CONTENTS
-
Description and status of
commonly recognized coral
diseases on the GBR
 Introduction
Black
Band Disease
White
Syndrome
Skeletal
Eroding Band
Brown Band
Skeletal
tumours
Atramentous
necrosis
Porites
Pinking
Vibrio
Induced Bleaching
References
Content
navigation
Research
 Coastal
processes
Conservation
& biodiversity
- Biodiversity
assessment
-
Environmental change
and impacts
- Status
and trends
Marine
biotechnology
Reef monitoring
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Data
animations
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Research
plan 2007-11
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Coral Diseases
on the Great Barrier Reef
Patterns of distribution and changes
in abundance
of Hard Coral Disease
Skeletal tumors
Tumors on hard corals form as a
result of abnormal proliferations of cells that are also associated
with an abnormal skeletal growth.
| These
fall into two main categories termed hyperplasia and neoplasia.
Hyperplasia is caused by an increase in the number of cells in a
tissue or organ, thereby increasing the bulk of the tissue or
the organ.
In contrast neoplasia is a
pathologic process that results in the formation and growth of
an undifferentiated mass of cells31
(Peters et al. 1986).
Hyperplasia was first described
on populations of Platygyra spp. hard corals from
Magnetic Island32 (Loya
et al. 1984). While occasional cases of hyperplasia continue to
be observed little information exists on the prevalence and
extent of this condition on the GBR.
Similarly the LTMP continues to observe cases of neoplasia on
corals. These usually appear as white, globular masses of coral
skeleton elevated above the surface of the colony and have few
discernable polyp structures (in contrast to hyperplasms where
macroscopic polyp structure remains visible and the tissues
remain pigmented).
Observations of neoplasia by the LTMP on the GBR appear to
confirm observations made in the Gulf of Oman where such tumours
were observed to be most concentrated and largest in the centre
of tabulate Acropora spp. hard coral colonies,
while on branching Acropora spp. colonies they
tend to be similar in size along the length of the branches33
(Coles and Seapey 1998). |
Image 8. Hyperplasia on a branching Acropora sp.
hard coral gives the colony an odd lumpy appearance.
Photograph AIMS LTMP
Click here for a larger view
Image 9. Photograph of neoplasia on a branching
Acropora sp. hard coral. Unlike hyperplasia, neoplasia are
characterised by undifferentiated cell growth giving the
affected part of the colony a white globular appearance.
Photograph AIMS LTMP
Click here for a larger view
|
On the GBR bleached neoplasia have been observed almost
exclusively on corals in the Family Acroporidae. Similar to
hyperplasia the prevalence and extent of the condition is yet to be
described on the GBR.
CONTENTS
Introduction | Black
Band Disease | White
Syndrome | Skeletal
Eroding Band
Brown Band | Skeletal
tumours | Atramentous
necrosis
Porites
Pinking | Vibrio
Induced Bleaching
References |
Content navigation
For further information contact
Ian Miller, AIMS
Telephone: +61 7 4753 4471
Email:
i.miller@aims.gov.au
December 18, 2008
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