A collaborative study conducted by scientists at the University of the Virgin Islands and The University of Texas at Arlington has shed new light on the stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD), a deadly ailment affecting different coral species. The team's findings, published in the May 22 edition of Nature Communications, may have major implications for tackling the devastating disease. The research, led by UVI Research Professor of Marine Science, Dr. Marilyn Brandt, and UTA Professor of Biology, Dr. Laura Mydlarz, investigated SCTLD's impact on various coral species, examining which were more susceptible. The disease, first noted in Florida's waters around 2014, has since spread across 22 Caribbean countries and territories, including the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. It's characterized by rapid tissue loss and high mortality rates…