Assessing the Use of Amoxicillin to Treat Stony Coral Disease in the Honduras

Abstract

Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD) is a highly lethal waterborne disease that infects up to 30 species of reef-building corals, resulting in colony death. The disease first appeared in Florida’s Coral Reef and quickly spread throughout the Caribbean. In the Honduras, SCTLD was first noted in Roatán around September of 202, with the government announcing it as an environmental emergency. Treatments for SCTLD have been established; however, their effectiveness and long-term effects on host corals are still being examined. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of amoxicillin on lesion progression in coral species with different susceptibilities to the disease. Here, 482 corals were tagged and surveyed by divers at 28 different sites surrounding the island of Roatan. For each tagged colony, divers recorded data on species, height, width number of lesions, and antibiotic applications. CoralCure Ointment Base 2B with amoxicillin was applied to the lesions, and the corals were reassessed by the divers, and the effectiveness of the treatment was calculated. Successful treatment was determined by whether the treated lesion had stopped progressing. Preliminary analysis indicated that the success of the ointment was about 48%, which is less than previous studies that have documented similar methods. Here we performed additional analyses to include time and susceptibility as factors. The goal of the study was to determine the success of the topical antibiotic treatment on halting disease to inform reef managers on effective disease treatment in the field.