, bordered by calicoblastic epithelial hyperplasia, interspersed with distorted gastrovascular canals and islands of mesoglea. Endolithic organisms, particularly fungi and algae, were common among GA and apparently healthy biopsies. While pathogenesis of these lesions remains uncertain, a neoplastic basis for GAs on Caribbean faviids could not be established using diagnostic criteria conventionally applied to tumors of vertebrate taxa, in line with other recent observations of coral GAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis Pierre Rich
- 96722University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.,Ross University, St. Kitts, West Indies
| | | | - Michelle M Dennis
- Ross University, St. Kitts, West Indies.,4292University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
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Work TM, Weatherby TM, DeRito CM, Besemer RM, Hewson I. Sea star wasting disease pathology in Pisaster ochraceus shows a basal-to-surface process affecting color phenotypes differently. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2021; 145:21-33. [PMID: 34080580 DOI: 10.3354/dao03598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Sea star wasting disease (SSWD) refers to a suite of poorly described non-specific clinical signs including abnormal posture, epidermal ulceration, and limb autotomy (sloughing) causing mortalities of over 20 species of sea stars and subsequent ecological shifts throughout the northeastern Pacific. While SSWD is widely assumed to be infectious, with environmental conditions facilitating disease progression, few data exist on cellular changes associated with the disease. This is unfortunate, because such observations could inform mechanisms of disease pathogenesis and host susceptibility. Here, we replicated SSWD by exposing captive Pisaster ochraceus to a suite of non-infectious organic substances and show that development of gross lesions is a basal-to-surface process involving inflammation (e.g. infiltration of coelomocytes) of ossicles and mutable collagenous tissue, leading to epidermal ulceration. Affected sea stars also manifest increases in a heretofore undocumented coelomocyte type, spindle cells, that might be a useful marker of inflammation in this species. Finally, compared to purple morphs, orange P. ochraceus developed more severe lesions but survived longer. Longer-lived, and presumably more visible, severely-lesioned orange sea stars could have important demographic implications in terms of detectability of lesioned animals in the wild and measures of apparent prevalence of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thierry M Work
- US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station, Honolulu, HI 96850, USA
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14
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Gavish AR, Shapiro OH, Kramarsky-Winter E, Vardi A. Microscale tracking of coral-vibrio interactions. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2021; 1:18. [PMID: 37938689 PMCID: PMC9723675 DOI: 10.1038/s43705-021-00016-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Revised: 04/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
To improve our understanding of coral infection and disease, it is important to study host-pathogen interactions at relevant spatio-temporal scales. Here, we provide a dynamic microscopic view of the interaction between a coral pathogen, Vibrio coralliilyticus and its coral host Pocillopora damicornis. This was achieved using a microfluidics-based system facilitating control over flow, light and temperature conditions. Combined with time-resolved biochemical and microbial analyses of the system exudates, this approach provides novel insights into the early phases of a coral infection at unprecedented spatio-temporal resolution. We provide evidence that infection may occur through ingestion of the pathogen by the coral polyps, or following pathogen colonization of small tissue lesions on the coral surface. Pathogen ingestion invariably induced the release of pathogen-laden mucus from the gastrovascular cavity. Despite the high bacterial load used in our experiments, approximately one-third of coral fragments tested did not develop further symptoms. In the remaining two-thirds, mucus spewing was followed by the severing of calicoblastic connective tissues (coenosarc) and subsequently necrosis of most polyps. Despite extensive damage to symptomatic colonies, we frequently observed survival of individual polyps, often accompanied by polyp bail-out. Biochemical and microbial analyses of exudates over the course of symptomatic infections revealed that severing of the coenosarc was followed by an increase in matrix metaloprotease activity, and subsequent increase in both pathogen and total bacterial counts. Combined, these observations provide a detailed description of a coral infection, bringing us a step closer to elucidating the complex interactions underlying coral disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Assaf R Gavish
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Orr H Shapiro
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
- Department of Food Quality and Safety, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Rishon LeZion, Israel.
| | - Esti Kramarsky-Winter
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Assaf Vardi
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
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Thome PE, Rivera-Ortega J, Rodríguez-Villalobos JC, Cerqueda-García D, Guzmán-Urieta EO, García-Maldonado JQ, Carabantes N, Jordán-Dahlgren E. Local dynamics of a white syndrome outbreak and changes in the microbial community associated with colonies of the scleractinian brain coral Pseudodiploria strigosa. PeerJ 2021; 9:e10695. [PMID: 33604172 PMCID: PMC7863780 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Reef corals in the Mexican Reef System have been severely affected by the emergence of a white syndrome that resembles both White Plague II and SCTLD descriptions. Meandroid scleractinian coral species are among the most severely affected. To gain insight into this affliction we conducted a broad study in the brain coral Pseudodiploria strigosa at a rear reef site in the NE Mexican Caribbean. We describe macro and microscopical signals of the disease, characterize the outbreak dynamics, the tissue histopathology, explore immunological responses in the individuals, and compare microbial assemblages associated with the surface mucus layer of healthy and unhealthy colonies. At the study site, the white syndrome outbreak on P. strigosa showed a high incidence rate in summer-fall and a low one in winter, as well as low survival expectation of diseased colonies at the end of the study. After 306 days of observation, out of 96 tracked colonies, eight remained apparently healthy and seven were diseased. No effective resistance to colony disease progression was observed once white syndrome signs developed. Tissue loss rate during the study varied among colonies (mean = 10.8 cm2, s.d. = 7.8 cm2) suggesting a complex relation between causal agents and colony resistance. The deterioration of tissues was evidenced from the basal to the surface body wall of polyps (up to 66% hypertrophy and liquefactive necrosis in unhealthy colonies), implying that microscopic alterations begin before macroscopic signals develop, suggesting this may be a systemic disease. We measured high levels of phenoloxidase (two orders of magnitude higher PO activity than P. strigosa affected by BBD) and antibacterial activity without significant reduction in unhealthy samples from the mucus layer, indicative of an enhanced immunological response. Results showed that opportunistic bacteria dominated damaged colonies, where six genera of the Bacteroidia class were found with significant changes in unhealthy colonies after DeSeq2 analysis. Nevertheless, histological observations did not support infection of the tissues. The opportunistic overload seems to be contained within the mucus layer but may be associated with the mortality of tissues in a yet unclear way. Future research should focus on experimental infections, the tracking of natural infections, and the immunocompetence of corals in the face of environmental pressures due to local, regional, and global impacts. If environmental deterioration is the primary cause of the continuing emergence and re-emergence of lethal coral diseases, as has been proposed by many authors, the only true option to effectively help preserve the coral reef biodiversity and services, is to restore the environmental quality of reef waters at the local scale and reduce greenhouse gases at the global scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia E Thome
