Assessment of Microbial Disease on Corals and Its Prevalence in Andaman Islands

V. Madhan Chakkaravarthy; C. Raghunathan

Assessment of Microbial Disease on Corals and Its Prevalence in Andaman Islands

V. Madhan Chakkaravarthy ¹, C. Raghunathan ²

Affiliations
1 Zoological Survey of India, Andaman and Nicobar Regional Centre, National Coral Reef Research Institute, Port Blair – 744 102, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India
2 Zoological Survey of India, Andaman and Nicobar Regional Centre, National Coral Reef Research Institute, Port Blair – 744 102, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India

Coral reefs are the most diverse and productive ecosystems on the earth. Eight diseases such as black band, brown band, yellow band, white syndrome, white pox, pink spot and pink line syndrome were reported in corals at different ratio around the islands. Overall coral disease prevalence was 53.3%. With the maximum at South Andaman (59.8%) followed by Middle Andaman (56.6%) and North Andaman (43.7%). The similarity index between the islands ranged from 0.18 to 0.50 %. Coral disease and its prevalence were discussed in detail.