Abstract

Coral diseases have been impacting coral reefs for decades, changing the structure and function of these ecosystems. Most recently, Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD) illustrates the long-term impact an emerging disease may have on coral reefs. Affecting over 20 coral species, the disease was first described in 2014 in the Florida Keys and has since rapidly spread across the Caribbean in six years. In 2019, a series of colonies bearing signs similar to SCTLD were observed at the reef of Cayo Arena, in the Northern Dominican Republic (DR). Since the first report, various NGOs and recreational divers have reported similar conditions in the Northern Coast. In 2020, the Dominican Reef Network and its members developed a monitoring plan to assess the status of coral diseases on the island. This document focuses on three areas: (1) science: aimed at data collection on coral diseases (2) local participation: involvement of multiple stakeholders and (3) education/communication: raising awareness and developing local capacity. Local stakeholder integration fills up gaps in sensitive data collection necessary for informing managers and policymakers about the impacts of coral disease in important tourism areas, which highly depend on healthy reef ecosystems. As a result of this effort, information will be shared to contribute to the understanding of the spatial and temporal dynamics of coral diseases across the DR. In this way, we will be able to identify host ranges and susceptible species habitats while increasing local awareness about this threat to coral biodiversity in the DR.

PDF Preview