Award: OCE-0961384

      Through our research we have discovered three bacterial pathogens that can cause tissue loss in these corals.  Although both red and orange corals can become infected with these bacteria, the orange morphs were more easily infected.  Corals protect themselves from bacterial diseases through a number of defenses, including the production of antimicrobial chemicals.  In addition, the coral’s own normal bacterial flora can also help keep the pathogens at bay.  We found that the red and orange morphs of M. capitata had significant differences in their antimicrobial activity and the composition of their normal bacterial community.  This suggests that the coral’s immune systems may differ among the color morphs, and this may help explain why the red morphs more resistant to bacterial infection.  Environmental factors can also affect pathogen-host interactions, with stressful conditions making hosts more vulnerable to disease.  We examined whether elevated water temperatures (e.g., due to a changing climate) or nutrient contamination affected disease virulence (harm) or rate of transmission (disease transfer from one coral to another).  We found no significant effect of either stressor on MWS and will continue to work to understand what component(s) of the environment make the corals in Kaneohe Bay so susceptible to disease.  Through our continued research efforts, we hope to understand why coral disease outbreaks are becoming more common so that steps can be taken to stop this downward trend in coral reef health.

      Due to the frequency with which emerging diseases are currently being described, and the expected increase in stress on coral reefs due to changing climatic conditions, it is crucial that the next generation of marine biologists is trained in disease investigation.  Through this research we directly trained seven graduate students from the University of Hawaii and the University of Mississippi in techniques required for marine research.  Through internships we also exposed 18 undergraduate college students to the wonders and rigors of marine research.  New knowledge ba...