The band advances across the surface of the coral a few millimeters per day, up to 2 cm per day, and can eventually kill the colony. This coral disease affects the common massive reef-building corals, as well as many other types of coral and sea fans. Staghorn and elkhorn coral are resistant. Coral tissue is presumably killed by sulfide produced within the consortium. BBD has been reported on 42 species of stony coral.
Quantitative data are only available for the western Atlantic.
In other cases, a relatively small proportion of each colony dies after a single infection event. It is also possible for colonies to lose half of their tissue or more. Although colonies may only suffer partial mortality, loss of live coral tissue reduces the number of reproductive coral polyps and opens up surfaces that can be colonized by bioeroding organisms.