- Instituto de Ciencias Del Mar y Limnología, Unidad Académica de Sistemas Arrecifales, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico
| | - Jacqueline Rivera-Ortega
- Instituto de Ciencias Del Mar y Limnología, Unidad Académica de Sistemas Arrecifales, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico
| | - Jenny C Rodríguez-Villalobos
- Departamento de Ciencias Marinas y Costeras, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur, La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico.,Ecosistemas y Conservación, ProAzul Terrestre A.C., La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico
| | - Daniel Cerqueda-García
- Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Unidad Mérida, Departamento de Recursos del Mar, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
| | - Edgar O Guzmán-Urieta
- Instituto de Ciencias Del Mar y Limnología, Unidad Académica de Sistemas Arrecifales, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico
| | - José Q García-Maldonado
- CONACyT, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Unidad Mérida, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
| | - Natalia Carabantes
- Instituto de Ciencias Del Mar y Limnología, Unidad Académica de Sistemas Arrecifales, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico
| | - Eric Jordán-Dahlgren
- Instituto de Ciencias Del Mar y Limnología, Unidad Académica de Sistemas Arrecifales, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico
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Sassi CFC, Farias GMD, Vasconcelos ADS, Macedo RSD, França JPDS, Sassi R. Histopatological effects of bleaching and disease on the coral Siderastrea stellata from coastal reefs of Brazil. IHERINGIA. SERIE ZOOLOGIA 2021. [DOI: 10.1590/1678-4766e2021007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Histological analysis of bleached samples of Siderastrea stellata Verrill, 1868, with white plague disease and with alteration in the color pattern, revealed drastic tissue and cellular disturbances, such as lysis of the external epithelium, hyperplasia of gastrodermis, apoptosis of epithelial cells and zooxanthellae, and degradation of mesenteric filaments and reproductive cells. Fungal hyphae, diatoms, and cyanobacteria were present in diseased samples and colonies with alteration in the color pattern. Furthermore, bleached and diseased samples showed significant reductions in the number of zooxanthellae per 100 µm2 of gastrodermis and significant reductions in the diameters and volumes of stage V oocytes. We found that bleaching events, diseases, and colonies with alteration in the color pattern promoted degradation of reproductive cells, resulting in the consequent interruption of the reproduction of the coral S. stellata, which is one of the most common Brazilian coral species. The implications of these indirect effects of bleaching, disease, and changes in coral color patterns in the population dynamics of Brazilian reefs are discussed.
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Dennis MM, Becker AAMJ, Freeman MA. Pathology of multifocal purple spots, a nonspecific lesion morphology of Caribbean sea fans Gorgonia spp. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2020; 141:79-89. [PMID: 32940253 DOI: 10.3354/dao03523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Disease is contributing to the decline of coral reefs globally, but the cause and pathogenesis of most coral diseases are poorly understood. Using Gorgonia ventalina and G. flabellum as a model for coral disease diagnosis, we histologically and microbiologically examined 45 biopsies of lesions resembling Gorgonia multifocal purple spots (MFPS) with the aim of forming a comprehensive case definition based on gross and microscopic morphologic descriptions and associated etiologies. Macroscopically, all lesions were small circular areas of purple pigmentation. Gross morphologies included pigmentation only (4/45, 9%), or pigmentation with branchlet expansion and fusion (19/45, 22%), sessile masses (17/45, 38%), or hard nodules (5/45, 9%). Histological morphologic diagnoses included amoebocyte encapsulation (9/45, 20%), coenenchymal amoebocytosis (6/45, 13%), melanin (17/45, 38%), and gorgonin deposition (13/45, 29%). Sixty-four percent of instances of fungi and 86% of labyrinthulomycetes were localized to grossly normal portions of the biopsy, whereas barnacles were only within lesions, and 87% of instances of algae and 82% of cyanobacteria were within lesioned area of the biopsy. Penicillium (n = 12) was the predominant genus of fungi isolated from biopsies. Barnacles were identified as Conopea sp. using molecular techniques. The pathology and etiology underlying MFPS lesions are diverse, consistent with a highly nonspecific lesion pattern rather than a specific disease. This study demonstrates the importance of microscopic examination of tissues for accurate classification of coral diseases and lesion patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle M Dennis
- Center for Conservation Medicine and Ecosystem Health, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, St. Kitts, West Indies
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Greene A, Leggat W, Donahue MJ, Raymundo LJ, Caldwell JM, Moriarty T, Heron SF, Ainsworth TD. Complementary sampling methods for coral histology, metabolomics and microbiome. Methods Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Austin Greene
- Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Kāne‘ohe HI USA
| | - William Leggat
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences The University of Newcastle Ourimbah NSW Australia
| | - Megan J. Donahue
- Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Kāne‘ohe HI USA
| | | | - Jamie M. Caldwell
- Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Kāne‘ohe HI USA
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies James Cook University Townsville Qld Australia
| | - Tess Moriarty
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences The University of Newcastle Ourimbah NSW Australia
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Science The University of New South Wales Randwick NSW Australia
| | - Scott F. Heron
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies James Cook University Townsville Qld Australia
- Physics and Marine Geophysical Laboratory College of Science and Engineering James Cook University Townsville Qld Australia
| | - Tracy D. Ainsworth
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Science The University of New South Wales Randwick NSW Australia
