Sussman M., Loya Y., Fine M., Rosenberg E., 2003. The marine fireworm
Hermodice carunculata is a winter reservoir and spring-summer vector for
the coral-bleaching pathogen Vibrio shiloi. Environmental
microbiology, 5 (4): 250-255.
That fireworm story (Hermodice carunculata as a vector of Vibrio involved
with coral bleaching) points to major environmental and moral issues:
Coral bleaching is a major concern world-wide. What is unsual in matters of
coral bleaching, in the SE Mediterranean (Israel) where this study was done,
the infected coral species recovers during the cooler season (whereas
elsewhere bleached corals generally die). But affecting a coral, first by
conventionally browsing it, and what is worse, by transmitting a germ, is
nasty, especially since the coral in question, like ALL species (>> 1000) of
the order SCLERACTINIA is CITES-protected, to the greater satisfaction of
an international bunch of bureaucrates. So should Hermodice carunculata be
eradicated? Or politically more correct, be disinfected? Hard business since
Hermodice is extremely abundant in the Levant area. Or should the coral be
vaccinated? Anyway, all this would need big funding and a new international
agency might be appropriate.
The other aspect is that the coral browsed and infected by Hermodice
carunculata in the Levant area (known as Oculina patagonica) is a non-
indigenous, invasive species that in fact should not be there (also present in
Lebanon, Egypt, Spain, NW Italy). It may affect local biodiversity by replacing
indigenous species, etc., thus be considered a nuissance. That's new: a
marine CITES-protected species being a nuisance! From this point of view,
Hermodice would be a regulating factor: bleached Oculina patagonica
colonies are no longer performant in sex and have to rely on assexual
multiplication by polyp dispersal. Coincidently, the latter is another
remarkable speciality of that unusual coral.
The Hermodice versus coral problem surely is very complex.
--
Helmut ZIBROWIUS
Centre d'Oceanologie de Marseille
Station Marine d'Endoume
Rue Batterie des Lions
13007 Marseille / France
TEL: +33 (0) 491041624
FAX: +33 (0) 491041635
E-MAIL: hzibrowi at com.univ-mrs.frhttp://www.com.univ-mrs.fr
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