Coral disease has significantly affected coral reefs in the Caribbean and poses a growing threat to Australia's reefs.

Evidence of coral disease was first recorded on the Great Barrier Reef in the early 1990s when AIMS began regular surveys. While disease doesn't appear to have a large impact on Australia's coral reefs to date, recent analyses of AIMS' long term datasets indicate that the frequency of disease increases in warmer environments, suggesting an increased risk with global warming.

To date, more than seven coral diseases have been identified on Australian reefs. Some of the most common include white syndrome, black band, and brown band disease. The lethal mechanisms of these diseases are not well understood at present.

AIMS researchers are studying marine microbes (tiny bacteria) associated with diseased coral to find out whether they are the cause of the disease, a symptom of stressed corals or a cause of stress that weakens corals' defences, allowing them to become infected.

Better understanding of the microbes associated with corals is providing a new insight into reef health and may provide researchers and managers with early warning indicators of stress in marine ecosystems.

Microbial pathogens

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