Yellow-band disease (YBD) is characterized by large rings or patches of bleached, yellow tissue on Caribbean zooxanthellate corals. Montastraea faveolata and M. annularis colonies in reefs located on Mona Island have been affected by YBD and, on some occasions, exhibited multiple infections on the colony surface over time. In 2003, most viable corals first affected by YBD between 1999 and 2001 were still affected with colonies, losing 50-100% of their tissue. This disease is considered the greatest threat to the survival of Montastraea spp. populations, another important reef building species, and its prevalence has progressively increased in deeper sites over the last four years.
References & more
- Cunning J.R., Thurmond J.E., Smith G.W., Weil E., Ritchie K.B. (2008) A survey of Vibrios associated with healthy and yellow band diseased Montastrea faveolata. Proceedings of the 11th International Coral Reef Symposium. Session number VII. 6pp.
- Kimes N.E., Van Nostrand J.D., Weil E., Zhou J., Morris P.J. (2010) Microbial functional structure of Montastraea faveolata, an important Caribbean reef-building coral, differs between healthy and yellow-band diseased colonies. Environmental Microbiology 12(2): 541-556
- Weil E., Ritchie K.B., Croquer A., Cunning J.R., Smith G.W. (2008) Inoculation of Vibrio spp. onto Montastraea faveolata fragments to determine potential pathogenicity. Proceedings of the 11th International Coral Reef Symposium Session number VII. 4 pp.