USVI Coral Reefs in Danger as Sea Urchin Die-Offs Linked to Microscopic Parasite
Scientists have discovered a new threat to coral reefs, as a microscopic parasite causes massive die-offs of the long-spined sea urchin, Diadema antillarum, a release issued to the Consortium Wednesday has made known. This keystone species plays a critical role in maintaining healthy coral reefs by eating algae, which allows coral to thrive and support other marine life.
2023-04-20 16:58:42 - VI News Staff
Researchers began investigating the issue in early 2022 when large numbers of long-spined sea urchins in St. Thomas started dying rapidly. The cause was identified as a scuticociliate protozoan parasite, similar to Philaster apodigitiformis. The parasite has since devastated sea urchin populations across the Caribbean, including off the Florida coast.
Don Behringer, UF/IFAS professor of marine disease ecology and a member of the UF Emerging Pathogens Institute, led the research effort funded by a National Science Foundation RAPID grant. Behringer explained that the parasite caused the majority of long-spined urchins to be wiped out at specific sites within a couple of weeks.
These mass mortality events can drastically alter marine ecosystems, as seen in the 1983 die-off where 98% of sea urchins were lost in 13 months, with some coral reef systems still feeling the effects today. Researchers were unable to determine the cause of the 1983 die-off, leaving questions about how to protect reefs from similar events in the future.