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

尽管有令人信服的论据表明，疾病作为海洋群落的关键结构力量日益重要，但我们对大多数自然海洋系统的原因或疾病的广泛影响知之甚少。对于海带森林来说尤其如此，海带森林是温带岩石海岸的主要群落类型。该项目将把野外生态学与微生物学和现代环境基因测序技术结合起来，以确定辐射Ecklonia（澳大利亚的主要海藻）的发病频率、病原体和影响。该项目将进一步研究环境条件，包括人类影响，如何在这个关键的栖息地形成海藻调节疾病。

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.