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Home , Brain coral, Coral disease, Elkhorn coral, Fire coral, Pillar coral, Staghorn coral

Florida Tract Stony Tissue Loss Disease

SHELLY KRUEGER and ANA ZANGRONIZ SEA GRANT

2019 Tract Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease

TODAY’S AGENDA:

• POWERPOINT PRESENTATION • GROUP CORAL AND DISEASE IDENTIFICATION • TEST - CORAL IDENTIFICATION and CHARACTERIZING CONDITION FLORIDA REEF TRACT OUTBREAK TODAY’S AGENDA • Learn to identify 11 of the >20 affected stony coral species

• Identify indicators for stony coral tissue loss disease

• Level 1 – Identify to classification group • Level 2 – Identify to species

• Provided: Gear Decontamination Protocol • Provided: Roving Diver Survey Form • Reporting: FDEP SEAFAN database FLORIDA REEF TRACT STONY CORAL TISSUE LOSS DISEASE Florida Reef Tract Value

• Asset value: $8.5 billion • $4.4 billion SECTION TITLE CARD in local sales • $2 billion in local income • 70,400 full and part- time jobs

Graphic: Florida Department of Environmental Protection Disease Response Partners Coordinated Multi-faceted Response Effort FLORIDA REEF TRACT STONY CORAL TISSUE LOSS DISEASE

We need eyes on the water!

• Monitor progression and recovery of disease outbreak

• Scientists may be able to do interventions

• Reports of NO disease are just as important! & THE DISEASE OUTBREAK What are corals?

SECTION TITLE CARD What are corals?

mouth tentaclestentacles Algae (): zooxanthellae ~80-85% of nutrients -Normal “healthy” coloration of corals

stinging cells (nematocysts) Coral Feeding: -Filter feeding (nematocysts) -Symbiotic relationship skeleton (zooxanthellae) Highly susceptible species

Grooved DLAB Maze Coral MMEA Boulder Brain DCYL Coral CNAT

Elliptical Star Coral DSTO Symmetrical Brain Coral Knobby Brain PSTR Coral PCLI Intermediately susceptible species Great Star Coral MCAV

Mountainous Star Coral OFAV

Lobed Star Coral Massive Starlet OANN Coral SSID SPECIES NOT AFFECTED BY THIS DISEASE

Staghorn Coral ( cervicornis) (Acropora palmata)

Images: left, Beth Watson, Coral Restoration Foundation, right: Florida Aquarium, Andy Bruckner SPECIES NOT AFFECTED BY THIS DISEASE

Mustard Hill Coral (Porites asteorides) Finger Coral (Porites porites)

Images: left, Beth Watson, Coral Restoration Foundation, right: Florida Aquarium, Andy Bruckner Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease

Brown=living tissue

White edge=disease margin

Yellowed/greenish= Dead skeleton w/turf algae

*Unknown etiology Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease

Symmetrical Brain Coral Pseudodiploria strigosa (PSTR)

Photos: FWC Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease

Pillar coral Dendrogyra cylindrus (DCYL)

Photos: NSU CRRAM Mountainous Star Coral (OFAV) affected with disease

Photos: Ana Zangroniz Coral Disease in the Ecosystem

Endemic Disease Prevalence: 2-3%

Graphic: FDEP 19 Current Disease Outbreak:

Species- Specific Disease Prevalence: 66-100%

Graphic: FDEP 20 S TONY CORAL IDENTIFICATION Classification Groups

Flowering & Cup Encrusting, Mound Brain Corals & Boulder

Branching & Pillar Fleshy Corals Plate, Leaf & Sheet

Graphics: Reef Coral Identification Things to Aid in Identification

1) size (are they large or small?)

2) Is it a solitary coral or does it grow in a colony? Things to Aid in Identification

3) Do the calices (rims) of the corallites protrude or are they flush with the colony (“innies” vs. “outies”)?

