Causes and consequences of disease in the habitat forming seaweed Ecklonia radiata.

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Despite compelling arguments for the increasing importance of disease as a key structuring force in marine communities, we know little about the causes or broad impact of disease for most natural marine systems. This is particularly true for kelp forests, the dominant community type on temperate rocky shores. This project will integrate field ecology with microbiology and modern environmental gene sequencing techniques to characterise the frequency, causative agents and impact of disease on Ecklonia radiata, the dominant seaweed in Australia. This project will further investigate how environmental conditions, including human impacts, modulate disease in this key, habitat forming seaweed.