HONOLULU — A team of scientists return to Kaua‘i this week to continue their study of the cyanobacterial/fungal disease affecting rice coral along the island’s North Shore. Dr. Thierry Work, head of Infectious Disease for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS),
HONOLULU — A team of scientists return to Kaua‘i this week to continue their study of the cyanobacterial/fungal disease affecting rice coral along the island’s North Shore.
Dr. Thierry Work, head of Infectious Disease for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and Dr. Greta Aeby, a coral expert with the Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology at the University of Hawai‘i, are scheduled to arrive early Wednesday. They will spend the day at ‘Anini re-photographing infected coral colonies to document the disease’s progression, as well as collecting cyanobacterial mats and puffer fish, according to Work.
During previous visits to the North Shore, Work says he and Aeby spotted several tobies — a type of puffer fish — with skin discoloration and unusual lesions on their fins.
On Wednesday, the two plan to collect up to five affected fish, as well as unaffected ones, for further study.
“(The tobies) have these black lesions on their skin,” Work said. “The question is what can be causing this.”
Work will perform an autopsy on each collected fish and study their skin tissue under a microscope, much like he did with the diseased coral tissue.
In late September, Work and Aeby accompanied Terry Lilley, a Hanalei biologist and Eyes of the Reef volunteer who first alerted scientists of the unusual outbreak, to ‘Anini to photo document lesions, sample coral and apply a marine epoxy to affected corals to try and stop the disease’s progression.
Work’s findings were outlined in a Nov. 21 diagnostic report, in which he described the coral disease outbreak as an “epidemic.”
“I have never seen a cyanobacterial disease like this killing corals to this degree in Hawai‘i,” Work told The Garden Island last week. “This is truly an unusual event.”
On Monday, Aeby said she is equally as alarmed by the outbreak.
“I haven’t seen a reef impacted quite that severely by human stressors,” she said, adding that it is hard to point the finger at any one cause.
Whether there is a relationship between the coral disease and the affected puffer fish is yet to be determined. Work estimates it will take him “several weeks” to process and study the fish skin tissues and release his findings.
Wednesday will be Work and Aeby’s third trip to Kaua‘i as part of their ongoing coral disease study.
• Chris D’Angelo, lifestyle writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 241) or lifestyle@thegardenisland.com.
