Contrasting Lesion Dynamics of White Syndrome among the scleractinian corals Porites spp.

ABSTRACT: White syndrome (WS) is currently the most prevalent disease of scleractinian corals in the Indo-Pacific region, with an ability to exist in both epizootic and enzootic states. Here, we present results of an examination of WS lesion dynamics and show that potentially associated traits of host morphology (i.e., branching vs. massive), lesion size, and tissue deposition rate influence disease severity and recovery. Lesion healing rate was positively correlated with initial lesion size in both morphologies, but the rate at which lesions healed differed between morphologies. New lesions in branching Porites cylindrica appeared less frequently, were smaller and healed more quickly, but were more abundant than in closely-related massive Porites sp(p). The positive association between lesion size

SUBMITTER: Lozada-Misa P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4488276 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature