A deadly pathogen responsible for the mass die-off of sea urchins in the Red Sea has spread to the Indian Ocean, potentially endangering vital coral reef ecosystems worldwide, Israeli researchers warned on Tuesday.

“This is a first-rate ecological disaster. Sea urchins are vital to the health of coral reefs. They act as the ‘gardeners’ of the reef by feeding on algae, preventing it from overgrowing and suffocating the coral, which competes with algae for sunlight,” said Dr. Omri Bronstein of Tel Aviv University who is leading an international research team tracking the sea urchin pandemic.

Originating from the Red Sea and previously devastating sea urchin populations in the Caribbean, the pathogen, a highly aggressive ciliate parasite, poses a global risk.