Data_Sheet_4_Education and Research: A Symbiosis to Better Understand a Novel Coral Disease.PDF

Ongoing ecological events, such as new and emerging diseases, provide an important platform for education and research. Field courses and undergraduate research projects can be critical to assisting students with learning scientific skills and career discernment as these experiences provide more one-on-one instruction and an immersive learning environment. A novel coral disease called “Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease” (SCTLD) provided one such opportunity. SCTLD is characterized by rapid progression with entire coral heads dying within 2–3 weeks after initial observation of the onset of symptoms. At a wider geographic scale, the disease has migrated with extreme velocity and has now been documented across the Caribbean from as far North as the Southeast Florida Reef Tract, as far South as St. Lucia, and as far West as Honduras and Belize. Here, I summarize what is currently known about SCTLD and document an educational field course that involved eight undergraduate students with visits to multiple locations along the Florida Keys Reef Tract during the disease progression in March 2019. Students were able to observe sites where SCTLD had been present for over 2 years and sites where the disease was only just emerging for observational comparison. Student educational outcomes from field trips and activities will be discussed. Current research and educational activities can interact to enhance each other, creating a positive feedback loop. Future directions for research, educational opportunities, and their interaction to accelerate understanding of this novel disease are discussed.

持续发生的生态事件（如新型暴发传染病）为教育与科研提供了重要载体。野外实习课程与本科生科研项目，可助力学生掌握科研技能、明晰职业方向——此类实践能提供更多一对一指导与沉浸式学习环境。一种名为“石珊瑚组织脱落病（Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease, SCTLD）”的新型珊瑚病害，便为这类实践提供了契机。该病害的特征为病程进展迅猛：在首次观测到症状发作后的2至3周内，整片珊瑚群落便会死亡。从更大地理范围来看，该病害传播速度极快，目前已在加勒比海区域被广泛记录：北至佛罗里达东南部礁区，南至圣卢西亚，西至洪都拉斯与伯利兹。本文将梳理当前学界对SCTLD的认知，并记录2019年3月的一堂教育野外实习课程：该课程共有8名本科生参与，学员们在病害传播期间，到访了佛罗里达礁岛群礁区的多处观测点。学员们可对比观测已出现SCTLD超2年的点位，与刚暴发病害的点位。本文还将探讨本次野外实习与相关活动带来的学生教育成果。当前科研与教育活动可形成良性互动、互相促进，构建正向反馈循环。本文最后将探讨该新型病害的科研与教育未来发展方向，以及二者如何通过协同加速学界对该病害的认知。