4) Ridges are important to note in the brain corals (e.g. rounded, sharp, grooved). Coral ID-Elliptical Star Coral- stokesii (DSTO) Highly susceptible/among hardest hit species

• size = 4 – 15” • protruding corallites (up to 1/4”) • colonies typically form rounded heads • corallite rims are usually elliptical or circular and occasionally Y-shaped Coral ID-Maze Coral-Meandrina meandrites (MMEA)

Highly susceptible/among hardest hit species

• size = 1 - 3’ • relatively easy species to ID • TO REMEMBER: meandering maze Coral ID-Pillar Coral-Dendrogyra cylindrus (DCYL) *Threatened status, Endangered Species Act Highly susceptible

Colony size = 4 – 10’ One of the only stony corals that has Colonies form numerous, heavy, extended polyps during the day. cylindrical spires that grow upward very uncommon, but unmistakable from an encrusting base mass Coral ID-Boulder Brain Coral- natans (CNAT) Highly susceptible

• size = 1.5 – 7’ • largest brain coral • ridges are rounded & often different color • common in south FL Coral ID-Symmetrical Brain Coral-Pseudodiploria strigosa (PSTR) Highly susceptible

• size = 6” – 6’ • horizontal or vertical (parallel) ridges near base abundant to common in FL Coral ID-Knobby Brain Coral-Psuedodiploria clivosa (PCLI) Highly susceptible

• size = 6” – 4’ • usually have numerous, irregular knobs • common in FL • Remember: hanging from “cliff” Coral ID-Grooved Brain Coral- labyrinthiformis (DLAB) Highly susceptible

• size = 1 – 4’ • deep grooves on top of the ridges (labyrinths) • colonies form hemispherical heads Coral ID-Great Star Coral- cavernosa (MCAV) Intermediately susceptible

• size = 2 – 8’ • has the largest polyps of the star corals. • one of the easiest to identify. • can appear as yellow, blue/green, color varies. Coral ID-Mountainous Star Coral-Orbicella faveolata (OFAV)

*Threatened status, Endangered Species Act Intermediately susceptible

• size = 1 - 10’ (to 15’) • can have ribs (rows of vertical ribs on colony) • bumps • 314 year old colony (15’ tall) off of Ft. Lauderdale

• TO REMEMBER: look for vertical ribs and/or bumps and/or mountainous growth

• Common to abundant in south FL Coral ID-Lobed Star Coral-Orbicella annularis (OANN) *Threatened status, Endangered Species Act Intermediately susceptible

• size = 1 – 10’ • clusters of long thick columns • usually yellow, yellow-green, yellow-brown Coral ID-Massive Starlet Coral-Siderastrea siderea (SSID)

Intermediately susceptible

• size = 1 - 6’ (to six feet) •deep-pitted corallites OTHER CORAL CONDITIONS FLORIDA REEF TRACT STONY CORAL TISSUE LOSS DISEASE

Healthy Paling Bleached

Photo: osf.co.uk FLORIDA REEFCORAL TRACT STONY CORALBLEACHING TISSUE LOSS DISEASE

NORMAL BLEACHED

Temperature stress FLORIDA REEF TRACT CORAL DISEASE OUTBREAK

IDENTIFYING OTHER CAUSES OF CORAL MORTALITY: Other predators: fireworms

• Fireworms consume branch tips, projections or knobs; also seen on necrotic tissue

• Tissue adjacent to exposed skeleton is non-necrotic

• Most feeding at night – fireworms often not seen near injury FLORIDA REEF TRACT CORAL DISEASE OUTBREAK

IDENTIFYING OTHER CAUSES OF CORAL MORTALITY: Other predators: snails • Snails may be on or around injury; may retreat to base of coral (or underside)

• Aggregate (2-50+ snails)

• Create characteristic scallop- shaped injury or a “trail” that extends across colony

• Tissue adjacent to exposed skeleton non-necrotic

• Snails often associated with disease bands

• Occur on almost all species of stony corals FLORIDA REEF TRACT CORAL DISEASE OUTBREAK

IDENTIFYING OTHER CAUSES OF CORAL MORTALITY: Damselfish predation (fish bites)

