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Coral Health and Disease in the Pacific: Vision for Action

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Coral Health and Disease in the Pacific: Vision for Action Disclaimer The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) or the United States Coral Reef Task Force (USCRTF), nor is it intended to be an opinion beyond the scientific or other results of its authors. The mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for their use by NOAA or USCRTF. About This Document Editor’s Acknowledgements – This document was prepared and printed with support from NOAA through the Coral Reef Conservation Program. Layout and design were provided by Sylvia B. Galloway, Cheryl M. Woodley, NOAA NOS NCCOS CCEHBR, and Andy Bruckner, NOAA NMFS HC. Andy Bruckner, Sylvia Galloway, Jennifer Kozlowski, Jo-Ann Leong, Stephanie Venn-Watson, Cheryl Woodley and Thierry Work provided technical edits. Cover Photographs - The front cover photograph was contributed by Thierry Work and the back cover composite photographs were contributed by Thierry Work with artwork by Jim Nicholson. Citation – Please cite this report as follows: Galloway, S.B., Bruckner, A.W. and Woodley, C.M. (eds.), 2009. Coral Health and Disease in the Pacific: Vision for Action. NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS 97 and CRCP 7. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Spring, MD 314pp. Citation for an individual ‘white paper’ (e.g., Issues Unique to the Pacific paper) Gawal M, 2009. Overview of Issues Unique to the Pacific: Biological & Social Perspectives. pp. 162-167. In: Galloway, S.B., Bruckner, A.W. and Woodley, C.M. (eds.), 2009. Coral Health and Disease in the Pacific: Vision for Action. NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS 97 and CRCP 7 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Spring, MD 314pp. Coral Health and Disease in the Pacific: Vision for Action Report Editors: SB Galloway, CM Woodley NOAA/NOS/NCCOS Center for Coastal Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research AW Bruckner NOAA/NMFS Habitat Conservation NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS 97 NOAA Technical Memorandum Coral Reef Conservation Program 7 June 2009 United States Department National Oceanic and National Ocean Service of Commerce Atmospheric Administration Gary Locke Jane Lubchenco John (Jack) H. Dunnigan Secretary Administrator Assistant Administrator TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF FIGURES……………………………………………………………………………….. iii TABLE OF TABLES………………………………………………………………………………… iii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY…………………………………………………………….…………….. 1 Recommendations……………………………………………………………………...………… 4 OPENING REMARKS...…………………………………………………………………………….. 8 PREFACE……………….…………………………………………………………………..………… 11 INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………………………. 14 Physiology & Pathology Working Group (PPWG)………………………………….….……... 16 Toxicology & Ecological Epidemiology Working Group (TEEWG)…………….…….……... 16 Pathology of Infectious Disease Working Group (PDWG)…………………………….……... 16 Preventing & Responding to Coral Disease in the Pacific Region: Management Perspectives Working Group (MWG)………………………………..……... 16 A. PHYSIOLOGY & PATHOLOGY……………………………………………………..………. 18 Background…………………………………………………………………………….………… 18 Challenges and Recommendations……………………………………………………….…….. 19 Physiology & Pathology Working Group Members………………………………….……….. 37 B. TOXICOLOGY & ECOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT…………………………………..……… 38 Background…………………………………………………………………………….………… 38 Challenges and Recommendations……………………………………………………….…….. 39 Toxicology & Ecological Assessment Working Group Members…………….……….……… 55 C. PATHOLOGY OF DISEASE……………………………………………………………….….. 56 Background………………………………………………………………………………….…… 56 Challenges and Recommendations………………………………………………………….….. 57 General Recommendation…………………………………………………………….…….. 58 Pathology of Disease Working Group Members………………………………………….…… 63 D. MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVES……………………………………………………..……... 64 Background………………………………………………………………………………….…… 64 State of coral Disease Understanding and Management in the 65 Pacific………………..……. Challenges and Recommendations……………………………………………………….…….. 67 General Recommendation…………………………………………………………….…….. 69 Management Perspectives Working Group Members………………………………….…….. 81 E. WHITE PAPERS………………………………………………………………………….…….. 82 I. INTRODUCTION - SETTING THE STAGE………………………………………..…… 83 Coral Disease And Health Consortium By Cheryl Woodley………………………….……. 83 Studying Coral Diseases: Understanding the Norm By E. Kramarsky-Winter………..…... 89 II. GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE OF CORAL DISEASE…………………………………..….. 90 The GlobalPerspective of Incidence and Prevalence of Coral Diseases By Andrew Bruckner………………………………………………………………….…….. 90 World Bank Project: Coral Disease Working Group By Bette Willis……………….….….. 122 III. HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE – LESSONS LEARNED……………………………..