HONOLULU (AP) — A federal agency says in a report that an outbreak of coral disease along Kauai's North Shore is an epidemic.
Dr. Thierry Work, head of Infectious Disease for the U.S. Geological Survey, told The Garden Island (http://is.gd/FueFgN) that this is the first time white coral disease on this scale has been documented in Hawaiian corals.
Work says in late-September he and other scientists got a look at the unusual outbreak along Kauai's North Shore. They photographed diseased coral and took samples, while also applying a marine epoxy to try and stop the disease's progression.
Work says the disease is rapidly spreading. A report released Wednesday says microscopic changes in tissue suggest the corals are under some type of stress.
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Information from: The Garden Island, http://thegardenisland.com/
