White syndrome lesions are characterized by the acute loss of both polyp and the coenosarc tissues with a distinct margin separating intact tissue from the exposed skeleton, with no apparent microbial community or abnormal growth patterns present at the lesion margin. The surface of the skeleton generally remains intact, and the degree of skeletal fouling with encroaching algae and other organisms can be used to estimate lesion progression rates in the field (for example, a large area of white, “fresh” skeleton suggests that the tissue is receding so rapidly that the skeleton has not been exposed long enough for substantial fouling). Depending on the specific disease, species, and location, lesions can be highly variable in their shape (annular, circular, irregular, linear, oblong), distribution (focal, multifocal, coalescing, linear), and location on the colony (basal, medial, apical). Linear rates of tissue loss can also vary greatly, ranging anywhere from 1mm/ day to over 10cm/ day.