What is a key characteristic differentiating Black Band Disease (BBD) as it spreads across coral tissue?
Answer
It is typified by a visible band of dark tissue advancing across the coral skeleton.
Black Band Disease (BBD) has a distinct visual signature that helps marine biologists identify it in the field. The progression is marked by a clearly visible, circumferential band of dark tissue that physically moves across the surface of the coral skeleton. As this band passes, it effectively destroys the living tissue, leaving behind the bare, white calcium carbonate skeleton in its wake. Furthermore, this disease is often attributed to a consortium of microbes, including the presence of sulfate-reducing bacteria, which contribute to the destructive process observed at the advancing margin of the lesion.
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