Coral Disease Management Resources
Coral disease resources for managers are listed below, including identification guidance materials, field guides, and databases.
Identification Aids/Disease Photos
White plague is one of the most aggressive coral diseases, here affecting a colony of Diploria strigosa. Photo ©Adan Guillermo Jordan Garza/Marine Photobank
A number of useful disease photo identification tools and guidebooks are available to managers, including the following:
- Coral Disease Handbook
- Common Identified Coral Diseases
- GCDD Coral Disease Identification Tool
- NOAA’s Coral Reef Information System (CORIS)
- Kona Reef Check
- Hawaii Disease Photos
- AIMS
- Cooperative Research Centre for the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area
Databases
A number of databases, accessible to the public via the internet, contain various types of information on coral diseases. Such databases are integral in the synthesis of information from diverse sources and rely heavily on the addition of accurate information as it becomes available. A repository for global information which is accessible and accurate is key to developing and testing management options.
Managers should support regular reporting of coral disease data to the Global Coral Disease Database (see below), an online tool that allows users to collate, store, manage and view spatially explicit global coral disease data. The database also provides a Coral Disease Identification Tool which guide users through diagnostic criteria to properly identify and name a disease. Through application of a series of steps, a researcher can determine a common field name for a disease which reflects gross visible signs and does not require collection of the coral, or laboratory analysis involving microbiological or molecular studies.
Underwater Field IDs
- Underwater cards for assessing coral health on Caribbean Reefs
- Underwater cards for assessing coral health on Indo-Pacific Reefs