Fact Sheet 2009–3113
Coral disease, one of the major causes of reef degradation and coral death, has been increasing worldwide since the 1970s, particularly in the Caribbean. Despite increased scientific study, simple questions about the extent of disease outbreaks and the causative agents remain unanswered. A component of the U.S. Geological Survey Coral Reef Ecosystem STudies (USGS CREST) project is focused on developing and using new methods to approach the complex problem of coral disease.
Posted January 2010
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Kellogg, C.A., and Zawada, D.G., 2009, Applying new methods to diagnose coral diseases: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2009-3113, 2 p. (Also available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2009/3113/.)