The impact of stony coral tissue loss disease and amoxicillin treatments on coral gametogenesis

• DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2024.1445735
• Publication Date: 2025-01-22T05:20:34Z
• Authors: Hannah E. Mazurek; Karen L. Neely; D. Abigail Renegar
• Keywords: amoxicillin; Montastraea cavernosa; fecundity; Science; Q; General. Including nature conservation, geographical distribution; stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD); QH1-199.5; coral reproduction; Orbicella faveolata

The unprecedented mortality of stony corals on Florida’s Coral Reef from coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) was mitigated some priority sites and through the use a topical amoxicillin paste to halt lesion progression. One management concern about antibiotics these impact it may have gametogenesis. We used histology assess gametogenesis within Orbicella faveolata Montastraea cavernosa samples six across three treatment groups. covered geographic regions Florida Keys, including both inshore offshore habitats. groups were: healthy corals, adjacent active SCTLD lesions, previous lesions that were halted by amoxicillin. Across species, colonies all producing normal oocytes spermaries. For M. , metrics did not differ among Among O. colonies, exhibited higher fecundity oocyte presence than treated larger diseased corals. However, those which had been more frequently less frequently, suggesting diminished throughout group result occurring earlier in rather itself. Fecundity highly dependent whether nearshore or environments. relationship between disease, treatment, habitat warrants further examination, but we show treatments do prevent