Gulf of Mexico Coral Disease Dashboard

Coral disease is emerging as a major factor in the degradation of many coral reefs, and surveys indicate that significant and damaging new diseases are emerging. Coral diseases potentially affect both well-managed and unmanaged reefs indiscriminately. Strategies for managing disease outbreaks are currently lacking. The increasing frequency of diseases affecting and altering reef communities means that diseases must be considered and incorporated into management plans. Over the past 20 years, an unprecedented increase in coral reef diseases has contributed significantly to coral reef degradation. Disease damage to coral reefs is well documented in the Caribbean, but recent observations of coral disease in other regions of the world are just beginning. Disease occurrence in these other regions may be a warning sign of increasing outbreaks and impacts associated with increased climate warming. The coral disease dashboard presented in this portal visualizes the location of known coral disease events in the past, with a particular focus on the Gulf of Mexico and the progression of Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD). Check the dashboard from here.