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.
Create and share a new lesson based on this one.
About TED-Ed Best of Web
TED-Ed Best of Web are exceptional, user-created lessons that are carefully selected by volunteer teachers and TED-Ed staff.
Meet The Creators
- Video created by OceanX
- Lesson Plan created by Luka Seamus Wright
Darena Nguyen
Lesson in progress
What I Learned From This Video
The video is about a stony coral tissue loss disease that is spreading through Florida's coral reefs. Although the cause of the disease is still unknown since it was observed in 2014, scientists believe it may be bacterial due to its mortality rates of up to 100% compared to other potential causes including warm water temperatures, dredging activity, and wastewater treatment. Not only has the loss of coral reefs caused losses of biodiversity, but it has also caused Florida to lose money from tourism. A number of things can be done to protect coral reefs. These include reducing water pollution, addressing land-based sources of pollution, and stopping offshore oil drilling.
Comments are closed on this discussion.
