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From these initial studies I have also hypothesized that the herpes-like viral particles present in Porites sp. of corals are
commonly found in corals but remain latent until stressors induce viral replication. In the future this hypothesis will be
tested using a variety of inhibition experiments, real-time PCR, and pulse field gel electrophoresis. Ultimately I aim to
physically and molecularly identify these viral particles.
In addition, I am exploring whether or not coral herpes-like viral abundance is altered in areas of high human impact.
In collaboration with the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, I have collected over 40 coral samples across Kaneohe Bay,
along with oceanographic and environmental pollutant data. This work aims to both identify factors that correlate with viral abundance.
Once the environmental parameters are found, subsequent empirical experiments will be conducted to find if those factors induce viral
production. Thus far, I have found that hyperplastic coral tumors contain an elevated abundance of these viral particles supporting
a hypothesis that herpes-like viruses maybe responsible for these transmissible skeletal anomalies found in Porites species (Vega Thurber, unpublished).
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