Taking Atoll on Coral

“In the last decade, a mysterious illness called stony coral tissue loss disease has been ravaging coral in reefs across the Caribbean. The disease—which is likely caused by a bacterium or virus—targets a number of hard, reef-forming coral species. It essentially pulverizes the soft coral tissue, killing centuries-old colonies in a matter of weeks. The plight has now spread to at least 30 countries and territories in the Caribbean, where corals were already suffering from pollution, climate change, and other threats.” One thing that seems to help: antibiotics. MoJo: Coral Reefs Are Getting Sick, and This Human Medicine Might Help.