Govind Tekale
Ocean warming is making bacterial infections more severe in corals, according to new research from the University of British Columbia. Scientists studied how temperature affects infections in sea life, particularly in corals that build our ocean’s reefs.
“These findings suggest that climate warming may pose a greater risk to cold-blooded animals, an important part of the ecosystem,” explains Dr. Jingdi Li, who led the study with Dr. Kayla King. Their team analyzed 60 different studies covering 50 species including corals, fish, and other cold-blooded animals.
The findings show a troubling pattern. When waters warm above normal environmental conditions, cold-blooded animals with bacterial infections are more likely to die. Corals are particularly affected because they depend on tiny algae called zooxanthellae living inside them, which are severely impacted by bacterial infections.
Some corals are finding ways to adapt. Scientists have discovered species like Cycloseris cyclolites that can move across the ocean floor to find more favorable habitats. “It’s a remarkable adaptation,” says Dr. Brett Lewis from Queensland University of Technology, who studies these “walking corals.”
The research also found that fungal infections have a specific pattern. They become deadlier within their “thermal optimum” – a specific temperature range where infected animals are more likely to die. However, when temperatures become too high for the fungi to survive, death rates in infected animals decreased.
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James Cervino, a guest investigator at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, notes that diseases like Yellow Band Disease become more virulent due to rising temperatures. This illness appears as yellow banding on coral and leads to tissue death.
The impact extends beyond individual corals. When corals are stressed by warming waters and bacterial infections, it affects the health of entire reef ecosystems. This disruption impacts the numerous marine species that depend on healthy reefs for survival.
Dr. King emphasizes that their results help forecast risks to animal populations in a warming, disease-prone world. The researchers note more studies are needed to understand how rising temperatures might affect warm-blooded animals, including humans.
The study’s implications reach beyond marine life, raising broader concerns about ecosystem and biodiversity risks as global temperatures continue to rise. Understanding these connections between temperature, disease, and animal survival becomes increasingly important for protecting marine ecosystems.