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Dorrestein EHR, Conan A, Pentzke-Lemus LL, Hartman G, Sample SH, Dennis MM. Prevalence and progression of macroscopic lesions in Orbicella annularis and O. faveolata on shallow fringing reefs of St. Kitts. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2020; 140:79-95. [PMID: 32701064 DOI: 10.3354/dao03492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The endangered corals Orbicella annularis and O. faveolata are crucial to Caribbean reefs because of their large size and contribution to reef framework. The objective of this study was to describe the prevalence and progression of macroscopically evident lesions affecting Orbicella spp. in shallow fringing reefs in St. Kitts. Cross-sectional surveys in the spring of 2017 demonstrated 8 predominant lesion patterns affecting 59% of corals (95% CI: 55.8-62.1%), including annular yellow-brown pigmentation, focal brown pigmentation, focal bleaching, diffuse bleaching, annular black surface deposit, focal tissue loss with skeletal erosion, focal grey pigmentation, and growth anomaly. Longitudinal surveys of 47 tagged corals were performed from August 2016-May 2017 to track lesion progression. The 2 most common lesions, annular yellow-brown pigmentation (n = 30), and focal brown pigmentation (n = 21), showed mean (±SD) partial colony mortality growth of 0.26 ± 0.5 and 0.21 ± 0.45 cm2 d-1, respectively. Annular pigmentation progression severity was associated with a marginating band of bleaching (ordinal odds ratio [OOR] = 11.0), and yellow rather than brown color (OOR = 3.8). Bleaching lesions (n = 13), occurring during a time of elevated sea surface temperature, were most severe during October-December 2016, and persisted through April 2017, months after heat stress had subsided. Annular black surface deposits (n = 3) were associated with rapid progression of acute tissue loss, whereas focal tissue loss with skeletal erosion (n = 2) regressed within months, and focal grey pigmentation (n = 2) was quiescent for the length of the study. This study enforces concern for the extent to which Orbicella spp. are declining due to disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elize H R Dorrestein
- Center for Conservation Medicine and Ecosystem Health and Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis
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Morphological, elemental, and boron isotopic insights into pathophysiology of diseased coral growth anomalies. Sci Rep 2020; 10:8252. [PMID: 32427852 PMCID: PMC7237652 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-65118-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Coral growth anomalies (GAs) are tumor-like lesions that are detrimental to colony fitness and are commonly associated with high human population density, yet little is known about the disease pathology or calcification behavior. SEM imagery, skeletal trace elements and boron isotopes (δ11B) have been combined as a novel approach to study coral disease. Low Mg/Ca, and high U/Ca, Mo/Ca, and V/Ca potentially suggest a decreased abundance of "centers of calcification" and nitrogen-fixation in GAs. Estimates of carbonate system parameters from δ11B and B/Ca measurements indicate reduced pH (-0.05 units) and [CO32-] within GA calcifying fluid. We theorize GAs re-allocate resources away from internal pH upregulation to sustain elevated tissue growth, resulting in a porous and fragile skeleton. Our findings show that dystrophic calcification processes could explain structural differences seen in GA skeletons and highlight the use of skeletal geochemistry to shed light on disease pathophysiology in corals.
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Gignoux-Wolfsohn SA, Precht WF, Peters EC, Gintert BE, Kaufman LS. Ecology, histopathology, and microbial ecology of a white-band disease outbreak in the threatened staghorn coral Acropora cervicornis. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2020; 137:217-237. [PMID: 32132275 DOI: 10.3354/dao03441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
This study is a multi-pronged description of a temperature-induced outbreak of white-band disease (WBD) that occurred in Acropora cervicornis off northern Miami Beach, Florida (USA), from July to October 2014. We describe the ecology of the disease and examine diseased corals using both histopathology and next-generation bacterial 16S gene sequencing, making it possible to better understand the effect this disease has on the coral holobiont, and to address some of the seeming contradictions among previous studies of WBD that employed either a purely histological or molecular approach. The outbreak began in July 2014, as sea surface temperatures reached 29°C, and peaked in mid-September, a month after the sea surface temperature maximum. The microscopic anatomy of apparently healthy portions of colonies displaying active disease signs appeared normal except for some tissue atrophy and dissociation of mesenterial filaments deep within the branch. Structural changes were more pronounced in visibly diseased fragments, with atrophy, necrosis, and lysing of surface and basal body wall and polyp structures at the tissue-loss margin. The only bacteria evident microscopically in both diseased and apparently healthy tissues with Giemsa staining was a Rickettsiales-like organism (RLO) occupying mucocytes. Sequencing also identified bacteria belonging to the order Rickettsiales in all fragments. When compared to apparently healthy fragments, diseased fragments had more diverse bacterial communities made up of many previously suggested potential primary pathogens and secondary (opportunistic) colonizers. Interactions between elevated seawater temperatures, the coral host, and pathogenic members of the diseased microbiome all contribute to the coral displaying signs of WBD.
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Contardi M, Montano S, Liguori G, Heredia-Guerrero JA, Galli P, Athanassiou A, Bayer IS. Treatment of Coral Wounds by Combining an Antiseptic Bilayer Film and an Injectable Antioxidant Biopolymer. Sci Rep 2020; 10:988. [PMID: 31969660 PMCID: PMC6976594 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-57980-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 12/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Coral reefs are vital for the marine ecosystem and their potential disappearance can have unequivocal consequences on our environment. Aside from pollution-related threats (changes in water temperature, plastics, and acidity), corals can be injured by diseases, predators, humans and other invasive species. Diseases play an important role in this decline, but so far very few mitigation strategies have been proposed and developed to control this threat. In this work, we demonstrate that recently developed bi-layer human skin wound treatment patches containing antiseptics and natural antioxidants with controlled-release capacity can be adapted to treat scleractinian coral wounds effectively. A hydrophilic bilayer film based on polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and hyaluronic acid was used to cover the open wounds while delivering the antiseptics for rapid action. Afterwards, the hydrophilic bi-layer covered wound was sealed with an antioxidant and hydrophobic ε-caprolactone-p-coumaric acid copolymer by melt injection at low temperatures. Treated coral injuries were monitored both in aquaria system and in natural environment in Maldives for over 4 months to reduce the number of entry points for organisms that could lead to diseases. The corals well-tolerated both biomaterials as well as the antiseptics incorporated in these materials. The treatments displayed self-adhering properties, tuneable dissolution time, and biocompatibility and stimulated regeneration properties within the coral wound. As such, this work demonstrates that certain human skin wound treatment materials can be successfully adapted to the curing of coral wounds and delivery of specific drugs to slow down, reduce or even stop the spread of diseases in scleractinian corals as well as in all other benthic organisms affected by uncontrolled pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Contardi
- Smart Materials, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy.
| | - Simone Montano
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT), University of Milan - Bicocca, Milan, Italy
- MaRHE Center (Marine Research and High Education Center), Magoodhoo Island, Faafu Atoll, Republic of Maldives
| | - Giulia Liguori
- MaRHE Center (Marine Research and High Education Center), Magoodhoo Island, Faafu Atoll, Republic of Maldives
| | - José A Heredia-Guerrero
- Smart Materials, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
- IHSM La Mayora, Departamento de Mejora Genética y Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Málaga, Spain
| | - Paolo Galli
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT), University of Milan - Bicocca, Milan, Italy
- MaRHE Center (Marine Research and High Education Center), Magoodhoo Island, Faafu Atoll, Republic of Maldives
| | | | - Ilker S Bayer
- Smart Materials, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy.
