by Gemma Handy (Antigua Observer) A highly contagious coral disease – said to be the deadliest the world has ever seen – has been confirmed in Antigua and Barbuda.
And environmentalists say its effects in some areas are already devastating.
Stony coral tissue loss disease was first detected off the Florida coast in 2014 and has since spread rapidly throughout the Caribbean.
It affects more than 20 different species of important reef-building corals – and its high mortality rate means it wipes out most of those infected within weeks.
Local experts have been keeping a close eye out for signs of the disease with several samples sent to conservation body, the Atlantic Gulf and Rapid Reef Assessment (AGGRA) which has been tracking its spread, for assessment earlier this year.
Its presence here was confirmed last month.
