Concordance of microbial and visual health indicators of white-band disease in nursery reared Caribbean coral .

Background: Coral diseases are one of the leading causes of declines in coral populations. In the Caribbean, white band disease (WBD) has led to a substantial loss of corals. Although the etiologies of this disease have not been well described, characterizing the coral microbiome during the transition from a healthy to diseased state is critical for understanding disease progression.

Mixtures of genotypes increase disease resistance in a coral nursery.

Marine infectious diseases are a leading cause of population declines globally due, in large part, to challenges in diagnosis and limited treatment options. Mitigating disease spread is particularly important for species targeted for conservation. In some systems, strategic arrangement of organisms in space can constrain disease outbreaks, however, this approach has not been used in marine restoration.