A colony of symmetrical brain coral, Diploria strigosa, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.
Black-band disease in the Florida Keys
Completed
By St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
September 25, 2018
Photos of corals affected by black-band disease in the Florida Keys.
Black-band disease (BBD) is one of the most easily identified coral diseases because of its distinctive appearance. The black band is a bacterial mat, consisting of cyanobacteria, sulfide-oxidizing and sulfate-reducing bacteria. As such, BBD is viewed as a polymicrobial disease, since all members of the microbial consortium must be present to cause tissue death on the coral. As the bacterial mat moves over the coral, the tissue is killed by the lack of oxygen, increased sulfide, and possibly also due to toxins produced by the cyanobacteria. As shown in the photos in this gallery, the black band is at the interface between the healthy coral tissue and the dead skeleton that remains as a result of the disease. BBD affects more than 40 species of coral and is found in marine waters all over the world. Credit for all photos: USGS/Christina Kellogg.
Microbial Processes on Reefs
The microbial community on coral reefs is generally underappreciated given the ubiquity, abundance, complexity, and formative role these prokaryotes serve in the metabolic and chemical processes on reefs. We use microbiological and metagenomic techniques to decipher the roles the microbial community are playing in processes such as coral disease, submarine groundwater discharge, calcification, and...
Coral Disease
We investigated coral disease processes and causes by characterizing microbial communities in diseased and healthy representatives of selected coral species both temporally and spatially by employing microarray technology. We tested the diagnostic potential of coral fluorescence for identifying disease-induced physiological stress.
Below are multimedia items associated with this research.
Brain coral with black-band disease
A colony of symmetrical brain coral, Diploria strigosa, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.
Star coral, Montastraea faveolata, affected by black-band disease
A colony of mountainous star coral, Montastraea faveolata, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.
A colony of mountainous star coral, Montastraea faveolata, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.
Star coral, Dichocoenia stokesii, affected by black-band disease
A colony of elliptical star coral, Dichocoenia stokesii, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.
A colony of elliptical star coral, Dichocoenia stokesii, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.
Star coral, Montastraea cavernosa, and black-band disease
Close-up of the interface between bleached polyps of the great star coral, Montastraea cavernosa, and black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys. The dead coral skeleton behind the black band has become overgrown with green algae.
Close-up of the interface between bleached polyps of the great star coral, Montastraea cavernosa, and black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys. The dead coral skeleton behind the black band has become overgrown with green algae.
Colony of Colpophyllia breviserialis affected by black-band disease
A colony of Colpophyllia breviserialis affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.
A colony of Colpophyllia breviserialis affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.
Colony brain coral, Diploria clivosa, affected by black-band disease
A colony of knobby brain coral, Diploria clivosa, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.
A colony of knobby brain coral, Diploria clivosa, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.
Star coral, Montastraea faveolata, and black-band disease
Close-up of the interface between polyps of the mountainous star coral, Montastraea faveolata, and black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys. Behind the black band is white coral skeleton remaining after the polyps have died.
Close-up of the interface between polyps of the mountainous star coral, Montastraea faveolata, and black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys. Behind the black band is white coral skeleton remaining after the polyps have died.
Symmetrical brain coral affected by black-band disease
A colony of symmetrical brain coral, Diploria strigosa, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.
A colony of symmetrical brain coral, Diploria strigosa, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.
Brain coral, Diploria strigosa, affected by black-band disease
A colony of symmetrical brain coral, Diploria strigosa, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.
A colony of symmetrical brain coral, Diploria strigosa, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.
Lobed star coral affected by black-band disease
A colony of lobed star coral, Montastraea annularis, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.
A colony of lobed star coral, Montastraea annularis, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.
Grooved brain coral affected by black-band disease
A colony of grooved brain coral, Diploria labyrinthiformis, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.
A colony of grooved brain coral, Diploria labyrinthiformis, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.
Brain coral, Diploria clivosa, affected by black-band disease
A colony of knobby brain coral, Diploria clivosa, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.
A colony of knobby brain coral, Diploria clivosa, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.
Star coral, Montastraea faveolata, affected by black-band disease
A colony of mountainous star coral, Montastraea faveolata, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.
A colony of mountainous star coral, Montastraea faveolata, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.
