Impact of coral disease on spawning under review

(CNS): Researchers from the Department of Environment were out diving Sunday and Monday night to assess the impact that stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) is having on the annual coral spawning. The DoE team went on dives in East End and West Bay both nights with local scuba operators to monitor multiple species of stony corals to see if there was a difference between the apparently healthy corals and ones infected with SCTLD.

According to social media posts, the DoE wants to know if the sick corals are still able to contribute to the massive spawning event or if that will be another casualty of this disease. The department said the results of this work will be published over the next couple of weeks.

SCTLD has now spread all across the reefs in Grand Cayman from North Side to North West Point, and few areas have escaped the ravages of this still mysterious disease that is highly contagious and deadly to corals.

See more details and the most recent map shows the extent of SCTLD on the
DoE website.