The Environmental Biotechnology Lab

Microorganisms play a fundamental role in the health and disease of all corals. Disease can be caused by pathogenic microorganisms, environmental stress, and a weakening of the host's innate immunity system. Often these factors interact. Pathogens responsible for the following coral diseases are described: Bacterial bleaching, aspergillosis, black band, white band, white plague, white pox, yellow band, brown band, porites trematodiasis, and skeletal eroding band. The small amount of data that is available on the modes of transmission and mechanism of pathogenicity are presented. Several possible modes of coral innate immunity to disease are discussed.