The pillar coral, with its strikingly unique appearance, is a symbol of coral reefs. Its tall, column-like structures and shaggy tentacles give it a distinctive look, sometimes compared to a muppet or a shag carpet.
It’s an image so iconic that if you ask a child to draw a coral reef, they’ll likely sketch a pillar coral. But beneath the beauty of this reef-building giant lies a tragedy: the pillar coral is functionally extinct in Florida.
New Threat Discovered
This devastation is the result of stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD), a coral epidemic first identified in Florida in 2014.
Rapidly spreading along the state’s extensive reef track, the disease has obliterated an estimated 50 million coral colonies in Florida alone.
A research paper published in Frontiers in Marine Science shows the pillar coral is functionally extinct in Florida due to the spread of SCTLD.
Stephanie Schopmeyer, a research scientist with Florida Fish and Wildlife, has spent nearly a decade studying the mystery behind SCTLD and its profound impact on ecosystems.
She said losing these ecosystems means losing our Florida way of life. "We would probably not be getting as many tourists. We wouldn't have as many visitors to our state," she said.
Coral reefs provide vital storm protection, support fisheries, and attract countless tourists to the state.
Regional Crisis with Global Implications
SCTLD has not stopped at Florida’s borders. It has since spread throughout the Caribbean, wreaking havoc on some of the region’s most vibrant underwater habitats.
Despite years of research, scientists remain uncertain about the disease’s cause and have yet to discover a definitive cure.
Schopmeyer and hundreds of other researchers are racing against time to develop solutions to what is often called the worst coral disease in the world.
Another paper published in Frontiers in Marine Science examined stony coral tissue loss disease in a review of emergence, impacts, etiology, diagnostics, and intervention.
Finding a cure
One promising breakthrough has emerged from the innovative Wave of Change Coral Lab , located inside Iberostar's Bavaro Resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Led by 27-year-old Greg Pelose, the lab has become a hub of coral conservation innovation. Pelose’s passion for corals—and coffee—has driven him to tackle the crisis head-on.
“Seeing the devastation of this disease completely changed my thought process,” Pelose shares. When an outbreak of SCTLD struck the lab’s pillar coral samples, she turned to human medicine for help.
Drawing on antibiotics commonly used to treat strep throat, Pelose created a treatment bath for the infected corals. The results were astounding. “At first, it looked hopeless,” Pelose recalls. “But then, I started to see regrowth where the coral had been sick. It was incredible.”
One of the first pillar corals to undergo this experimental treatment was affectionately named “Fluffy” by Pelose’s colleague. Against the odds, Fluffy, as seen above, not only recovered but thrived, growing nearly four times its original size within a year and a half.
Inspired by Fluffy’s success, Pelose expanded his treatment trials to other coral species. Remarkably, every coral that survived the initial treatment has made a full recovery and continues to grow in the lab today.
Before and After Treatment
Click here if you don't see the interactive above.
Glimmer of Hope
This breakthrough offers a glimmer of hope for coral reefs worldwide. While the treatment is still in its experimental stages, it demonstrates the resilience of corals and the potential for human ingenuity to combat even the direst environmental challenges.
"We can mitigate these problems," Pelose said. "We just have to put our brains to it and work together as one giant Caribbean team."
As researchers like Schopmeyer and Pelose work tirelessly to unravel the mysteries of SCTLD, the fight to save coral reefs is far from over. But with each small victory, they are proving that even in the face of immense loss, there is still a chance to protect and restore one of the planet’s most vital ecosystems.
Another Unique Mission
The unique
United Way’s Keys Reef Restoration program
is one of the most distinctive initiatives of its kind. Understanding the critical role reefs play in the community’s financial stability, the organization has made coral restoration a central part of its mission. See
what the organization is doing
to help renew Florida's coral reefs to ensure the critical ecosystems survive for generations to come.