Agents of coral mortality on reef formations of the Colombian Pacific

The National Monitoring System for Coral Reefs of Colombia (SIMAC) monitors the impact of some of the most important agents of coral tissue loss (bleaching and/or disease) in the Colombian Pacific coral formations since 1998. Physiological bleaching is among the main results of stress in the area. S...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Navas-Camacho, Raúl, Rodríguez-Ramírez, Alberto, Reyes-Nivia, María Catalina
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2010
Country:Costa Rica
Institution:Universidad de Costa Rica
Repository:Portal de Revistas UCR
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:portal.ucr.ac.cr:article/20028
Online Access:https://revistas.ucr.ac.cr/index.php/rbt/article/view/20028
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:coral diseases
coral bleaching
monitoring
SIMAC
colombian pacific
enfermedades coralinas
blanqueamiento
monitoreo
Pacífico colombiano
Description
Summary:The National Monitoring System for Coral Reefs of Colombia (SIMAC) monitors the impact of some of the most important agents of coral tissue loss (bleaching and/or disease) in the Colombian Pacific coral formations since 1998. Physiological bleaching is among the main results of stress in the area. Signs of coral diseases resembling bacterial bleaching such as White Plague and White Band, were observed in Malpelo and Gorgona islands. Damage to the Pacific gorgonian Pacifigorgia spp., similar to those produced by Aspergillosis in Caribbean corals, was detected in Utría Bay. The presence of tumors in colonies of massive corals was also recorded. Even though coral diseases are globally widespread, their occurrence in American Pacific reefs has been poorly documented to date