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Hewson I. Technical pitfalls that bias comparative microbial community analyses of aquatic disease Ian Hewson. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2019; 137:109-124. [PMID: 31854329 DOI: 10.3354/dao03432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The accessibility of high-throughput DNA sequencing technologies has attracted the application of comparative microbial analyses to study diseases. These studies present a window into host microbiome diversity and composition that can be used to address ecological theory in the context of host biology and behavior. Recently, comparative microbiome studies have been used to study non-vertebrate aquatic diseases to elucidate microorganisms potentially involved in disease processes or in disease prevention. These investigations suffer from many well-described biases, especially prior to sequence analyses, that could lead to misleading conclusions. Microbiome-focused studies of aquatic metazoan diseases provide valuable documentation of microbial ecology, although, they are only a starting point for establishing disease etiology, which demands quantitative validation through targeted approaches. The microbiome approach to understanding disease is most useful after laboratory diagnostics guided by pathology have failed to identify a causative agent. This opinion piece presents several technical pitfalls which may affect wider interpretation of microbe-host interactions through comparative microbial community analyses and provides recommendations, based on studies in non-aquatic systems, for incorporation into future aquatic disease research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian Hewson
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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Sweet M, Burian A, Fifer J, Bulling M, Elliott D, Raymundo L. Compositional homogeneity in the pathobiome of a new, slow-spreading coral disease. MICROBIOME 2019; 7:139. [PMID: 31752998 PMCID: PMC6873542 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-019-0759-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/13/2019] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Coral reefs face unprecedented declines in diversity and cover, a development largely attributed to climate change-induced bleaching and subsequent disease outbreaks. Coral-associated microbiomes may strongly influence the fitness of their hosts and alter heat tolerance and disease susceptibility of coral colonies. Here, we describe a new coral disease found in Micronesia and present a detailed assessment of infection-driven changes in the coral microbiome. RESULTS Combining field monitoring and histological, microscopic and next-generation barcoding assessments, we demonstrate that the outbreak of the disease, named 'grey-patch disease', is associated with the establishment of cyanobacterial biofilm overgrowing coral tissue. The disease is characterised by slow progression rates, with coral tissue sometimes growing back over the GPD biofilm. Network analysis of the corals' microbiome highlighted the clustering of specific microbes which appeared to benefit from the onset of disease, resulting in the formation of 'infection clusters' in the microbiomes of apparently healthy corals. CONCLUSIONS Our results appear to be in contrast to the recently proposed Anna-Karenina principle, which states that disturbances (such as disease) trigger chaotic dynamics in microbial communities and increase β-diversity. Here, we show significantly higher community similarity (compositional homogeneity) in the pathobiome of diseased corals, compared to the microbiome associated with apparently healthy tissue. A possible explanation for this pattern is strong competition between the pathogenic community and those associated with the 'healthy' coral holobiont, homogenising the composition of the pathobiome. Further, one of our key findings is that multiple agents appear to be involved in degrading the corals' defences causing the onset of this disease. This supports recent findings indicating a need for a shift from the one-pathogen-one-disease paradigm to exploring the importance of multiple pathogenic players in any given disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Sweet
- Aquatic Research Facility, Environmental Sustainability Research Centre, University of Derby, Derby, UK.
| | - Alfred Burian
- Aquatic Research Facility, Environmental Sustainability Research Centre, University of Derby, Derby, UK
| | - James Fifer
- Marine Laboratory, University of Guam, Mangilao, GU, 96923, Guam
| | - Mark Bulling
- Aquatic Research Facility, Environmental Sustainability Research Centre, University of Derby, Derby, UK
| | - David Elliott
- Aquatic Research Facility, Environmental Sustainability Research Centre, University of Derby, Derby, UK
| | - Laurie Raymundo
- Marine Laboratory, University of Guam, Mangilao, GU, 96923, Guam
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Montilla LM, Ascanio A, Verde A, Croquer A. Systematic review and meta-analysis of 50 years of coral disease research visualized through the scope of network theory. PeerJ 2019; 7:e7041. [PMID: 31198644 PMCID: PMC6555395 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2018] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Coral disease research encompasses five decades of undeniable progress. Since the first descriptions of anomalous signs, we have come to understand multiple processes and environmental drivers that interact with coral pathologies. In order to gain a better insight into the knowledge we already have, we explored how key topics in coral disease research have been related to each other using network analysis. We reviewed 719 papers and conference proceedings published from 1965 to 2017. From each study, four elements determined our network nodes: (1) studied disease(s); (2) host genus; (3) marine ecoregion(s) associated with the study site; and (4) research objectives. Basic properties of this network confirmed that there is a set of specific topics comprising the majority of research. The top five diseases, genera, and ecoregions studied accounted for over 48% of the research effort in all cases. The community structure analysis identified 15 clusters of topics with different degrees of overlap among them. These clusters represent the typical sets of elements that appear together for a given study. Our results show that while some coral diseases have been studied considering multiple aspects, the overall trend is for most diseases to be understood under a limited range of approaches, e.g., bacterial assemblages have been considerably studied in Yellow and Black band diseases while immune response has been better examined for the aspergillosis-Gorgonia system. Thus, our challenge in the near future is to identify and resolve potential gaps in order to achieve a more comprehensive progress on coral disease research.
