A deadly epidemic that is spreading through the Red Sea has killed off an entire species of sea urchin in the Gulf of Aqaba, imperilling the region's uniquely resilient coral reefs, an Israeli research team has found.
The whole population of black sea urchins, a species known for helping keep coral reefs healthy in the waters also known as the Gulf of Eilat, was wiped out over a couple months, according to a team from Tel Aviv University.
The probable culprit is a disease-causing ciliate parasite that brings with it a fast death - perhaps the same one that has wreaked havoc on sea urchin populations in the Caribbean. While that was less concerning at first since they were an invasive species, the pathogen has now crossed back into the natural population in the Red Sea.But there is a "very narrow window", he said, to create an isolated population, or broodstock, of the sea urchins remaining elsewhere that could hopefully be reintroduced later on.
Eilat, an Israeli resort town on the Red Sea's northern shore, is a popular spot for scuba diving. Scientists studying the area consider it a coral refuge.
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