The Coral Doctor Is In

Rebecca Vega Thurber searches for answers to the world’s coral reef loss

By JoAnn Adkins

When you announce to the world that a coral reef has herpes, it’s difficult to predict how people might react.

Rebecca Vega Thurber did just that in 2008 and caught the attention of marine scientists from all across the globe. Her diagnosis of the marine organisms, which typically live in compact colonies, intrigued diving enthusiasts and even garnered a mention on Comedy Central’s Colbert Report.

“Most living things have a type of herpes, but generally it’s pretty innocuous. It shouldn’t be a surprise that corals have it,” Vega Thurber said. “But when we talk about coral health, it’s always in the terms of disease. Examining the viral side of coral health is new.”

Vega Thurber, an associate professor of biology, was born, raised and educated on the west coast of the United States. She spent the early part of her career traveling back-and-forth between her lab in California and the coral reefs in Hawaii. But the marine biologist wanted to be closer to her study organisms. She set her sights on the coral reefs of the Atlantic and Caribbean and in 2009, joined the faculty at FIU.

“Here in South Florida, my study organism is right outside my back door,” Vega Thurber said. “The Caribbean is a hotbed of coral disease.”

Scientists have been increasingly concerned about the health of the world’s corals because of their importance to the world’s oceans and to humans. Corals are home to more than one million diverse aquatic species. They act as natural barriers for coastal communities and beaches. Corals also contain chemical compounds that can be used in medicines for cancer, AIDS and other ailments. Economically, the reefs provide a major tourism draw for diving and snorkeling enthusiasts all across the globe.

Corals currently suffer from what Vega Thurber calls a double whammy – decreasing abundance and increasing disease. However, the scientific community has long focused on the bacterial diseases of corals. Some scientists have explored the idea of viruses impacting reefs, but with little success. So when Vega Thurber, along with her research team, developed a new method of identifying viruses in corals, it was the first time scientists confirmed the existence of what many had long suspected – corals have herpes. They also have other viruses.

“We were the first to explore viruses in reefs at the molecular level,” she said. “Corals have a stony skeleton and viruses are really small, really hard to work with. We came up with a technique to identify what types of viruses are in corals based on genetic sequence. Imagine shredding all the pages of a book into a million pieces and then trying to put the sentences back together. That’s basically what we did.”

Recently, Vega Thurber was awarded a three-year grant from the National Science Foundation to explore the next phase of her research. About 30 percent of coral death is attributed to disease, but the causes of those diseases is still unknown. Vega Thurber has already proven viruses exist in corals. Now it’s time to explore the implications.

“I want to move beyond cataloguing these viruses and determine if they are actually contributing to the degradation of coral fitness,” Vega Thurber said. “This grant is about what the first stage of the research actually means.”

As she continues to look for ways to preserve and restore one of Earth’s most unique and diverse ecosystems, Vega Thurber has settled into her new lab at FIU.

“Part of the reason I wanted to come to FIU is because of the young, invigorated marine biology faculty,” she said. “Plus, I liked the idea of developing a new program.”

Vega Thurber’s lab currently includes five people – a post-doctoral scientist, an NSF graduate student, a technician and two undergraduate students. She is expanding her research to include corals off the coast of Australia.

“Dr. Vega Thurber’s studies of bacteria and viruses in coral are critical for understanding how humans are impacting reefs,” said professor Michael Heithaus, director of FIU’s School of Environment, Arts and Society. “She’s a great example of the dedication that FIU faculty have in developing high-impact research projects while providing excellent opportunities for students and reaching out to the public.”

But even with her drive and focus, Vega Thurber still has time to laugh about the national comedic draw her research attained after becoming the focus of a Stephen Colbert quip on The Colbert Report. Vega Thurber’s finding of herpes viruses in coral reefs led Colbert to call corals “the sluts of the seas.”

“It was pretty funny,” she said. “I was in Hawaii at the time, in my lab. I saw my phone ringing and turned it off. It started ringing again. And it kept ringing. And ringing. It was my sisters. I finally answered. I was shocked. Then the onslaught of e-mails came. It was all pretty funny.”

While some of the information may have been exaggerated for television, Vega Thurber doesn’t mind that it drew attention to the serious problem she is hoping to help solve — the loss of the world’s corals.

To learn more about Rebecca Vega Thurber and her coral reef research, click here.