Tel Aviv University researchers identify scuticociliate parasite as cause of mass sea urchin deaths, threatening global coral reefs.

Tel Aviv University researchers identify a parasite, scuticociliate, as the cause behind the mass death of sea urchins since December 2022, which has spread across the Red Sea and Indian Ocean. The epidemic has annihilated most of the sea urchin populations, posing a threat to coral reefs worldwide. Sea urchins, considered 'gardeners' of coral reefs, feed on algae competing with corals for sunlight; their disappearance can severely impact the delicate balance on coral reefs globally.

May 23, 2024
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