Calay News
A research team from Tel Aviv University has made a concerning discovery regarding a deadly epidemic spreading through the Red Sea. The epidemic has caused the complete extinction of a species of sea urchin in the Gulf of Aqaba, posing a serious threat to the region’s uniquely resilient coral reefs.
The black sea urchin population, known for its crucial role in maintaining the health of coral reefs in the Gulf of Eilat, was wiped out within a couple of months, according to the team’s findings published in two peer-reviewed journals. Similar mass mortalities were observed in other countries bordering the Red Sea, including Jordan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia.
The likely culprit behind this devastating phenomenon is a disease-causing ciliate parasite that leads to rapid death, possibly the same one responsible for wreaking havoc on sea urchin populations in the Caribbean. Lead researcher Omri Bronstein, from Tel Aviv University’s Steinhardt Museum of Natural History and School of Zoology, explained that a healthy black sea urchin can transform into a skeleton with significant tissue loss within just two days. Some carcasses wash ashore, while others are consumed by fish, potentially accelerating the spread of the disease.
The initial signs of trouble emerged in the Mediterranean Sea, where the sea urchins had invaded over the years, likely through the Suez Canal. Reports of sea urchin deaths were received several months ago from Greece and Turkey. Initially, the invasive species’ deaths were not a major concern, but the pathogen has now infected the native population in the Red Sea.
Bronstein expressed the grim reality that there is currently no effective solution to stop the epidemic. However, he highlighted a narrow window of opportunity to create an isolated population, or broodstock, from the remaining sea urchins in other areas. The hope is that this broodstock can be reintroduced at a later stage.
The researchers have submitted a report to Israeli environmental authorities and are exploring emergency measures to protect the coral reefs. Eilat, an Israeli resort town on the northern shore of the Red Sea, is a renowned location for scuba diving, and scientists consider it a coral refuge. The corals in this region settled thousands of years ago and have become more resistant to rising temperatures due to a narrow strait to the south that acted as a thermal barrier.
Sea urchins play a vital role in maintaining balance within the ecosystem by consuming algae that would otherwise hinder sunlight and suffocate the reefs. The absence of this species, as witnessed firsthand, poses a bleak future for the coral reefs. The loss of sea urchins underscores the urgent need for conservation efforts to protect these fragile and essential ecosystems.
