Abstract

With predicted increases in ocean temperatures under climate change, the prevalence of marine diseases and the frequen-cy of coral bleaching events is also expected to increase. Coral mortality associated with thermal stress and disease outbreaks is of paramount concern. Coral disease outbreaks have played an extensive role in transforming the face of Caribbean reefs during the last half century (Aronson and Precht 2001, Jackson et al. 2014, Miller et al. 2009). However, a rise in the frequency, intensity, and severity of disease outbreaks has been attributed to the cumulative impact of numerous anthropogenic stressors intertwined with consequences of climate change which compromises the coral’s immune response making it more vulnerable to disease (Maynard et al., 2015).

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