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Jordán-Dahlgren E, Jordán-Garza AG, Rodríguez-Martínez RE. Coral disease prevalence estimation and sampling design. PeerJ 2018; 6:e6006. [PMID: 30533304 PMCID: PMC6282945 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2018] [Accepted: 10/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In the last decades diseases have changed coral communities’ structure and function in reefs worldwide. Studies conducted to evaluate the effect of diseases on corals frequently use modified adaptations of sampling designs that were developed to study ecological aspects of coral reefs. Here we evaluate how efficient these sampling protocols are by generating virtual data for a coral population parameterized with mean coral density and disease prevalence estimates from the Caribbean scleractinian Orbicella faveolata at the Mexican Caribbean. Six scenarios were tested consisting of three patterns of coral colony distribution (random, randomly clustered and randomly over-dispersed) and two disease transmission modes (random and contagious). The virtual populations were sampled with the commonly used method of belt-transects with variable sample-unit sizes (10 × 1, 10 × 2, 25 × 2, 50 × 2 m). Results showed that the probability of obtaining a mean coral disease prevalence estimate of ±5% of the true prevalence value was low (range: 11–48%) and that two-sample comparisons achieved rather low power, unless very large effect sizes existed. Such results imply low statistical confidence to assess differences or changes in coral disease prevalence. The main problem identified was insufficient sample size because local mean colony size, density and spatial distribution of targeted coral species was not taken into consideration to properly adjust the sampling protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Jordán-Dahlgren
- Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, México
| | - Adán G Jordán-Garza
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad Veracruzana, Tuxpan, Veracruz, México
| | - Rosa E Rodríguez-Martínez
- Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, México
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Local confinement of disease-related microbiome facilitates recovery of gorgonian sea fans from necrotic-patch disease. Sci Rep 2018; 8:14636. [PMID: 30279438 PMCID: PMC6168572 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-33007-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 09/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbiome disruptions triggering disease outbreaks are increasingly threatening corals worldwide. In the Tropical Eastern Pacific, a necrotic-patch disease affecting gorgonian corals (sea fans, Pacifigorgia spp.) has been observed in recent years. However, the composition of the microbiome and its disease-related disruptions remain unknown in these gorgonian corals. Therefore, we analysed 16S rRNA gene amplicons from tissues of healthy colonies (n = 19) and from symptomatic-asymptomatic tissues of diseased colonies (n = 19) of Pacifigorgia cairnsi (Gorgoniidae: Octocorallia) in order to test for disease-related changes in the bacterial microbiome. We found that potential endosymbionts (mostly Endozoicomonas spp.) dominate the core microbiome in healthy colonies. Moreover, healthy tissues differed in community composition and functional profile from those of the symptomatic tissues but did not show differences to asymptomatic tissues of the diseased colonies. A more diverse set of bacteria was observed in symptomatic tissues, together with the decline in abundance of the potential endosymbionts from the healthy core microbiome. Furthermore, according to a comparative taxonomy-based functional profiling, these symptomatic tissues were characterized by the increase in heterotrophic, ammonia oxidizer and dehalogenating bacteria and by the depletion of nitrite and sulphate reducers. Overall, our results suggest that the bacterial microbiome associated with the disease behaves opportunistically and is likely in a state of microbial dysbiosis. We also conclude that the confinement of the disease-related consortium to symptomatic tissues may facilitate colony recovery.
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Diseases of Coral Diseases of Coral. By Cheryl M. Woodley, Craig A. Downs, Andrew W. Bruckner, James W. Porter, and Sylvia B. Galloway. John Wiley & Sons Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey, USA. 2016. 582 pp. ISBN: 978-0-8138-2411-6. US $249.95 hardback; $199.99 digital version. J Wildl Dis 2018. [DOI: 10.7589/0090-3558-54.2.000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Abstract
Tropical scleractinian corals are dependent to varying degrees on their photosymbiotic partners. Under normal levels of temperature and irradiance, they can provide most, but not all, of the host's nutritional requirements. Heterotrophy is required to adequately supply critical nutrients, especially nitrogen and phosphorus. Scleractinian corals are known as mesozooplankton predators, and most employ tentacle capture. The ability to trap nano- and picoplankton has been demonstrated by several coral species and appears to fulfill a substantial proportion of their daily metabolic requirements. The mechanism of capture likely involves mucociliary activity or extracoelenteric digestion, but the relative contribution of these avenues have not been evaluated. Many corals employ mesenterial filaments to procure food in various forms, but the functional morphology and chemical activities of these structures have been poorly documented. Corals are capable of acquiring nutrition from particulate and dissolved organic matter, although the degree of reliance on these sources generally has not been established. Corals, including tropical, deep- and cold-water species, are known as a major source of carbon and other nutrients for benthic communities through the secretion of mucus, despite wide variation in chemical composition. Mucus is cycled through the planktonic microbial loop, the benthos, and the microbial community within the sediments. The consensus indicates that the dissolved organic fraction of mucus usually exceeds the insoluble portion, and both serve as sources for the growth of nano- and picoplankton. As many corals employ mucus to trap food, a portion is taken back during feeding. The net gain or loss has not been evaluated, although production is generally thought to exceed consumption. The same is true for the net uptake and loss of dissolved organic matter by mucus secretion. Octocorals are thought not to employ mucus capture or mesenterial filaments during feeding and generally rely on tentacular filtration of weakly swimming mesozooplankton, particulates, dissolved organic matter, and picoplankton. Nonsymbiotic species in the tropics favor phytoplankton and weakly swimming zooplankton. Azooxanthellate soft corals are opportunistic feeders and shift their diet according to the season from phyto- and nanoplankton in summer to primarily particulate organic matter (POM) in winter. Cold-water species favor POM, phytodetritus, microplankton, and larger zooplankton when available. Antipatharians apparently feed on mesozooplankton but also use mucus nets, possibly for capture of POM. Feeding modes in this group are poorly known.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walter M Goldberg
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA.
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Mera H, Bourne DG. Disentangling causation: complex roles of coral-associated microorganisms in disease. Environ Microbiol 2017; 20:431-449. [DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.13958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hanaka Mera
- College of Science and Engineering; James Cook University; Townsville Queensland 4811, Australia
| | - David G. Bourne
- College of Science and Engineering; James Cook University; Townsville Queensland 4811, Australia
- Australian Institute of Marine Science; PMB 3, Townsville, Queensland 4810 Australia
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White Syndrome-Affected Corals Have a Distinct Microbiome at Disease Lesion Fronts. Appl Environ Microbiol 2016; 83:AEM.02799-16. [PMID: 27815275 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02799-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2016] [Accepted: 10/31/2016] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Coral tissue loss diseases, collectively known as white syndromes (WSs), induce significant mortality on reefs throughout the Indo-Pacific, yet definitive confirmation of WS etiologies remains elusive. In this study, we integrated ecological disease monitoring, bacterial community profiling, in situ visualization of microbe-host interactions, and cellular responses of the host coral through an 18-month repeated-sampling regime. We assert that the observed pathogenesis of WS lesions on acroporid corals at Lizard Island (Great Barrier Reef) is not the result of apoptosis or infection by Vibrio bacteria, ciliates, fungi, cyanobacteria, or helminths. Histological analyses detected helminths, ciliates, fungi, and cyanobacteria in fewer than 25% of WS samples, and helminths and fungi were also observed in 12% of visually healthy samples. The abundances of Vibrio-affiliated sequences (assessed using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing) did not differ significantly between health states and never exceeded 3.3% of reads in any individual sample. In situ visualization detected Vibrio bacteria only in summer WS lesion samples and revealed no signs of these bacteria in winter disease samples (or any healthy tissue samples), despite continued disease progression year round. However, a 4-fold increase in Rhodobacteraceae-affiliated bacterial sequences at WS lesion fronts suggests that this group of bacteria could play a role in WS pathogenesis and/or serve as a diagnostic criterion for disease differentiation. While the causative agent(s) underlying WSs remains elusive, the microbial and cellular processes identified in this study will help to identify and differentiate visually similar but potentially distinct WS etiologies. IMPORTANCE Over the past decade, a virulent group of coral diseases known as white syndromes have impacted coral reefs throughout the Indian and Pacific Oceans. This article provides a detailed case study of white syndromes to combine disease ecology, high-throughput microbial community profiling, and cellular-scale host-microbe visualization over seasonal time scales. We provide novel insights into the etiology of this devastating disease and reveal new diagnostic criteria that could be used to differentiate visually similar but etiologically distinct forms of white syndrome.
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Investigating the spatial distribution of growth anomalies affecting Montipora capitata corals in a 3-dimensional framework. J Invertebr Pathol 2016; 140:51-57. [PMID: 27555383 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2016.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2016] [Revised: 08/10/2016] [Accepted: 08/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Diseases have caused significant reductions in coral populations throughout the global ocean. Despite a substantial effort to thoroughly characterize the epizootiology and etiology of coral diseases, little is known about the distribution and spatial clustering of disease lesions on affected coral colonies. This study investigated spatial clustering of the coral disease, growth anomaly (GA), which exhibits high levels of prevalence and severity in Montipora capitata and other corals at Wai'ōpae, southeast Hawai'i Island. Like many other coral diseases, the patterns of disease spread and transmissibility of GA remains unknown. We utilized cutting-edge 3D reconstruction techniques to map the precise spatial distribution of GAs on affected coral colonies. Three statistical measures, Ripley's K, Moran's I, and the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test were used to determine if the GA lesions were distributed in a non-random pattern. Each measure showed the GA lesions exhibited distinct spatial clustering on all ten affected colonies analyzed in this study. Our study is not only the first 3D analysis of intra-colony disease clustering, but also provides a novel approach for investigating and quantifying levels of disease clustering in order to improve our understanding of coral disease epizootiology, transmission, and etiology.
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Aeby GS, Callahan S, Cox EF, Runyon C, Smith A, Stanton FG, Ushijima B, Work TM. Emerging coral diseases in Kāne'ohe Bay, O'ahu, Hawai'i (USA): two major disease outbreaks of acute Montipora white syndrome. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2016; 119:189-198. [PMID: 27225202 DOI: 10.3354/dao02996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
In March 2010 and January 2012, we documented 2 widespread and severe coral disease outbreaks on reefs throughout Kāne'ohe Bay, Hawai'i (USA). The disease, acute Montipora white syndrome (aMWS), manifested as acute and progressive tissue loss on the common reef coral M. capitata. Rapid visual surveys in 2010 revealed 338 aMWS-affected M. capitata colonies with a disease abundance of (mean ± SE) 0.02 ± 0.01 affected colonies per m of reef surveyed. In 2012, disease abundance was significantly higher (1232 aMWS-affected colonies) with 0.06 ± 0.02 affected colonies m(-1). Prior surveys found few acute tissue loss lesions in M. capitata in Ka¯ne'ohe Bay; thus, the high number of infected colonies found during these outbreaks would classify this as an emerging disease. Disease abundance was highest in the semi-enclosed region of south Kāne'ohe Bay, which has a history of nutrient and sediment impacts from terrestrial runoff and stream discharge. In 2010, tagged colonies showed an average tissue loss of 24% after 1 mo, and 92% of the colonies continued to lose tissue in the subsequent month but at a slower rate (chronic tissue loss). The host-specific nature of this disease (affecting only M. capitata) and the apparent spread of lesions between M. capitata colonies in the field suggest a potential transmissible agent. The synchronous appearance of affected colonies on multiple reefs across Kāne'ohe Bay suggests a common underlying factor. Both outbreaks occurred during the colder, rainy winter months, and thus it is likely that some parameter(s) associated with winter environmental conditions are linked to the emergence of disease outbreaks on these reefs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greta S Aeby
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, Kāne'ohe, HI 96744, USA
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Raymundo LJ, Work TM, Miller RL, Lozada-Misa PL. Effects of Coralliophila violacea on tissue loss in the scleractinian corals Porites spp. depend on host response. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2016; 119:75-83. [PMID: 27068505 DOI: 10.3354/dao02982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
We investigated interactions between the corallivorous gastropod Coralliophila violacea and its preferred hosts Porites spp. Our objectives were to experimentally determine whether tissue loss could progress in Porites during or after Coralliophila predation on corals with and without tissue loss and to histologically document snail predation. In 64% of feeding scars, tissue regenerated within 3 wk, leaving no trace of predation. However, in roughly 28% of scars, lesions progressed to subacute tissue loss resembling white syndrome. In feeding experiments, scars from snails previously fed diseased tissue developed progressive tissue loss twice as frequently as scars from snails previously fed healthy tissue. Scars from previously healthy-fed snails were 3 times as likely to heal as those from previously diseased-fed snails. Histology revealed marked differences in host responses to snails; P. cylindrica manifested a robust inflammatory response with fewer secondary colonizing organisms such as algae, sponges, and helminths, whereas P. rus showed no evident inflammation and more secondary colonization. We conclude that lesion progression associated with Coralliophila may be associated with secondary colonization of coral tissues damaged by predator-induced trauma and necrosis. Importantly, variation at the cellular level should be considered when explaining interspecific differences in host responses in corals impacted by phenomena such as predation.
