Volume 74
A Cross- Sectional Approach in the Monitoring and Treatment Efforts of Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD) in the British Virgin Islands
Authors
Horton. A; C T. O'nea; R. Norris Gumbs; F. Peters; L. Arton; J. Smith Abbott Download PDF Open PDF in BrowserOther Information
Date: November. 2021
Pages: 201-204
Event: Proceedings of the Seventy-four Annual Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute
City: Virtual
Country: Virtual
Abstract
Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD) was first sighted in the BVI in May 2020 at the RMS Rhone, the only marine park in the BVI and three other popular dive sights. By August 2020, SCTLD was confirmed at eleven (11) reefs which were fisheries protected areas and popular dive sites. A Coral Reef Strike Team (CRST) was formed to combat SCTLD, bringing together Government, Statutory Bodies, non-profit organizations, the Virgin Islands Dive Cooperation and volunteers to track, tackle and slow the progression of the disease. The collaborative efforts produced over 30 volunteers, trained based on the guidelines directed by NOAA/MPA Connect. Verified volunteers were grouped into zones to effective-ly manage the disease within the respective space. Within nine months of establishing the CRST, the team completed > 600 surveys and treated over 7000+ individual coral colonies across 45 dive sites with the Base2B antibiotic paste with amoxi-cillin. A summary of the monitoring and treatment efforts and an update of our findings and progress from the cross sectional partnership was compiled.