In:
PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science (PLoS), Vol. 17, No. 10 ( 2022-10-26), p. e0276902-
Abstract:
Infectious disease outbreaks are a primary contributor to coral reef decline worldwide. A particularly lethal disease, black band disease (BBD), was one of the first coral diseases reported and has since been documented on reefs worldwide. BBD is described as a microbial consortium of photosynthetic cyanobacteria, sulfate-reducing and sulfide-oxidizing bacteria, and heterotrophic bacteria and archaea. The disease is visually identified by a characteristic dark band that moves across apparently healthy coral tissue leaving behind bare skeleton. Despite its virulence, attempts to effectively treat corals with BBD in the field have been limited. Here, we developed and tested several different therapeutic agents on Pseudodiploria spp. corals with signs of active BBD at Buck Island Reef National Monument in St. Croix, USVI. A variety of therapies were tested, including hydrogen peroxide-based treatments, ointment containing antibiotics, and antiviral/antimicrobial-based ointments (referred to as CoralCure). The CoralCure ointments, created by Ocean Alchemists LLC, focused on the dosing regimen and delivery mechanisms of the different active ingredients. Active ingredients included carbamide peroxide, Lugol’s iodine solution, along with several proprietary essential oil and natural product blends. Additionally, the active ingredients had different release times based on treatment: CoralCure A-C had a release time of 24 hours, CoralCure D-F had a release time of 72 hours. The ointments were applied directly to the BBD lesion. Also, jute rope was saturated with a subset of these CoralCure ointment formulations to assist with adhesion. These ropes were then applied to the leading edge of the BBD lesion for one week to ensure sufficient exposure. Corals were revisited approximately three to five months after treatment application to assess disease progression rates and the presence/absence of lesions—the metrics used to quantify the efficacy of each treatment. Although most of the treatments were unsuccessful, two CoralCure rope formulations—CoralCure D rope and CoralCure E rope, eliminated the appearance of BBD in 100% of the corals treated. As such, these treatments significantly reduced the likelihood of BBD occurrence compared to the untreated controls. Additionally, lesions treated with these formulations lost significantly less tissue compared with controls. These results provide the mechanisms for an easily employable method to effectively treat a worldwide coral disease.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
1932-6203
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0276902
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0276902.g001
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0276902.g002
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0276902.g003
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0276902.g004
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0276902.g005
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0276902.g006
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0276902.g007
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0276902.g008
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0276902.t001
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0276902.t002
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0276902.t003
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0276902.t004
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0276902.t005
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0276902.s001
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0276902.s002
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0276902.s003
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0276902.s004
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0276902.s005
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0276902.s006
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0276902.s007
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0276902.s008
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0276902.s009
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0276902.s010
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0276902.r001
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0276902.r002
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0276902.r003
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0276902.r004
Language:
English
Publisher:
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Publication Date:
2022
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2267670-3
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