Globally, we are witnessing on of
coral reef decline. An important factor contributing to coral decline is the
widespread infectious diseases, especially coral reef of the Red Sea. Coral
disease is an abnormal condition of an organism that causes organism
disfunctions, associated with strange symptoms and signs ICRI / UNEPWCMC, 2010.
Disease causation may be result from pathogens, environmental stressors, or a
combination of biotic and abiotic factors.
Biotic diseases are caused by
pathogenic microorganisms such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, and protists and
are often species-specific and infectious. While, abiotic diseases result from
natural and anthropogenic
stressors associated with exposure to pollutants. However, biotic diseases
may be associated with environmental threats that trigger the pathogenic
process, or increase the rate of disease transmission.
However, Furby et al. reported a
strong correlation between the presence of lesion corals and decreased water
quality. Other studies suggested a link between snail predators and disease
spread such as outbreak of ‘white syndrome’ in Red Sea acroporid corals
correlated with an outbreak in the coral livorous snail Drupellacornus.
Exposure to Hermodice carunculata (polychaete) infected with the bleaching
pathogen Vibrio shiloi has been shown to induce bleaching in the Mediterranean
coral Oculina patagonicain laboratory aquaria.
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