Association of Boring Organisms with Dark Spot Syndrome in Roatan, Honduras

• In Event: Poster Presentation and Judging for: Biomedical; Cell & Molecular Biology; Chemistry & Biochemistry; Marine Science; Systematics & Evolutionary Biology.
  In Poster Session: Marine Science Poster Session

Abstract

Coral reefs are one of the most delicate and vulnerable ecosystems on the planet and coral disease outbreaks have occurred since the 1970’s and have added to coral decline in the Caribbean. Dark Spot Syndrome (DSS) was first observed in Caribbean near Columbia during the late 1990’s and since this relatively recent appearance, the relationship with coral and impact of DSS is still unidentified. DSS infected corals display lesions or variations in color on the coral tissues. The primary coral species affected with DSS in the Caribbean region are: Siderastrea siderea, Stephanocoenia intersepta, and Siderastrea radians. Many studies have indicated that a widespread decline in overall coral health has caused a global increase in the prevalence of boring sponge. This study was conducted to observe the association of boring organisms with Dark Spot Syndrome in Roatan, Honduras. There was no significant difference in coral health status based on the presence of sponges, the area of sponge coverage, coral area, water depth or dive site. The proportion of all coral species with disease varied significantly across coral size, water depth, and site. In future studies, researchers should strive for comparable sample sizes at each depth to thoroughly investigate possible relationships. Researchers should also investigate physical factors such as water chemistry, dive traffic and proximity to features including the island landfill and golf course which could affect reef health and susceptibility to disease. Additional dive sites on Roatan should be surveyed to increase the sample size and make results more easily generalized.

Author

• Jennifer Novak, McLennan Community College - T.I.D.E.S Lab