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
 Index
Project information
Reef issues
Data
animations
Survey archives
Survey results
Reef
by name
Reef
by location
Biodiversity surveys
Cairns
fringing reefs
Resources
 ProjectNET
for schools
Links
to relevant sites
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
Atramentous necrosis (Black Death)
Atramentous necrosis is a putative term to describe a recently
discovered disease found on the GBR34.
The disease typically presents itself as blackened lesions that
spread within days across an infected colonies surface.
| The
disease has been found responsible for a coral epizootic
described from Magnetic Island in 2001/2002. Little is known of
this disease though it does appear to favour corals of the
species Montipora aequituberculata (though it has been
found on at 5 other species from 3 different genera) and
temperature appeared to be a key variable associated with the
outbreak34. The disease
also appears to be generally found on inshore reefs with no
reports of the condition from mid and outer shelf reefs (LTMP
pers obbs). Molecular studies of the lesions have so far failed
to identify a likely microbial pathogen35
and it appears that the black layer that spreads rapidly across
the infected colony, while bearing many similarities to the
black band in BBD34, is
an opportunistic secondary effect rather than the causative
agent of the coral mortality35. |
Image 10. Close up view of atramentous necrosis on a
Hydnophora sp. hard coral. Unlike Black Band Atramentous
necrosis forms a mat rather than a band over the affected part
of the colony.
Photograph AIMS LTMP
Click here for a larger view
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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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