Collaborative Research: Aplysina Red Band Syndrome: Investigating the etiology, pathogenesis, and ecology of an emerging marine disease

新疾病的出现和常见疾病适应形式的重新出现重新引起了人们对病原体在自然生态系统中的作用的兴趣。病原体是寄主种群内的重要调节因素，因为它们可以影响分布、生长和繁殖。在海洋环境中，在过去20年中，未知疾病的流行暴发以惊人的频率被报告，但关于这些疾病的原因及其对宿主、宿主人口和社区的影响，人们知之甚少。Gochfeld和他的同事最近描述了一种影响加勒比海海绵属海绵的新疾病，Aplysina属是加勒比海珊瑚礁群落的主要组成部分。海绵状红带综合症(ARBS)在加勒比海地区普遍存在，并且发病率迅速上升，这使其成为增加我们对珊瑚礁上新出现的疾病的了解的理想研究系统。这项研究是及时的，研究海洋疾病的非珊瑚模型是非常有益的，特别是考虑到收集珊瑚的限制，即使是为了研究目的。这项研究计划的目标是描述ARBS作为珊瑚礁上一种新出现的疾病的病因(原因)和发病机制(影响)。本研究针对四个目标：(1)确定与ARBS相关的微生物群落的特征；(2)在生态、生理和生化水平上检查宿主对ARBS的响应；(3)检查ARBS流行与珊瑚礁群落其他成员之间的关系；以及(4)调查环境应激源对ARBS易感性和毒力的影响。这项研究采用了多学科方法来研究海洋疾病。除了支持三名研究生的多学科野外和实验室研究经验外，该项目还将允许本科生使用现代分子和生化技术进行生态学研究。这一项目的方案和成果将被纳入到本科生和研究生的个人投资促进机构教授的课程中。PIS将与阿拉巴马州动态科学计划、McWane中心(亚利桑那州伯明翰)和墨西哥湾中央海洋科学教育卓越中心合作，开发针对初中和高中科学课程的环境科学野外和实验室练习。此外，与密西西比州阿拉巴马州自然历史博物馆S J.L.斯科特海洋教育中心和麦克韦恩中心的公开演讲将提高公众对这些无脊椎动物的认识，它们在海洋环境中的重要性，以及威胁它们生存的一般环境问题。这项研究的结果将加深我们对宿主-病原体关系的了解，增强我们对珊瑚礁系统中这些相互作用的了解，并改善珊瑚礁保护工作。

The emergence of new diseases and the re-emergence of adapted forms of familiar diseases have renewed interest in the roles of pathogens in natural ecosystems. Pathogens are important regulating factors within host populations, as they can impact distribution, growth and reproduction. In the marine environment, epidemic outbreaks of unknown diseases have been reported with alarming frequency over the last two decades, yet little is known regarding the causes of these diseases or their effects on hosts, host populations, and communities. Gochfeld and colleagues recently described a new disease affecting Caribbean sponges of the genus Aplysina, a dominant component of Caribbean coral reef communities. Aplysina Red Band Syndrome (ARBS) is widespread in the Caribbean, and has rapidly increased in prevalence, making it an ideal study system to increase our understanding of emerging diseases on coral reefs. The research is timely and studying a non-coralline model of marine diseases is significantly beneficial, particularly in light of restrictions on collecting corals, even for research purposes. The goals of this research proposal are to characterize the etiology (causes) and pathogenesis (effects) of ARBS as a newly emerging disease on coral reefs. This research addresses four objectives: (1) Characterize the microbial community associated with ARBS; (2) Examine host responses to ARBS at the ecological, physiological and biochemical levels; (3) Examine the relationships between ARBS prevalence and other members of the coral reef community; and (4) Investigate the effects of environmental stressors on ARBS susceptibility and virulence. The research takes a multidisciplinary approach to the study of marine diseases. In addition to supporting the multidisciplinary field and laboratory research experiences of three graduate students, this project will allow undergraduate students to perform ecological research using modern molecular and biochemical technologies. Protocols and results from this project will be incorporated into courses taught by the PIs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The PIs will work with the Alabama Science in Motion Program, the McWane Center (Birmingham, AL) and the Central Gulf of Mexico Center for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence to develop field and laboratory exercises in environmental sciences targeted to middle-school and high-school science courses. In addition, public presentations with the Alabama Museum of Natural History, Mississippi''''s J.L. Scott Marine Education Center, and the McWane Center will enhance public awareness of these invertebrates, their importance in the marine environment, and general environmental issues that threaten their survival. Results from this research will further our knowledge of host-pathogen relationships, enhance our understanding of these interactions in coral reef systems, and improve coral reef conservation efforts.