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The scarcity of empirical data on marine diseases highlights the need for epidemiological models that explain patterns and processes. Yakob and Mumby (1) used a generic susceptible-infected model to describe the prevalence of white plague type II disease on a coral population ( Dichocoenia stokesii ). They compared their model with the metapopulation model of Sokolow et al. (2). Yakob and Mumby (1) stated that rapid population turnover explained the observed oscillations in disease prevalence. Previous marine-disease models have largely ignored life-history traits. Indeed, systems subjected to high return periods of stress can be dominated by weedy species with rapid turnover rates. Although the Yakob and Mumby (1) model incorporated life-history traits and fits the data better than the model of Sokolow et al. (2), we find four conceptual inconsistencies within their model. First, Yakob and Mumby (1) indicated that recruitment increased with the availability of settlement space. The loss of coral colonies usually has the opposite effect, reducing recruitment (3). Similarly, D. stokesii most likely suffered recruitment reduction after the initial disease outbreak, because … [↵][1]2To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: rvw{at}fit.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1 |
