Reported 11 months ago
According to TTV News website on June 8, 2024, 10:50 AM, a massive die-off of sea urchins in the Red Sea has been ongoing since last year. Israeli scientists discovered an infectious epidemic among the Red Sea sea urchins that has spread to parts of the Indian Ocean and is likely to expand globally in the future. This epidemic poses a threat to the coral reef ecosystem in the Gulf of Aqaba, with a high mortality rate observed in infected sea urchins. The disease is already affecting areas beyond the Red Sea, including the territories around the Arabian Peninsula and the island of Reunion to the east of Madagascar, with concerns of further spreading towards the Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia, and Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Scientists warn that if similar reports emerge from other parts of the world, it would not be surprising. The deadly disease-induced mass mortality of sea urchins puts global coral reefs in crisis, as sea urchins play a crucial role in maintaining the health of coral reefs by clearing algae from their surfaces, a task now left unfulfilled due to the loss of sea urchins. The ecological impact of this epidemic on coral reefs, already in jeopardy worldwide, is devastating, with no current strategy to contain its spread.
Source: YAHOO