Integrative studies: Research in Laurie Richardson's lab is highly interdisciplinary, with emphases on microbiology (physiology of isolated cultures), use of molecular techniques to track pathogens on the reef (molecular probes and FISH) and to analyze microbial communities (PCR-based amplicon length heterogeneity), and use of microelectrodes to study chemical microenvironments of diseased corals. Field research is conducted under water (SCUBA supported) and includes surveying, monitoring, and tracking of disease outbreaks. We routinely conduct manipulative experiments both in the lab and underwater.

Field studies: Our primary field site is the reef tract of the middle to northern Florida Keys, an area that spans 60 km of off-shore patch reefs. Richardson and her lab have been studying these reefs since 1990. Field work includes monitoring of disease outbreaks, in particular black band disease and white plague, and tracking the short- and long-term effects of coral diseases on both individual coral colonies and on coral populations. In addition to the Florida reefs, lab members are working on reefs in the Bahamas ( Lee Stocking Island) and on the Caribbean side of Panama.

Black band disease is a complex, cyanobacterial dominated microbial mat community similar to those found in sulfide-rich hot-spring outflows. We have shown that the black band mat contains dynamic microgradients of oxygen and sulfide that are directly analogous to those found in microbial mat communities of extreme environments. Much of our effort involves studies of the ecological physiology of cyanobacteria and other microorganisms isolated from black band disease as well as molecular analyses of the black band community.

White plague - In 1995 a severe coral disease outbreak occurred on reefs of the middle Florida Keys. Richardson’s lab was able to document the epizootic as well as isolate the white plague pathogen, which turned out to be a new genus and species of bacteria, Aurantimonas coralicida. We are currently studying the ecological physiology of this coral pathogen as well as tracking the pathogen on reefs throughout the Caribbean using a specific molecular probe.

For more information on coral diseases please see the following website
http://www.coral.noaa.gov/coral_disease/