Crushed Coral Tissue Raw sequence reads. Crushed Coral Tissue

Coral reefs on a global scale are facing unprecedented declines in percent coral cover, a result largely attributed to changing climate. Although coral bleaching receives much of the ‘credit’ for such decline, it has been argued that diseases can have an equal or even greater effect on this particular ecosystem. Here, we combine classic approaches (aetiology) and more advanced microbial community structure analysis to systematically describe a novel, slow progressing coral disease found throughout Micronesia. The disease bares similarities to that of Black Band Disease, the first disease ever recorded on corals i.e. both are characterised by the diseases poly-microbial nature and spreading cyanobacterial mat. However, Grey Death differs in that this disease manifests as a thin cyanobacterial mat which remains intact on the exposed coral skeleton.