Photos of corals affected by black-band disease in the Florida Keys.
Black-band disease (BBD) is one of the most easily identified coral diseases because of its distinctive appearance. The black band is a bacterial mat, consisting of cyanobacteria, sulfide-oxidizing and sulfate-reducing bacteria. As such, BBD is viewed as a polymicrobial disease, since all members of the microbial consortium must be present to cause tissue death on the coral. As the bacterial mat moves over the coral, the tissue is killed by the lack of oxygen, increased sulfide, and possibly also due to toxins produced by the cyanobacteria. As shown in the photos in this gallery, the black band is at the interface between the healthy coral tissue and the dead skeleton that remains as a result of the disease. BBD affects more than 40 species of coral and is found in marine waters all over the world. Credit for all photos: USGS/Christina Kellogg.
Microbial Processes on Reefs
The microbial community on coral reefs is generally underappreciated given the ubiquity, abundance, complexity, and formative role these prokaryotes serve in the metabolic and chemical processes on reefs. We use microbiological and metagenomic techniques to decipher the roles the microbial community are playing in processes such as coral disease, submarine groundwater discharge, calcification, and...
Coral Disease
We investigated coral disease processes and causes by characterizing microbial communities in diseased and healthy representatives of selected coral species both temporally and spatially by employing microarray technology. We tested the diagnostic potential of coral fluorescence for identifying disease-induced physiological stress.
Below are multimedia items associated with this research.
Brain coral with black-band disease
A colony of symmetrical brain coral, Diploria strigosa, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.
A colony of symmetrical brain coral, Diploria strigosa, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.
Star coral, Montastraea faveolata, affected by black-band disease
A colony of mountainous star coral, Montastraea faveolata, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.
A colony of mountainous star coral, Montastraea faveolata, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.
Star coral, Dichocoenia stokesii, affected by black-band disease
A colony of elliptical star coral, Dichocoenia stokesii, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.
A colony of elliptical star coral, Dichocoenia stokesii, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.
Star coral, Montastraea cavernosa, and black-band disease
Close-up of the interface between bleached polyps of the great star coral, Montastraea cavernosa, and black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys. The dead coral skeleton behind the black band has become overgrown with green algae.
Close-up of the interface between bleached polyps of the great star coral, Montastraea cavernosa, and black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys. The dead coral skeleton behind the black band has become overgrown with green algae.
Colony of Colpophyllia breviserialis affected by black-band disease
A colony of Colpophyllia breviserialis affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.
A colony of Colpophyllia breviserialis affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.
Colony brain coral, Diploria clivosa, affected by black-band disease
A colony of knobby brain coral, Diploria clivosa, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.
A colony of knobby brain coral, Diploria clivosa, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.
Star coral, Montastraea faveolata, and black-band disease
Close-up of the interface between polyps of the mountainous star coral, Montastraea faveolata, and black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys. Behind the black band is white coral skeleton remaining after the polyps have died.
Close-up of the interface between polyps of the mountainous star coral, Montastraea faveolata, and black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys. Behind the black band is white coral skeleton remaining after the polyps have died.
Symmetrical brain coral affected by black-band disease
A colony of symmetrical brain coral, Diploria strigosa, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.
A colony of symmetrical brain coral, Diploria strigosa, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.
Brain coral, Diploria strigosa, affected by black-band disease
A colony of symmetrical brain coral, Diploria strigosa, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.
A colony of symmetrical brain coral, Diploria strigosa, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.
Lobed star coral affected by black-band disease
A colony of lobed star coral, Montastraea annularis, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.
A colony of lobed star coral, Montastraea annularis, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.
Grooved brain coral affected by black-band disease
A colony of grooved brain coral, Diploria labyrinthiformis, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.
A colony of grooved brain coral, Diploria labyrinthiformis, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.
Brain coral, Diploria clivosa, affected by black-band disease
A colony of knobby brain coral, Diploria clivosa, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.
A colony of knobby brain coral, Diploria clivosa, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.
Star coral, Montastraea faveolata, affected by black-band disease
A colony of mountainous star coral, Montastraea faveolata, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.
A colony of mountainous star coral, Montastraea faveolata, affected by black-band disease (BBD), Florida Keys.