Spatial and cross-seasonal patterns of coral diseases in reefs of Taiwan: high prevalence and regional variation.

Sl Tang,Js Hwang,Cy Huang,H Yamashiro

doi:10.3354/dao03624

Abstract

Although research on coral diseases is increasing worldwide, it remains limited in Taiwan. Taiwan is located at the Tropic of Cancer and contains both tropical and subtropical reefs. We conducted spatial and cross-seasonal surveys in Taiwan in 2018 and identified 7 types of disease and nondisease lesions and 6 potential factors influencing coral health. The overall mean prevalence of disease and nondisease lesions varied considerably across the reef regions, and host susceptibility differed among the coral taxa. The overall mean prevalence of disease and nondisease lesions was highest in Kenting (mean ± SEM: 8.58 ± 1.81%) and lowest on the Southern Islands (2.12 ± 0.73%). Although the prevalence of diseases did not differ significantly between the seasons, cyanobacteria-related diseases-including black band disease (BBD), BBD-like syndrome, and other cyanobacterial syndromes-were slightly more prevalent in autumn than in spring. Furthermore, 3 of the potential factors influencing coral health (i.e. turf algae, bioeroding sponges, and coral bleaching) were strong predictors of disease and nondisease lesion prevalence. These results advance our understanding of coral disease ecology in Taiwan and highlight the need for further research on the correlations between diseases, hosts, and environment.

Highlights

Coral diseases are a developing crisis that threaten the viability, structure, and function of coral reef ecosystems
To examine the spatial variability in the prevacated in the middle of the Philippines−Japan island lence of coral diseases, surveys were conducted in arc, which is near the northern limit of coral reef 6 reef regions along the coast of Taiwan: the northdevelopment (Beger et al 2014) and includes both east coast, the east coast, Kenting, Green Island, tropical and subtropical reefs
The high vari- investigate the cross-seasonal variability in the preability in hydrology creates a wide range of habitats, valence of coral diseases, additional surveys were making coral reefs diverse and productive through- conducted in the autumn (October to November) of out Taiwan (Dai & Horng 2009a,b, Ribas-Deulofeu 2018 in 3 of the reef regions — the northeast coast, et al 2016)

Summary

Introduction

Coral diseases are a developing crisis that threaten the viability, structure, and function of coral reef ecosystems. These diseases contribute to coral mortality and engender substantial losses in living coral cover and reef biodiversity (Hughes 1994, Porter & Tougas 2001, Lafferty et al 2004). Dis Aquat Org 146: 145–156, 2021 patterns have been linked to both global and local Liuqiu Island We investigated all of these reef regions (e.g. sea surface temperature and light intensity) and except for Liuqiu Island. Cross-seasonal climate change-associated thermal stress are corre- investigations were conducted in 3 of the reef lated with tissue-loss diseases

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion