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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Assessing threats from coral and crustose coralline algae disease on the reefs of New Caledonia

Greta Aeby A E , Aline Tribollet B , Gregory Lasne C and Thierry Work D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, PO Box 1346, Kaneohe, HI 96744, USA.

B IRD-Sorbonne Universités (UPMC, Univ Paris 6)-CNRS-MNHN, LOCEAN Laboratory, IRD France Nord, 32 Avenida Henri Varagnat, F-93143 Bondy Cedex, France.

C BIOCENOSE MARINE Sarl, Centre IRD de Nouméa, 98848 Nouméa Cedex, New Caledonia.

D US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station, PO Box 50187, Honolulu, HI 96850, USA.

E Corresponding author. Email: greta@hawaii.edu

Marine and Freshwater Research 67(4) 455-465 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF14151
Submitted: 12 June 2014  Accepted: 27 February 2015   Published: 9 July 2015

Abstract

The present study reports the results of the first quantitative survey of lesions on coral and crustose coralline algae (CCA) on reefs in the lagoon of New Caledonia. Surveys on inshore and offshore reefs were conducted at 13 sites in 2010, with 12 sites resurveyed in 2013. Thirty coral diseases affecting 15 coral genera were found, with low overall disease prevalence (<1%). This study extends the known distribution of growth anomalies to the coral genera Platygyra and Hydnophora, endolithic hypermycosis to Platygyra, Leptoria and Goniastrea and extends the geographic range of three CCA diseases. We found the first trematode infection in Porites outside of Hawaii. Disease prevalence differed among coral genera, with Porites having more lesions, and Acropora and Montipora fewer lesions, than expected on the basis of field abundance. Inshore reefs had a lower coral-colony density, species diversity and reduced CCA cover than did the offshore reefs. Disease prevalence was significantly higher on inshore reefs in 2013 than in 2010, but did not change on offshore reefs. The potential ecological impact of individual coral diseases was assessed using an integrative-scoring and relative-ranking scheme based on average frequency of occurrence, prevalence and estimated degree of virulence. The top-five ranked diseases were all tissue-loss diseases.

Additional keywords: CCA disease, coral disease, ecological impact of coral disease, endolithic hypermycosis, growth anomalies, trematode infection, white syndrome.


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