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Scientists, concerned by the worldwide decline of corals, are turning their attention to viral diseases that could be contributing to coral endangerment. Finding that corals can have many different viruses, including the herpes virus, scientists are now beginning to examine this as a reason for coral decline.

Researchers are now trying to determine if the presence of these viruses necessarily causes harm to coral. “Just because you harbor a virus doesn't mean you are getting sick from it," said Rebecca Vega-Thurber, an assistant professor of microbiology at Oregon State University. "This is part of what we have to pin down with further research."

In the Caribbean Sea alone, coral populations have declined by 80 percent over the past 30 to 40 years. Worldwide, about a third of corals are now in danger of becoming extinct.

Read more about this in the ScienceDaily article.