Don Stark

From the air, the turquoise shades, the Turks and Caicos Islands " great barrier reef appears as an area with breathtaking beauty.

One of the largest reef systems on earth, it teems with wild animals such as the friendly wild dolphins, and More Than a million tourists in a year.

But under the water is stunning surface lurks a deadly disease, noiseless devastation of the coral, and its inhabitants come alive and protect the Islands pristine coastline from storms and erosion.

Stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) was considered the biggest threat to The Tiny British territory of the marine environment, and The Most virulent coral disease that The World has ever seen.

come'"This is a serious problem, if not a crisis," says Don Strong, a local NGO-TC Reef Fund (TCRF). "We have already lost a lot of coral Heads - and they are not Coming Back . "

It is only these Islands, 600 Miles (965km) South-East of Miami that are affected.

Since the disease first appeared from the floridi Republican coast in 2014, where it already affected 100,000 acres (40,500 ha), it has made its way through The Caribbean in several countries, including Jamaica, Belize, the US Virgin Islands and the Dominican Republic .

have seen The rapid fire spread and high mortality, RUB some of the region, the major reef-forming corals, to live what additional fears for tourism and those that rely on the sea.

coral in the West of the tightening concerns in the Turks and Caicos Islands is to grant a long wait for The Local government to start the TCRF permit intervention work.

More Than 1,200 people recently signed a petition The Group to begin of the start, by the administration of antibiotics, a process that has seen success in Florida.

Mr Strong said that the NGO had the equipment on the ground since September. The lack of a permit means that it is powerless to do anything but "watch corals die."

Meanwhile, the disease has spread archipelago of four Islands in the Turks and Caicos.

The disease is treatable, but treatments are labor-intensive, Mr Strong says. Urgent action is important in order to "save the country, the reefs from the destruction before the damage is irreversible," he adds.

For its part, the government says it is "seriously weighing up The Best course of action". A spokesman said, were the authorities of consulting with international experts on the impact of the implementation of the antibiotics in the water.

the scientists are still uncertain about the disease, the exact cause, but it is believed to be due to the bacteria, pass, other corals through Direct Contact , and the circulation of the water. Some suggest that bilge water could be from a passing freighter, aggravating their distribution in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The disease usually appears as small spots on the white exposed skeleton and is recognizable by its breakneck infection, usually kill the corals within a few weeks of them Infected .

"It's a potential disaster," says TCRF Alizee is a carpenter, who first discovered the disease in the last year.

"My immediate thought was: something is wrong, the Riff is sick. I was able to see, live tissue removed. We Don 't know how it is transmitted, specifically, the power to judge is incredibly difficult," she explains.

"It was not treated in Florida for some time, because nobody knew what it was, and you've lost a huge share of your reef. But if The Right measures are taken, in a timely manner, we have a really good chance to slow him down, while scientists figure it out," Mrs. Zimmermann.

Karen Neely of Florida, Nova Southeastern University , says the investigation of the disease, that it was affected "unprecedented" in terms of its reach and The Number of coral species.

"infection, and mortality are extremely high. This disease moves quickly and can reef quickly decimate. In the affected regions, it has significantly to coral cover, species composition, and ecosystem function," Ms Neely added amended

SCTLD additional worries, because there is coral under attack from many endangered species, such as The Caribbean legendary, but rare column, said Judith Lang from The Atlantic and Gulf Rapid reef assessment (AGRRA) program.

While specific coral varieties seem to be immune, the disease affects More Than 20 others, some of them centuries needed to grow.

the Warmer waters in connection with a Summer - and a trigger for coral bleaching, all of a sudden slow down SCTLD the spread in Florida, a pattern reflected in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Now, the temperatures dipped again the contagion to be picking up speed, TCRF Heads , seems to say. They fear they are reef save a race against time, widely considered to be one of the healthiest in The Caribbean .

a dive instructor and naturalist Lee Munson moved to the area in the year 2012, seduced by its unspoilt environment.

grow While turtles, dolphins, and vibrant fish, its waters are already under increasing pressure from pollutants and climate change-induced warming, he warns.

"This disease is the New Kid on The Block , and it is a big concern. We do what we can't, such as sterilization scuba gear religiously, so that we can disseminate," he says.

"But if The Reef is unhealthy and boring, then people will go somewhere else. "

Mr Munson added: "This is not like bleaching, the coral again. It is final; once it is gone, it is gone. "

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Source of news: bbc.com