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Multimodal Optical Microscopy Methods Reveal Polyp Tissue Morphology and Structure in Caribbean Reef Building Corals

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Sponge white patch disease affecting the Caribbean sponge Amphimedon compressa.

H Angermeier¹, V Glöckner, J R Pawlik

¹Julius-von-Sachs-Institute for Biological Sciences, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.

Diseases of Aquatic Organisms

|June 14, 2012

Summary

A novel sponge disease, sponge white patch (SWP), affects Amphimedon compressa in Florida, causing bleaching and tissue degradation. The exact cause remains unidentified despite bacterial and microbial community analysis.

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Area of Science:

Marine Biology
Sponge Pathology
Microbial Ecology

Background:

A novel disease, termed sponge white patch (SWP), has been identified in the Caribbean sponge Amphimedon compressa.
SWP manifests as irregular white patches on sponge branches, impacting nearly 20% of the population at Dry Rocks Reef, Florida.

Purpose of the Study:

To characterize the novel sponge white patch (SWP) disease affecting Amphimedon compressa.
To investigate the potential microbial causes and transmission of SWP.

Main Methods:

Symptom observation, biomass assessment, scanning and transmission electron microscopy.
Bacterial isolation, molecular fingerprinting (DGGE), and field-based tissue transplantation experiments.

Main Results:

SWP caused significant bleaching (approx. 21% biomass loss) and severe tissue degradation.
A spongin-boring bacterial morphotype and a related alphaproteobacterium were identified in diseased sponges.
Microbiota analysis revealed a shift towards environmental bacteria in diseased sponges, but transplantation failed to confirm infectivity.

Conclusions:

The etiology of sponge white patch (SWP) in Amphimedon compressa remains undetermined.
While specific bacteria were identified, their role as primary pathogens or opportunistic colonizers requires further investigation.
Further research is needed to elucidate the causative agent and transmission dynamics of SWP.