Herpes killing corals

[Reefdiver72]

http://www.livescience.com/environment/070620_microbes_corals.html

This is a very interesting article on dieing coral reefs


Lesson learned dont be intimate with youre corals LOL:p

[porky]

Herpes viruses are naturally found in many different animals (95 percent of humans carry some kind of herpes virus). :eek1:
“Everybody in this room has at least a couple herpes viruses running around,” Rohwer said at the symposium.
:worried:

[Genetics]

Herpes is a large family. They didn't specify the type. Nor do they explain viral transmittance between human and coral whether it be from direct contact or transmission through fluid transfer.

Also, its usually difficult for virus to cross between two species of host. Though it does happen occasionally, the avian flu would be an example. The most notable is the Spanish flu of 1918 whereby the virus may have jumped from bird to human without a mediating host.

I think the article is pushing too hard to link human herpes with coral necrosis. I would like a reference if this is the case but I believe this article to be disingenuous.

[MarineFishGuy]

The premise that overfishing will lead to an increase in carbon, that will lead to an out of control microbial population also seemed flawed.
1. The volume of water is far larger than our aquariums and would be able to dilute the carbon levels significantly.

2. The currents on the reef are going to mix the water with surrounding water, further diluting the carbon levels.

3. The largest consumers of carbon are not fish at all but Zoo plankton. If fish levels are reduced, then Zoo plankton levels would most likely rise (fewer predators).

I think a lot of further research is necessary to draw these types of conclusions. This article seems very speculative.

[USAquatics]

I blame George Bush

[nrstype]

:lol2::lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: