title: Terrestrial runoff influences white syndrome prevalence in SW Madagascar.
abstract: Terrestrial runoff and sedimentation have been implicated in a variety of impacts on scleractinian corals. However, despite accumulating evidence, little work has been done to investigate their influence on coral disease development. This study examined the role that river runoff and the associated sedimentation could play in affecting the prevalence of the coral disease "white syndrome" in SW Madagascar. Corals from reefs affected by river discharge and terrestrial sediments were more affected by white syndrome than reefs located far from any source of terrestrial runoff. Terrestrial runoff-affected reefs also displayed a wider diversity of coral species affected by this disease. While much evidence has been pointing in the direction of indirect effects of such runoff on coral disease development, our data corroborates earlier suggestions that pathogens are present within the sediments. As such, sediments released on reefs through river discharge could act as reservoirs of coral pathogens.
authors.affiliation: Biology of Marine Organisms and Biomimetics Lab, Research Institute for Biosciences, University of Mons, Avenue du champ de Mars 6, 7000 Mons, Belgium. Electronic address: sheridan.christopher@gmail.com.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sheridan
authors.affiliation: Department of Geology and Applied Geology, Faculty of Engineering, University of Mons, Rue de Houdain 9, 7000 Mons, Belgium.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Baele
authors.affiliation: Avram and Stella Goldstein-Goren Department of Biotechnology Engineering and National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel; School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kushmaro
authors.affiliation: Blue Ventures, Level 2 Annex, Omnibus Business Centre, 39-41 North Road, London N7 9DP, UK.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fréjaville
authors.affiliation: Biology of Marine Organisms and Biomimetics Lab, Research Institute for Biosciences, University of Mons, Avenue du champ de Mars 6, 7000 Mons, Belgium; Polyaquaculture Research Unit, IH.SM, Tuléar, Madagascar.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Eeckhaut
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D037421:Anthozoa / Q000382:microbiology*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000382:microbiology*; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D008270:Madagascar; D045483:Rivers / Q000382:microbiology*; D013312:Stress, Physiological
keywords: Coral reefs; Diseases; Environmental stress; Madagascar; Sediments; Terrestrial runoff; Western Indian Ocean; White syndrome