Humans have been using the oceans as a dumping ground for decades, so when flesh-eating bacteria attaches itself to microplastics and single-cell organisms mutate into urchin-killing forms, it doesn't surprise me. I honestly don't know how we're going to solve this kind of shit. Maybe "praying" to the aliens isn't such a bad idea. I remember an old bit of graffiti from the 1990s read, "Space Brothers [sic] help us. Save us from ourselves." Indeed! 👽
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpyjlVO6gRI

#ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #Extinction #Oceans #Scuticociliates #CoralReef #Vibrio #Sargassum #WaterIsLife

Black #SeaUrchins have disappeared from the Gulf of Aqaba. Their loss could kill off an entire coral reef

By Hadas Gold, CNN

Published Jun 5, 2023

"Given how quickly the urchins disappeared, Bronstein said scientists have little time to take action. His team skipped the normal academic process that can take months or years to conduct studies and release journal papers, choosing to sound the alarm as quickly as possible with fast-paced academic articles and public appeals.

“'We need to understand, and decision makers need to understand, that the window of opportunity to take action is very, very narrow. And it’s closing rapidly.' Bronstein said.

"The first step, needed in the coming weeks, is to establish 'broodstock populations' that will eventually help repopulate and reintroduce the black sea urchins into the region. But the surviving sea urchins that could be used to do so are themselves under threat.

“'[The mass mortality] is currently occurring south of #Turkey and #Greece, but it is making its way down along the eastern #Mediterranean coastline, towards #Syria, #Lebanon, and #Israel. Once it gets there, we probably will have pretty much closed our window of opportunity to take action,' Bronstein said."

#ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #Extinction #Oceans "#Scuticociliates

https://www.accuweather.com/en/climate/black-sea-urchins-have-disappeared-from-the-gulf-of-aqaba-their-loss-could-kill-off-an-entire-coral-reef/1536809

The cause of these infections has to do with the rise in ocean temperatures (link in comments). This is happening not just in the Caribbean, but the Black Sea and Red Sea (article in comments).

#Urchins are dying off across the #caribbean Scientists now know why

A type of single-celled microorganism associated with coral diseases is to blame

By Anna Gibbs, April 19, 2023

"#Scuticociliates are found across the world’s oceans. Given their ubiquity, it’s unknown what conditions may have allowed P. apodigitiformis to become so detrimental to the urchins. It’s also unclear how it causes infection."

#ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #Extinction #Oceans

Read more:
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/urchins-dying-off-caribbean-disease