Ecology of Infectious Marine Disease Workshop

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Infectious diseases of marine organisms are increasing, and yet processes governing host infectivity, pathogen virulence and invertebrate-microbial interactions are poorly understood in marine systems. Most concepts and models developed for terrestrial examples are not specifically transferable to aquatic ecosystems because of fundamental differences in community structure, species diversity, life-history phenomena, and dispersal mechanisms. Furthermore, impending global climate changes such as rising temperatures, ocean acidification, eutrophication, increased runoff, and inland intrusions of salt water are likely to impact prevalence and severity of marine diseases. NSF-OCE convened an Ecology of Infectious Disease workshop in February 2011 to identify ways to increase our understanding of these dynamics and gain greater ability to predict and mitigate the impacts of climate change in marine systems. A primary recommendation of the workshop was for increased collaboration among marine researchers and capacity building through expanded graduate training. The proposed training workshop was devised in the context of these recommendations. The training workshop is also intended to form part of a larger Research Coordination Network proposal to be submitted in December. This hands-on program will provide cross disciplinary training to a group of 12 to 15 carefully selected graduate and postdoctoral participants in 1) surveying marine disease 2) developing diagnostic tools for identifying a variety of pathogens 3) examining invertebrate innate immune responses, and 4) applying these methods to ecological questions about disease dynamics, including the effects of temperature and increased acidification on interactions. The five-week workshop will be held at Friday Harbor Laboratories and will include lectures on conceptual themes coupled with hands-on lab and field training in the different focus areas and culminates with targeted group projects aimed at addressing specific disease ecology questions in the Salish Sea region.