Current Intervention Strategies

Researchers and reef managers are tackling this disease head on using all viable methods to slow disease spread and minimize impact to the reef. the primary goal of intervention is to isolate diseased colonies and prevent individuals from dying, and while this includes some coral amputations and removal, treatments for corals that were developed in Florida are being actively implemented to save corals here in the USVI.

Developed and produced by Ocean Alchemists LLC, a highly specialized paste known as Coral Cure Base2b is the primary treatment for corals with disease to halt disease progression. This paste is infused with veterinary-grade amoxicillin and applied to the diseased colony, preventing further mortality. USVI Strike Team divers have been specially trained to identify and implement this treatment wherever possible.

As a part of the response and intervention, researchers and reef managers are seeking further assistance in the response effort. Learn how you can get involved.

REsearch for novel Treatments

Probiotics Development

Dr. Valerie Paul’s lab at the Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce is working with UVI scientists to develop probiotic treatments that can be applied to entire coral colonies. These treatments aim to help already diseased corals fight off infections, but also healthy corals to not become affected by SCTLD.

Non-antibiotic Experimental Pastes

In further collaboration with Ocean Alchemists LLC, experimental treatments that contain no antibiotic are being implemented in the USVI. With success of these trials, the USVI response to SCTLD will be able to implement disease treatments without intensive use of antibiotics.

Alternative Ointments and Hemp Rope

Dr. Erinn Muller and a team from Mote Marine Laboratory is leading research, in collaboration with the National Park Service and Ocean Alchemists, testing new non-antibiotic based formulations with antiviral components to treat stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) in the National Park waters around St. John, USVI. In May 2021, the Mote team tested the new ointment on four coral species: Orbicella franksi, Orbicella annularis, Montastraea cavernosa, and Pseudodiploria strigosa. This initial formulation failed to prevent further SCTLD progression and coral death; however, the Base2B and amoxicillin treatment worked well -- halting progression at the treated lesion on 87% of the colonies treated. In ongoing research, Dr. Muller and team is returning to St. John at the end of August to test two new Ocean Alchemist formulations that increase the amount of the anti-viral component and have a longer release time in hopes that a non-antibiotic treatment can be found effective for SCTLD.

Antibiotic Treatments

A specialized antibiotic treatment is applied to lesion edges on sick corals. These treatments are reapplied regularly and have high success rates.
*Image by Joe Snyder*

Amputation

Strike teams remove sick portions of larger corals and seal the wounds to stop the progression of the disease.

Infected Colony Removal

Small infected colonies are cut from the reef in order to reduce the amount of pathogen in the water and hopefully slow down the spread of the disease. These corals are euthanized and used for restoration and public outreach projects.

Current Intervention Strategies

REsearch for novel Treatments

Antibiotic Treatments

Amputation

Infected Colony Removal