A article reports a severe sea-borne pandemic is spreading in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean, causing the death of sea urchin populations, a species crucial for coral reefs. The pathogen, recently identified by Israeli researchers, has been linked to mass deaths across the Red Sea, Arabian peninsula, and Reunion Island. The disease, which rapidly kills sea urchins, is threatening to expand towards the Coral Triangle, posing a significant risk to coral reef ecosystems. There is currently no known way to halt the disease, but efforts are being made to create an isolated population of the affected sea urchins for potential reintroduction. Researchers are collaborating to track the pandemic and gather more information through collecting environmental DNA samples.