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AFRICAN DUST STORMS COULD BE KILLING CARIBBEAN REEFS

The State, Columbia South Carolina, October, 2000

Kathryn Winiarski 

BALI, Indonesia — Massive dust storms in the African desert might be causing coral to die as far away as the Caribbean and affecting reefs that attract tourists and protect shorelines, researchers from the University of South Carolina and the Southeast reported Monday at the 9th International Coral Reef Symposium.

“Clearly, dust storms are able to transport viable fungal spores thousands of miles,” said Julianna Weir, a USC master’s student in marine sciences. She has shown similarities between African dust and the pathogen in sick Caribbean corals. USC’s marine science program is one of the best in the country.

Human health also might be suffering from the foreign dust, said Florida geologist Eugene Shinn, explaining this controversial theory to a standing-room-only crowd of about 120 scientists. Asthma cases have been surprisingly high in the Caribbean, Shinn said. Virgin Islands scientist Ginger Garrison said she hung a filter near her home in September and it turned rust-colored within a week.

‘We know the dust is loaded with fungal spores and bacteria,” Shinn said. “It’s got to be doing something.”

The African dust theory is controversial because critics wonder whether dust from Africa could travel far enough to harm coral in the Caribbean. And if the dust could travel that far, they question whether the fungi in it would still be alive to cause an infection.

Dust storms in Northern Africa have grown increasingly strong since the 1970s as rainfall has decreased and clouds west to South America and then north to the Caribbean. The dust then sinks through the sky into the sea and possibly infects some corals, said Shinn, with the U.S. Geological Survey in St. Petersburg.

He acknowledged the theory has been criticized as half-baked in some circles. “I do have my bulletproof vest on,” he joked before scientists filed into the room for his talk.

But genetic data from Weir suggests his far-out transport theory is based in fact.

She said a fungus present in both the dust and in a diseased coral known as the Gorgonian sea fan are close genetic relatives. After two years of laboratory analyses at USC, she has determined both fungi belong to a group called Aspergillus. The fungus Aspergillus sydowii causes sea fan corals to decay and die.

But since there are many different species of Aspergillus, Weir said, further analyses are needed before African dust can be nailed as the culprit.

The International Coral Reef Symposium is held every four years. The five-day gathering holds particular urgency this year as scientists have witnessed an increase in diseases and bleaching on reefs around the world.

Reefs are limestone formations that support fishing grounds, attract tourists and protect shorelines from waves and storms. Many are dying, unable to withstand the pollution, destructive fishing practices, diseases and rising sea temperatures.

Reefs are found in temperate waters in the Caribbean and Pacific and in Florida and Hawaii in the United States. While there are no reefs in South Carolina, freestanding corals can be found on the ocean bottom in some shallow coastal areas.