SE FL ECA Reef-building-coral Disease Intervention and Preparation for Restoration: Progress Report

Stoney coral tissue loss disease

Final summary report by Brian Walker on Southeast Florida’s reef-building coral response to amoxicillin intervention and broader-scale coral disease intervention.  The report was prepared in November 2019 and key recommendations include the need to:

Continue broad-scale strike team efforts – Conducting strike team efforts to reduce the active disease prevalence and save the genetic diversity remaining on the reef.

Continue use of antibiotic ointment CoreRx B2B and amoxicillin (1:8 weight ratio); and

Continue monthly monitoring and treatment of large priority corals – Our monitoring and treatment have shown these colonies continue to get disease periodically, which if not treated will lead to colony mortality. Corals should be visited monthly to monitor their condition and, if disease outbreaks occur, be targeted for disease intervention efforts.