STONY CORAL TISSUE LOSS DISEASE

Since it was first reported in Florida in 2014, Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD), has now spread throughout the Wider Caribbean Region with cases in Jamaica, Mexico, Sint Maarten, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Dominican Republic, the Turks and Caicos Islands, Belize, Sint Eustatius, Puerto Rico, The Bahamas, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Guadeloupe, St. Lucia and Honduras.

SCTLD spreads rapidly and affects some of the slowest-growing and longest-lived reef-building corals, including the brain, star and pillar corals. Scientists are uncertain about the cause of the disease but it is water-borne and can be spread by contact. As the disease continues to spread throughout the Caribbean MPAConnect, a partnership between GCFI and NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program, has developed resource materials that will help with the identification, monitoring and treatment of the disease, which may be found below.

SCTLD spreads rapidly and affects some of the slowest-growing and longest-lived reef-building corals, including the brain, star and pillar corals (Table 1).

* varies from no to high susceptibility; **=sometimes high susceptibility;

Adapted from Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment Program, (AGRRA) 2020 and J. Lang (pers. comm.)

Scientists are uncertain about the cause of the disease but it is water-borne and can be spread by contact. As the disease continues to spread throughout the Caribbean MPAConnect, a partnership between GCFI and NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program, has developed resource materials that will help with the identification, monitoring and treatment of the disease, which may be found below.

Posters

MPAConnect has designed posters designed to increase awareness about SCTLD amongst natural resource managers and divers. Copies of the posters may be found below in English, Spanish and French.

DETECTION

This poster seeks to help Caribbean marine natural resource managers monitor, identify and mitigate against SCTLD.

DIVER AWARENESS

Recreational divers may regularly dive the same reefs and explore areas that may otherwise not be monitored on a regular basis. This poster was designed to raise awareness amongst divers so they could identify possible cases of SCTLD and report it to the relevant authorities.

PREVENTION

Since the disease can be spread through contact this provides divers with
information on how to reduce the likelihood of transmission.

Webinars

LEARNING EXCHANGE ON PLANNING FOR CARIBBEAN CORAL RESCUE AS A RESPONSE TO STONY CORAL TISSUE LOSS DISEASE

MPAConnect, in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Coral Reef Conservation Program, the Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment Program and Florida Sea Grant, hosted a regional workshop titled “Planning for Caribbean Coral Rescue as a Response to Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease” on the 26th of September, 2022 at the Reef Futures Conference in Key Largo, Florida. The workshop’s objective was to assist coral reef managers and conservation practitioners to plan for, and implement, the rescue of coral species that are being affected by stony coral tissue loss disease for the purpose of supporting the future restoration of these species on Caribbean coral reefs. A recording of all the workshop’s presentations may be found here

WEBINAR ON CARIBBEAN CORAL RESCUE IN THE FACE OF STONY CORAL TISSUE LOSS DISEASE

TECHNICAL WORKSHOP ON SCTLD TREATMENT AND INTERVENTION APPROACHES

MONITORING REEFS FOR STONY CORAL TISSUE LOSS DISEASE

A webinar on Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease was hosted on January 26th, 2021

The presentations made during the webinar may be accessed here:

– Judith Lang: Monitoring Reefs for Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease

– Lynette Roth: AGRRA SCTLD & Bleaching Data Entry System

– Alizee Zimmerman: Monitoring, Citizen Engagement, Dive Shop Collaboration and Treatment Trials in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

– Adara Jaggernauth: SCTLD Monitoring in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada.

– Stephanie Schopmeyer: SCTLD Reconnaissance and Monitoring in Florida

STONY CORAL TISSUE LOSS DISEASE WEBINAR

A webinar on Identifying Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease was hosted on September 15, 2020. Please click on the links to access the presentations made by Judith Lang and Andy Bruckner

Documents

Monitoring Companion Guide

SCTLD monitoring fact sheet

This fact sheet is intended to help natural resource managers implement the most appropriate SCTLD monitoring protocols, based on their current management needs and can be downloaded here

SCTLD antibiotics treatment factsheet 

This fact sheet is intended to help coral reef managers evaluate best practices for treatment of SCTLD and can be downloaded in English, Spanish and French

SCTLD template monitoring & response action plan for Caribbean marine natural resource managers:

Available in English | Spanish | French

In August 2019, MPAConnect’s 8^th Peer To Peer Exchange provided natural resource managers from 17 countries/ territories in the Wider Caribbean Region with capacity building support to monitor and treat stony coral tissue loss disease.  For more information on the learning exchange, and the resource materials provided, please click here.

Videos

How Divers Can Help to Prevent Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease

How Fishers Can Help to Prevent Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease

Since 2014 Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease has affected 17 countries and territories throughout the Wider Caribbean Region.  This video will provide information on how fishers can help identify and prevent the spread of disease throughout the region. Click here to view the video in English and Spanish

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How to Document Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease

Since 2014 Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease has been affecting reefs in the Wider Caribbean Region.  In order to effectively treat the disease it must first be positively identified.  This video explains how to document suspicious coral lesions, through the use of videos and photos, and how they can help with disease identification and monitoring. Click here to view the video in English and Spanish 

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How to Monitor for Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (Monitoring Part 1)

This video will show you how to monitor your reefs for stony coral tissue loss disease. It explains where to focus your monitoring efforts, how to do roving diver surveys, how to complete the coral disease datasheets, and understand the role of underwater photography. Click here to view the video in English and Spanish

How to Analyze the Data Collected While Monitoring Your Reefs (Monitoring Part 2)

This video will show you how to analyze the data you’ve collected while monitoring your reefs in order to determine the prevalence of stony coral tissue loss disease, as well as when to re-visit your monitoring sites. Click here to view the video in English and Spanish

How to Mix the Treatment for Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (Treatment Mixture Part 1)

Currently, the most effective treatment for Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease is the topical application of antibiotics, specifically amoxicillin, using a specially developed pharmaceutical paste called Base2B.  The mixture, when applied along the margin of the disease lesion, helps prevent the progression of the disease.  This video will show you how to prepare the mixture so that it can be successfully applied to diseased reefs. Click here to view the video in English and Spanish

How to Prepare the Mixture for Application to Reefs (Treatment Mixture Part 2)

With the amoxicillin / Base2B mixture prepared, this video will show you how to get the mixture ready for application.

Click here to view the video in English and Spanish

How To Treat Corals Affected by Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease

Currently the only effective method being used to treat Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease is the topical application of antibiotics, specifically amoxicillin, using a specially developed pharmaceutical paste called Base2B.  This video will demonstrate how to apply the Base2B/amoxicillin mixture to corals that have been affected by the disease. Click here to view the video in English and Spanish 

Press Releases

November 2022: Sharing strategies for coral rescue. Available in English and Spanish

April 2022: Recording Available: Caribbean coral rescue in the face of Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease

April 2022: Grabación disponible – El rescate del coral caribeño ante la Enfermedad de la Pérdida de Tejido en Corales Duros

January 2022: New Videos for Managers – Monitoring and Analysis for Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease

January 2022: Nuevos vídeos para manejadores: el monitoreo y análisis para la Enfermedad de Pérdida de Tejido en Corales Duros

November 2021: UNEP/GCFI produce guidance document addressing Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease in the Wider Caribbean

November 2020: NOAA Launches New Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease Strategy  at 73^rd Annual Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute

May 2020: MPAConnect and AGRRA Launch Caribbean Coral Disease Dashboard

October 2019: Alerting Divers to the Threat of Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease

August 2019: Sharing Knowledge to Tackle Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease

May 2019: Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease Poster Goes Multi-Lingual (English) | Spanish | French