The strange disease spreading through Florida's corals
Lesson created by Alexandra Panzer using TED-Ed's lesson creatorVideo from OceanX YouTube channel
Let’s Begin…
In the past 70 years, coral cover in the iconic Florida Keys has dropped from 50% to 5% and is predicted to fall even lower thanks to a brand-new villain known as stony coral tissue loss disease. OceanX took scientists from Mote Marine Lab and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution on a survey of the Florida Reef Tract to identify the bacteria causing the corals to get sick and try to find a cure.
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- Video created by OceanX
- Lesson Plan created by Luka Seamus Wright
by Arsh Momin
Arsh Momin
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What I Learned From This Video
This video discusses the ongoing crisis of the Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease, which has been decimating the Florida reef tract since 2014. The disease, believed to be bacterial in nature and waterborne, has affected major reef-building species, causing widespread mortality and reducing the coral cover to an estimated two percent in the coming years. Researchers are studying the microbes in the water column and corals to identify a signature of the sick corals and understand potential causes, including water temperatures, dredging activities, and wastewater treatment. The loss of the coral ecosystem could lead to significant biodiversity loss, erosion from shorelines, and the loss of Florida's heritage.
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