The rising tide of ocean diseases: unsolved problems and research priorities. Issue 7 (1st September 2004)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Harvell, Drew; Aronson, Richard; Baron, Nancy; Connell, Joseph; Dobson, Andrew; Ellner, Steve; Gerber, Leah; Kim, Kiho; Kuris, Armand; McCallum, Hamish; Lafferty, Kevin; McKay, Bruce; Porter, James; Pascual, Mercedes; Smith, Garriett; Sutherland, Katherine; Ward, Jessica
• Is Part Of: Frontiers in ecology and the environment. Volume 2:Issue 7(2004)
• Page Start: 375
• Page End: 382
• Publication Date: 2004-09-01
• Subjects: Ecology -- Periodicals; Environmental sciences -- Periodicals; Ecology; Environmental sciences; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 577.05
• DOI: 10.1890/1540-9295(2004)002[0375:TRTOOD]2.0.CO;2
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1540-9295

Abstract

Abstract : New studies have detected a rising number of reports of diseases in marine organisms such as corals, molluscs, turtles, mammals, and echinoderms over the past three decades. Despite the increasing disease load, microbiological, molecular, and theoretical tools for managing disease in the world's oceans are under‐developed. Review of the new developments in the study of these diseases identifies five major unsolved problems and priorities for future research: (1) detecting origins and reservoirs for marine diseases and tracing the flow of some new pathogens from land to sea; (2) documenting the longevity and host range of infectious stages; (3) evaluating the effect of greater taxonomic diversity of marine relative to terrestrial hosts and pathogens; (4) pinpointing the facilitating role of anthropogenic agents as incubators and conveyors of marine pathogens; (5) adapting epidemiological models to analysis of marine disease.