… 126 i Progress in Understanding Coral Diseases in the Caribbean by Andrew Bruckner…..…... 126 IV. STATE OF KNOWLEDGE IN THE PACIFIC…………………………………….....….. 162 Overview of Issues Unique to the Pacific: Biological & Social Perspectivies By Michael J. Gawel………………………………………………………….……..….. 162 Baseline Levels of Coral Disease in the NorthwesternHawaiian Islands By Greta Aeby……………………………………………………………….………….. 168 Report 1: Baseline Levels of Coral Disease in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands by Greta Aeby……………………………………………………..…………………..... 168 Report 2: French Frigate Shoals Reef Health Surveys by Thierry Work et al…..… 169 Current Knowledge of Diseases in US Territories/Freely Assoc. States By Thierry Work………………………………………………………………..……..… 189 Report 1: Coral and Crustose Coralline Algae Disease on the Reefs of American Samoa by Greta Aeby et al………………………………………………………..…… 190 Report 2: Johnston Atoll Reef Health Survey by Thierry Work et al……………… 214 Coral Disease on the Great Barrier Reef and in the Western Pacific By Bette Willis et al………………………………………………………………...…… 234 V. PATHOLOGY AND EPIDEMIOLOGY…………………………………………..….….. 242 Disease and the Diagnostic Process By Gary Wobeser…………………….………..….….. 242 Evolutionary Ecology and Disease Emergence: The Big Picture By Bruce Wilcox..….… 244 Emerging Infectious Diseases By Stephanie Venn-Watson…………………………..…… 245 Wildlife Disease Investigations 101 By David A. Jessup…………………………..………. 248 VI. COMMUNICATION TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE…………………………………..… 256 Scientists, the Public and the Politicians: How Do We Connect for Reef’s Sake? By Jeffery Allen……………………………………………………………………..….. 256 VII. TECHNOLOGIES FOR THE FUTURE OF CORAL HEALTH…………………..…… 261 Potential Technological Developments for Coral Disease Monitoring By Melissa Bos……………………………………………………………….…….….. 261 Leveraging Post Genomic Tools and Systems Biology Approaches to Accelerate the Understanding of Coral Disease and Effectively Monitor the Health of Tropical Reef Ecosystems By Eric J. Mathur……………………………………………………….…..…. 264 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……………………………………………………………..…………… 266 REFERENCES………………………………………………………………….………..…………... 269 APPENDIX I. MEETING AGENDA………………………………………………………..……... 284 APPENDIX II. PREVIOUSLY RECOMMENDED CNIDARIAN ‘MODEL SPECIES’ AND THEIR JUSTIFICATION FROM PEER-REVIEWED LITERATURE…………………..…….. 287 APPENDIX III. CORAL MODEL SPECIES SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION…...….…. 290 APPENDIX IV. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES……………………………...……………...….… 291 APPENDIX V. LIST OF PARTICIPANTS…………………………………………………...….… 309 APPENDIX VI. OPINION PAPER – TRANSMISSION EXPERIMENTS………………....…… 312 ii TABLE OF FIGURES Figure I.1a Global Distribution of Coral Diseases Reported in 1984 .........................15 Figure I.1b Global Distribution of Coral Diseases Reported in 2004 ........................16 Figure A.1 Pocillopora damicornis .................................................................................24 Figure A.2 Stylophora pistillata ......................................................................................25 Figure A.3 Porites rus .....................................................................................................25 Figure A.4 Galaxea fascicularis .....................................................................................26 Figure A.5 Fungia scutaria .............................................................................................27 Figure A.6 Acropora formosa .........................................................................................28 Figure A.7 Acropora millepora .......................................................................................29 Figure B.1 Methodology for Ecosystem Epidemiology ...............................................41 Figure B.2 Integrated Framework for Environmental Assessment ...........................55 Figure C.1 Disease Outbreak Response ........................................................................59 Figure C.2 Scheme for Determining the Nature of a Communicable Disease ..........61 TABLE OF TABLES Table B.1 Coral Health/Disease Indicators ..................................................................43 Table B.2 Indicators of Coral Health & Disease: Field Observations .......................46 Table B.3 Indicators of Coral Health & Disease: Laboratory Data...........................47 Table B.4 Identification of Risk Factors .......................................................................49 iii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY “We are studying arguably the most complicated ecosystem on the face of the Earth, and it is under serious threat…..We have an incredibly important message, if this ecosystem dies, if this ecosystem is otherwise perturbed to an extent that it cannot recover, not only does it spell potential disaster for this spaceship we call Earth, but there is no less than 80 emerging
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