Are you trying to kill us?

[saltshop]

Upon reading your latest article I almost fell out my chair! The current research and possible implications from Dr. Rosenberg's work are enticing to say the least. As you mentioned, it is far from conclusive at this point other than for the Oculina in the Mediterranean but it made me stand on my head a bit. It would be unbelievable if there were a one pathogen/one host for each species or genera....crazy world we live in! What would be your guesstimate as far as a time table for future work along these lines? I am assuming a few years to a decade at a minimum. The suspense extended over a time frame like that may very well kill me! Not to mention I will have to offer at least one individual my sincerest apolgies from past clashes. Please keep updating everyone as more info becomes available and I will continue to pull myself up off the floor.

 

[EricHugo]

Pretty intense, isn't it?

So many of these bacteria are non-culturable and unidentified. This makes using traditional culture methods *and* molecular techniques very difficult. It's called DNA hunting, more or less. There are too many cases of bleaching that have very direct attributes...UV, cold, chemical, etc., that are controlled for temperature. But, the temperature cases are now a quandary....virulence factors with this sort of specificity of action and condition to turn them on is troublesome. This will be especially true if it turns out the reservoir for them turns out to be normal flora.

Needless to say, this is puting a twist on my own research plans, and some of my colleagues. The advances in techniques over the past five years and attempts to get some of these into the coral world will really make a difference. I'm on my way in an hour to talk over some ideas with colleagues even as I type.

However, it is extremely important to keep in mind the preponderance of "mystery pathogen" talkers out there - there is so little known, and anything beyond what is known is highly speculative. I wouldn't want to give support to the "its a bacterial infection" school of thought. I think its a dangerous way to think....but, things like this without question make you go hmmmm.

We'll see what happens.

Thanks for the feedback.