The strange disease spreading through Florida's corals
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In the past 70 years, coral cover in the iconic Florida Keys has dropped from 50% to 5% and is predicted to fall even lower thanks to a brand-new villain known as stony coral tissue loss disease. OceanX took scientists from Mote Marine Lab and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution on a survey of the Florida Reef Tract to identify the bacteria causing the corals to get sick and try to find a cure.
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Outside the realm of aquaculture, where humans have a vested interest in understanding the health of their stock and antibiotics are often used, marine disease is exceptionally poorly understood. It is thought that much of observed disease on corals is caused by anthropogenic stressors. The best dedicated source of information on marine disease is the peer-reviewed open access journal Diseases of Aquatic Organisms.
It is vitally important to understand diseases of other living organisms better, since they can often be readily transferred to humans. Examples include parasites, viruses, such as those causing Ebola and COVID-19, and bacteria, such as those causing cholera. It is instrumental that such work has the highest safety measures in place because lab leaks can also cause global pandemics.
It is vitally important to understand diseases of other living organisms better, since they can often be readily transferred to humans. Examples include parasites, viruses, such as those causing Ebola and COVID-19, and bacteria, such as those causing cholera. It is instrumental that such work has the highest safety measures in place because lab leaks can also cause global pandemics.
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- Video created by OceanX
- Lesson Plan created by Luka Seamus Wright