PS 3-36 - Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease at the eastern-most point in the Bahamas: Disease prevalence at 8 sites around San Salvador island

Abstract: Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD) was first reported on Floridian reefs in 2014 and has been spreading around the Caribbean and adjacent regions. Though many species are unaffected, the dozens of species that are susceptible represent a large portion of living coral cover on these reefs. In the present study, we evaluated the prevalence of the disease at 8 sites around San Salvador island at the Eastern-most point in the Bahamas. Surveys consisted of one hour swimming transects where all scleractinian coral species were censused and evidence of disease was recorded. While the majority of the scleractinian corals appeared healthy, the surveys revealed an alarming number colonies of vulnerable species in various stages of disease, from recently dead to small lesions. Given reports of SCTLD on other reefs in the region, it appears that the disease arrived recently to San Salvador and these reefs are likely to experience changes in the relative abundance of coral species as the disease progresses. SCTLD is yet another devastating phenomenon along with other stressors (e.g., climate change, overfishing) contributing to the rapid decline of living coral cover in the Caribbean region.