Deadly Caribbean Coral Disease Linked To Ship Wastewater

The "greatest declines" in coral in the Bahamas are linked by researchers to the stony coral tissue loss disease, which may be triggered by ship traffic.

In the latest heartbreaking wounding of the environment, researchers have linked a deadly coral disease in the Caribbean to ship wastewater. The rampaging blight that first hit Florida’s reefs in 2014 has now swept through the Bahamas, Jamaica, St. Maarten and Mexico, reports The Guardian. It’s also been found in 18 other countries. The infection, known as stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD), spreads more quickly than other known coral diseases and can travel up to 55 yards in a single day.