Global Warming, bacteria threatens Coral health

There is real threat for coral health, mainly due to global warming and bacterial infection. Which is making life of coral worse.

Yellow band disease (YBD)-a bacterial infection that sickens coral colonies- is apparently getting worse with global warming sayresearchers, who have now identified the bacteria responsible for the disease. Researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) have reported isolating the bacteria that cause YBD: a group of four new Vibrio species, which combine with existing Vibrio on the coral to attack the zooxanthellae, which are the photosynthetic symbionts of corals.

YBD is characterised by a swath of pale-yellow or white lesions along the surface of an infected coral colony.

The discoloured band is a mark of death, indicating where the bacterial infection has killed the zooxanthellae. The coral host suffers from cellular damage and starves without its major energy source, and usually does not recover.

The study further indicated that due to temperature rise in the coastal and sea level making the infected Coral more destructive to over come this. Due to global warming these precious ocean species already coming to an extinct. Their is clear indication that life of ocean living organisms in a dangerous level.

Resource : Coral health