SPCMSC researchers publish study investigating compounds effective against the causative agent of Diadema sea urchin mass mortality
SPCMSC Research Marine Biologist James Evans, Biologist Julie Voelschow, and Research Microbiologist Christina Kellogg, along with collaborators from the University of South Florida and Cornell University, published a study titled “Evaluation of in vitro treatments against the causative agent of Diadema antillarum scuticociliatosis (DaSc).”
Sea urchins are important components of healthy coral reefs where they help keep space clear for corals to grow by grazing on fast-growing algae. Yet mass die-offs of urchins in the genus Diadema have been reported across the globe, starting in 2022. The pathogen responsible for these die-offs has been identified as a marine scuticociliate, a type of single-celled protist. Using cultures of this pathogen, Evans et al. investigated the effects of various compounds and identified two that were fast-acting against the ciliate (effective within 15 minutes) in vitro. These compounds could represent possible treatments for the disease; however, their efficacy in treating urchins infected with the scuticociliate remains to be tested. The full study, published in the journal Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, is available here: https://doi.org/10.3354/dao03776.
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