Pink spot: A serious threat to scleractinian corals (Porites spp.) in Andaman archipelago

Abstract

Throughout their existence, coral reefs around the world have encountered a range of challenges, both natural and human-made. Despite these hurdles, they have displayed remarkable resilience and managed to withstand the cycle of life and death. One major threat to these reefs is the pink spot disease, which causes significant harm to the diversity of reef ecosystems on a global scale. Recently, the Andaman Islands experienced the destructive consequences of this disease on three types of stony corals belonging to the Poritidae family - Porites lutea, P. lobata, and P. solida. The affected colonies suffered a decline in live reef cover ranging from 15 to 39 %.