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Affiliation(s)
- L J Raymundo
- University of Guam Marine Laboratory, Mangilao, Guam 96923, USA
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Burge CA, Friedman CS, Getchell R, House M, Lafferty KD, Mydlarz LD, Prager KC, Sutherland KP, Renault T, Kiryu I, Vega-Thurber R. Complementary approaches to diagnosing marine diseases: a union of the modern and the classic. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2016; 371:20150207. [PMID: 26880839 PMCID: PMC4760137 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/21/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Linking marine epizootics to a specific aetiology is notoriously difficult. Recent diagnostic successes show that marine disease diagnosis requires both modern, cutting-edge technology (e.g. metagenomics, quantitative real-time PCR) and more classic methods (e.g. transect surveys, histopathology and cell culture). Here, we discuss how this combination of traditional and modern approaches is necessary for rapid and accurate identification of marine diseases, and emphasize how sole reliance on any one technology or technique may lead disease investigations astray. We present diagnostic approaches at different scales, from the macro (environment, community, population and organismal scales) to the micro (tissue, organ, cell and genomic scales). We use disease case studies from a broad range of taxa to illustrate diagnostic successes from combining traditional and modern diagnostic methods. Finally, we recognize the need for increased capacity of centralized databases, networks, data repositories and contingency plans for diagnosis and management of marine disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colleen A Burge
- Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 701 E Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202, USA
| | - Carolyn S Friedman
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Box 355020, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Rodman Getchell
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, C4-177 Vet Med Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, 930 Campus Road, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Marcia House
- Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, 6730 Martin Way East, Olympia, WA 98516, USA
| | - Kevin D Lafferty
- US Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, c/o Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Laura D Mydlarz
- Department of Biology, University of Texas Arlington, 501 South Nedderman, Arlington, TX 76019, USA
| | - Katherine C Prager
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | | | - Tristan Renault
- Ifremer, Département Ressources Biologiques et Environnement, rue de l'Ile d'Yeu, 44311 Nantes Cedex 03, France
| | - Ikunari Kiryu
- National Research Institute of Aquaculture, Fisheries Research Agency, Mie 516-0193, Japan
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Cordie DR, Budd AF. Histological data in a combined phylogenetic analysis of scleractinian reef corals. J Morphol 2016; 277:494-511. [DOI: 10.1002/jmor.20514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2015] [Revised: 01/07/2016] [Accepted: 01/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David R. Cordie
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences; University of Iowa; Iowa City Iowa 52242
| | - Ann F. Budd
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences; University of Iowa; Iowa City Iowa 52242
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Ainsworth TD, Knack B, Ukani L, Seneca F, Weiss Y, Leggat W. In situ hybridisation detects pro-apoptotic gene expression of a Bcl-2 family member in white syndrome-affected coral. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2015; 117:155-163. [PMID: 26648107 DOI: 10.3354/dao02882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
White syndrome has been described as one of the most prolific diseases on the Great Barrier Reef. Previously, apoptotic cell death has been described as the mechanism driving the characteristic rapid tissue loss associated with this disease, but the molecular mechanisms controlling apoptotic cell death in coral disease have yet to be investigated. In situ methods were used to study the expression patterns of 2 distinct regulators of apoptosis in Acropora hyacinthus tissues undergoing white syndrome and apoptotic cell death. Apoptotic genes within the Bcl-2 family were not localized in apparently healthy coral tissues. However, a Bcl-2 family member (bax-like) was found to localize to cells and tissues affected by white syndrome and those with morphological evidence for apoptosis. A potential up-regulation of pro-apoptotic or bax-like gene expression in tissues with apoptotic cell death adjacent to disease lesions is consistent with apoptosis being the primary cause of rapid tissue loss in coral affected by white syndrome. Pro-apoptotic (bax-like) expression in desmocytes and the basal tissue layer, the calicodermis, distant from the disease lesion suggests that apoptosis may also underlie the sloughing of healthy tissues associated with the characteristic, rapid spread of tissue loss, evident of this disease. This study also shows that in situ hybridisation is an effective tool for studying gene expression in adult corals, and wider application of these methods should allow a better understanding of many aspects of coral biology and disease pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- T D Ainsworth
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4810, Australia
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LaDouceur EEB, Wynne J, Garner MM, Nyaoke A, Keel MK. Lesions of Copper Toxicosis in Captive Marine Invertebrates With Comparisons to Normal Histology. Vet Pathol 2015; 53:648-58. [DOI: 10.1177/0300985815603431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Despite increasing concern for coral reef ecosystem health within the last decade, there is scant literature concerning the histopathology of diseases affecting the major constituents of coral reef ecosystems, particularly marine invertebrates. This study describes histologic findings in 6 species of marine invertebrates (California sea hare [ Aplysia californica], purple sea urchin [ Strongylocentrotus purpuratus], sunburst anemone [ Anthopleura sola], knobby star [ Pisaster giganteus], bat star [ Asterina miniata], and brittle star [ Ophiopteris papillosa]) with spontaneous copper toxicosis, 4 purple sea urchins with experimentally induced copper toxicosis, and 1 unexposed control of each species listed. The primary lesions in the California sea hare with copper toxicosis were branchial and nephridial necrosis. Affected echinoderms shared several histologic lesions, including epidermal necrosis and ulceration and increased numbers of coelomocytes within the water-vascular system. The sunburst anemone with copper toxicosis had necrosis of both epidermis and gastrodermis, as well as expulsion of zooxanthellae from the gastrodermis. In addition to the lesions attributed to copper toxicosis, our results describe normal microscopic features of these animals that may be useful for histopathologic assessment of marine invertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. E. B. LaDouceur
- University of California–Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, Davis, CA, USA
| | - J. Wynne
- California Science Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - A. Nyaoke
- California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory, San Bernardino, CA, USA
| | - M. K. Keel
- University of California–Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, Davis, CA, USA