• Threespot and yellowtail damselfish remain around colony and create lesions & algal lawns • Referred to as “ridge mortality” on brain corals • Lesions often colonized by algae; small bite marks will heal • Acropora may produce chimneys to contain algae; lesions may continue to enlarge and coalesce FLORIDA REEF TRACT CORAL DISEASE OUTBREAK

IDENTIFYING OTHER CAUSES OF CORAL MORTALITY:

Sediment damage

Sponge bioerosion/overgrowth

Abrasion/fin damage SCTLD: Lesion shape

Linear Circular Irregular

Slide: FDEP SCTLD: Speed of Slow (Thin Margin) Progression

Fast (Thick Margin) Slide: FDEP SCTLD: How it affects the reef

Slide: FDEP COMMONLY MISIDENTIFIED AS STONY CORALS

FIRE CORAL (Millepora) Not corals at all, Hydrozoans PAINFUL! COMMONLY MISIDENTIFIED AS STONY CORALS

SPONGES (Porifera) Brightly colored Dozens of shapes COMMONLY MISIDENTIFIED AS STONY CORALS

OCTOCORALS/SOFT CORALS Gorgonians - Sea fans, sea whips Sea pens COMMONLY MISIDENTIFIED AS STONY CORALS

ZOANTHIDS Palythoa (toxic) Similar to anemones

Great Star Coral MCAV IN- WATER MONITORING PROTOCOL FLORIDA REEF TRACT CORAL DISEASE OUTBREAK ROVING DIVER SURVEY • Focus on top 11 affected species

• Multiple divers can work on same site, enter data separately into SEAFAN.net. DON’T DOUBLE COUNT INFECTED CORALS

• LEVEL 1 – ABLE TO IDENTIFY BY FORM (BRAIN/STAR/BOULDER/MOUND) • LEVEL 2 – ABLE TO IDENTIFY BY SPECIES FLORIDA REEF TRACT CORAL DISEASE OUTBREAK

ROVING DIVER SURVEY FORM

SUBMIT TO FDEP SEAFAN.net

FDEP SEAFAN HOTLINE 1-866-770-SEFL FLORIDA REEF TRACT CORAL DISEASE OUTBREAK

TAKE PHOTOS OF CORALS WITH SUSPECTED DISEASE

*DATA ENTRY to SEAFAN.net. BEST PRACTICES/DECONTAMINATION CORAL ID FINAL REVIEW Identify the condition:

STONY CORAL TISSUE LOSS DISEASE ON MCAV DARK SPOTS DISEASE ON SSID ON BRAIN CORAL FIREWORM PREDATION :

FISH BITES PALING AND BLEACHING ON BRAIN CORAL STONY CORAL TISSUE LOSS DISEASE ON PSTR SCTLD: Lesion Shape

Linear Circular Irregular

Slide: FDEP FINAL CORAL IDENTIFICATION REVIEW

Maze Coral-(MMEA) FINAL CORAL IDENTIFICATION REVIEW

Elliptical Star Coral-(DSTO) FINAL CORAL IDENTIFICATION REVIEW

Massive Starlet Coral-(SSID) FINAL CORAL IDENTIFICATION REVIEW

Great Star Coral-(MCAV) FINAL CORAL IDENTIFICATION REVIEW

Knobby Brain Coral-(PCLI) FINAL CORAL IDENTIFICATION REVIEW

Grooved Brain Coral-(DLAB) FINAL CORAL IDENTIFICATION REVIEW

Boulder Brain Coral-(CNAT) FINAL CORAL IDENTIFICATION REVIEW

Symmetrical Brain Coral-(PSTR) FINAL CORAL IDENTIFICATION REVIEW

Pillar Coral-(DCYL) FINAL CORAL IDENTIFICATION REVIEW

Lobed Star Coral-(OANN) FINAL CORAL IDENTIFICATION REVIEW

Mountainous Star Coral-(OFAV) GREAT JOB! Thank you!

For more information, please contact:

Shelly Krueger: [email protected] Ana Zangroniz: [email protected]