EID: Collaborative Research - Linking Marine Pathogens to Molluscan Shellfish; The Ecological Role of Marine Aggregates

病原体导致许多海洋动植物的疾病，包括软体动物贝类(例如，文蛤、牡蛎、扇贝)的疾病。其中一些疾病已导致贝类种群的灾难性下降，导致生态功能的侵蚀和渔业经济的损害。尽管有这些影响，但人们对许多海洋病原体的生态知之甚少，包括促进它们传播的自然因素。海洋聚集体(也称为海洋雪或絮状物)在海洋环境中无处不在，大小从微小到几英寸不等。聚集体是由自然过程形成的，富含多种类型的微生物，往往会迅速下沉到底部。因此，居住在海底的贝类接触到稳定的海洋聚集体和其中包含的各种微生物。在这项研究中，来自三个机构的海洋科学家将结合野外采样、分子生物学和传播实验，构建聚集体在容纳和传播贝类病原体方面的生态作用模型。软体动物贝类具有重要的生态和经济价值，在生态系统过程中发挥着重要作用。这项研究将通过描述和模拟一条潜在的重要且在很大程度上未知的路径来阐明病原体如何接触和入侵贝类，水生病原体可以通过该路径传播。这项工作将有助于更好地了解海洋疾病是如何传播的，以及对重要人口的潜在影响。这项合作工作将联合贝类生理学和病理学以及生态建模方面的专家的专业知识，以开展新的研究、公众宣传和多学科培训，帮助学生识别和研究海洋传染病。

Pathogens cause many diseases of marine plants and animals, including those of molluscan shellfish (e.g., clams, oysters, scallops). Some of these diseases have resulted in catastrophic declines in shellfish populations leading to the erosion of ecological function and damage to fishery-based economies. Despite these impacts, little is known about the ecology of many marine pathogens, including the natural factors that facilitate their spread. Marine aggregates (also known as marine snow or flocs) are ubiquitous in the marine environment and range in size from microscopic to a few inches. Aggregates form by natural processes, are enriched with many types of microorganisms and tend to sink rapidly to the bottom. Consequently, bottom-dwelling shellfish are exposed to a steady supply of marine aggregates and the various microorganisms contained within. In this research, marine scientists from three institutions will combine field sampling, molecular biology, and transmission experiments to construct a model of the ecological role of aggregates in harboring and spreading shellfish pathogens. Molluscan shellfish are both ecologically and economically important, and play key roles in ecosystem processes. This research will shed light on how pathogens encounter and invade shellfish by describing and modeling a potentially important and largely unknown path by which water-born pathogens could be transmitted. This work will lead to a better understanding of how marine diseases spread, and the potential impacts on important populations. The collaborative effort will unite the expertise of specialists in shellfish physiology and pathology, and ecological modeling to carry-out novel research, public outreach and multidisciplinary training of students in the identification and ecology of marine infectious diseases.