FYI - SCTLD Update from the Carmabi Marine Research Station in Curaçao
The outbreak of SCTLD: why is Carmabi not doing anything???
Recently some “critiques” have surfaced wondering “why Carmabi does nothing about the recent SCTLD outbreak”? This message hopes to clarify that, in contrast to these commonly voiced opinions, Carmabi does take the recent outbreak very serious and is undertaking action where possible.
Already last year, the microbial communities on healthy corals in Curacao were sampled and compared to those in places where corals were affected by SCTLD to hopefully identify the pathogen responsible. This work is ongoing as microbial, viral and histological studies are inherently labor intensive. Similar samples from Curacao were recently collected by researchers from the University of Miami in hope to identify a microbial or viral pathogen. Knowing what pathogen is responsible will hopefully help guiding strategies to fight it.
The pathogen causing SCTLD is thus not yet known (despite labs in the US and elswhere trying to identify it for more than ~ 10 years).
With the underlying pathogen not known, there is little evidence for the need to “sterilize dive gear” although doing so probably doesn’t hurt from a “precautionary principle” perspective.
Surveys were conducted and are ongoing to determine the spread and severity of SCTLD around Curacao. SCTLD has been observed between Westpunt and Oostpunt and thus is present all over the island, though most affected sites occur near Willemstad. This distribution is very similar to the distribution of SCTLD on Bonaire that is also concentrated near town/ harbor/ (mega)piers.
A map (see below) was also produced indicating the abundance of SCTLD prone species along Curacao’s southwestern coast (see picture) illustrating that Curacao could loose an estimated ~25 % of its corals over the coming years. Subsequent surveys (up to 60m) are ongoing and planned for the coming weeks.
We have tried to design a UV lamp that can be brought underwater to “kill” affected areas of SCTLD infected corals. While the lamp proved somewhat successful in doing so in the lab, its use underwater is to complicated to be used easily in fighting SCTLD on an island wide scale.
Carmabi does not have any authority to decide what divers should or shouldn’t do in the waters of Curacao (not even in the Curacao Marine Park). The government manages the island’s marine resources and is the only entity that can stipulate guidelines to limit the spread of SCTLD. Carmabi provides information to design such guidelines and assists the Ministry of GMN with determining the feasibility of a program using a specific paste with antibiotics (Amoxcilin) that has proven successful in halting SCTLD elsewhere. Importing this antibiotic is unfortunately very expensive and logistically complicated (due to regulations). Details regarding this program will follow soon.
Hopefully the above shows what types of "action" Carmabi iundertakes in response to the SCTLD outbreak. Many of the activities mentioned above take quite some time (microbial analyses, analyzing survey photographs etc.) which hopefully explains why information is not “pouring out” as some seem to expect. If any other questions remain,
please contact Carmabi.
www.carmabi.org
READ MORE: Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease in the Dutch Caribbean