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Quéré G, Meistertzheim AL, Steneck RS, Nugues MM. Histopathology of crustose coralline algae affected by white band and white patch diseases. PeerJ 2015; 3:e1034. [PMID: 26157617 PMCID: PMC4493676 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.1034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2015] [Accepted: 05/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Crustose coralline algae (CCA) are major benthic calcifiers that play crucial roles in marine ecosystems, particularly coral reefs. Over the past two decades, epizootics have been reported for several CCA species on coral reefs worldwide. However, their causes remain often unknown in part because few studies have investigated CCA pathologies at a microscopic scale. We studied the cellular changes associated with two syndromes: Coralline White Band Syndrome (CWBS) and Coralline White Patch Disease (CWPD) from samples collected in Curaçao, southern Caribbean. Healthy-looking tissue of diseased CCA did not differ from healthy tissue of healthy CCA. In diseased tissues of both pathologies, the three characteristic cell layers of CCA revealed cells completely depleted of protoplasmic content, but presenting an intact cell wall. In addition, CWBS showed a transition area between healthy and diseased tissues consisting of cells partially deprived of protoplasmic material, most likely corresponding to the white band characterizing the disease at the macroscopic level. This transition area was absent in CWPD. Regrowth at the lesion boundary were sometimes observed in both syndromes. Tissues of both healthy and diseased CCA were colonised by diverse boring organisms. Fungal infections associated with the diseased cells were not seen. However, other bioeroders were more abundant in diseased vs healthy CCA and in diseased vs healthy-looking tissues of diseased CCA. Although their role in the pathogenesis is unclear, this suggests that disease increases CCA susceptibility to bioerosion. Further investigations using an integrated approach are needed to carry out the complete diagnosis of these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaëlle Quéré
- Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Ecology (ZMT), Bremen, Germany
- Laboratoire d’Excellence ‘CORAIL’ and USR 3278 CRIOBE EPHE-CNRS-UPVD, Perpignan Cedex, France
| | | | - Robert S. Steneck
- Darling Marine Center, School of Marine Sciences, University of Maine, Walpole, ME, USA
| | - Maggy M. Nugues
- Laboratoire d’Excellence ‘CORAIL’ and USR 3278 CRIOBE EPHE-CNRS-UPVD, Perpignan Cedex, France
- Carmabi Foundation, Piscaderabaai z/n, Willemstad, Curaçao
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Systematic Analysis of White Pox Disease in Acropora palmata of the Florida Keys and Role of Serratia marcescens. Appl Environ Microbiol 2015; 81:4451-7. [PMID: 25911491 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00116-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2015] [Accepted: 04/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
White pox disease (WPD) affects the threatened elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata. Owing in part to the lack of a rapid and simple diagnostic test, there have been few systematic assessments of the prevalence of acroporid serratiosis (caused specifically by Serratia marcescens) versus general WPD signs. Six reefs in the Florida Keys were surveyed between 2011 and 2013 to determine the disease status of A. palmata and the prevalence of S. marcescens. WPD was noted at four of the six reefs, with WPD lesions found on 8 to 40% of the colonies surveyed. S. marcescens was detected in 26.9% (7/26) of the WPD lesions and in mucus from apparently healthy colonies both during and outside of disease events (9%; 18/201). S. marcescens was detected with greater frequency in A. palmata than in the overlying water column, regardless of disease status (P = 0.0177). S. marcescens could not be cultured from A. palmata but was isolated from healthy colonies of other coral species and was identified as pathogenic pulsed-field gel electrophoresis type PDR60. WPD lesions were frequently observed on the reef, but unlike in prior outbreaks, no whole-colony death was observed. Pathogenic S. marcescens was circulating on the reef but did not appear to be the primary pathogen in these recent WPD episodes, suggesting that other pathogens or stressors may contribute to signs of WPD. Results highlight the critical importance of diagnostics in coral disease investigations, especially given that field manifestation of disease may be similar, regardless of the etiological agent.
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Comparing bacterial community composition of healthy and dark spot-affected Siderastrea siderea in Florida and the Caribbean. PLoS One 2014; 9:e108767. [PMID: 25289937 PMCID: PMC4188562 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0108767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2014] [Accepted: 09/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Coral disease is one of the major causes of reef degradation. Dark Spot Syndrome (DSS) was described in the early 1990's as brown or purple amorphous areas of tissue on a coral and has since become one of the most prevalent diseases reported on Caribbean reefs. It has been identified in a number of coral species, but there is debate as to whether it is in fact the same disease in different corals. Further, it is questioned whether these macroscopic signs are in fact diagnostic of an infectious disease at all. The most commonly affected species in the Caribbean is the massive starlet coral Siderastrea siderea. We sampled this species in two locations, Dry Tortugas National Park and Virgin Islands National Park. Tissue biopsies were collected from both healthy colonies and those with dark spot lesions. Microbial-community DNA was extracted from coral samples (mucus, tissue, and skeleton), amplified using bacterial-specific primers, and applied to PhyloChip G3 microarrays to examine the bacterial diversity associated with this coral. Samples were also screened for the presence of a fungal ribotype that has recently been implicated as a causative agent of DSS in another coral species, but the amplifications were unsuccessful. S. siderea samples did not cluster consistently based on health state (i.e., normal versus dark spot). Various bacteria, including Cyanobacteria and Vibrios, were observed to have increased relative abundance in the discolored tissue, but the patterns were not consistent across all DSS samples. Overall, our findings do not support the hypothesis that DSS in S. siderea is linked to a bacterial pathogen or pathogens. This dataset provides the most comprehensive overview to date of the bacterial community associated with the scleractinian coral S. siderea.
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Gross and microscopic pathology of lesions in Pocillopora spp. from the subtropical eastern Pacific. J Invertebr Pathol 2014; 120:9-17. [PMID: 24799047 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2014.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2013] [Revised: 04/21/2014] [Accepted: 04/23/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Work TM, Aeby GS, Lasne G, Tribollet A. Gross and microscopic pathology of hard and soft corals in New Caledonia. J Invertebr Pathol 2014; 120:50-8. [PMID: 24927644 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2014.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2013] [Revised: 05/24/2014] [Accepted: 05/27/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
We surveyed the reefs of Grande Terre, New Caledonia, for coral diseases in 2010 and 2013. Lesions encountered in hard and soft corals were systematically described at the gross and microscopic level. We sampled paired and normal tissues from 101 and 65 colonies in 2010 and 2013, respectively, comprising 51 species of corals from 27 genera. Tissue loss was the most common gross lesion sampled (40%) followed by discoloration (28%), growth anomalies (13%), bleaching (10%), and flatworm infestation (1%). When grouped by gross lesions, the diversity of microscopic lesions as measured by Shannon-Wiener index was highest for tissue loss, followed by discoloration, bleaching, and growth anomaly. Our findings document an extension of the range of certain diseases such as Porites trematodiasis and endolithic hypermycosis (dark spots) to the Western Pacific as well as the presence of a putative cnidarian endosymbiont. We also expand the range of species infected by cell-associated microbial aggregates, and confirm the trend that these aggregates predominate in dominant genera of corals in the Indo-Pacific. This study highlights the importance of including histopathology as an integral component of baseline coral disease surveys, because a given gross lesion might be associated with multiple potential causative agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thierry M Work
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station, PO Box 50187, Honolulu, HI 96850, USA.
| | - Greta S Aeby
- Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, PO Box 1346, Kaneohe, HI 96744, USA
| | - Gregory Lasne
- BIOCENOSE MARINE Sarl, Centre IRD de Nouméa, 98848 Nouméa Cedex, New Caledonia
| | - Aline Tribollet
- UMR IPSL-LOCEAN (UPMC/CNRS/IRD/MNHN), Centre IRD France Nord, 32 Av. Henri Varagnat, 93143 Bondy Cedex, France
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