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Eisenlord ME, Agnew MV, Winningham M, Lobo OJ, Vompe AD, Wippel B, Friedman CS, Harvell CD, Burge CA. High infectivity and waterborne transmission of seagrass wasting disease. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:240663. [PMID: 39113773 PMCID: PMC11303036 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.240663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2024] [Revised: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024]
Abstract
Pathogen transmission pathways are fundamental to understanding the epidemiology of infectious diseases yet are challenging to estimate in nature, particularly in the ocean. Seagrass wasting disease (SWD), caused by Labyrinthula zosterae, impacts seagrass beds worldwide and is thought to be a contributing factor to declines; however, little is known about natural transmission of SWD. In this study, we used field and laboratory experiments to test SWD transmission pathways and temperature sensitivity. To test transmission modes in nature, we conducted three field experiments out-planting sentinel Zostera marina shoots within and adjacent to natural Z. marina beds (20 ± 5 and 110 ± 5 m from bed edge). Infection rates and severity did not differ among outplant locations, implicating waterborne transmission. The infectious dose of L. zosterae through waterborne exposure was assessed in a controlled laboratory experiment. The dose to 50% disease was 6 cells ml-1 and did not differ with the temperatures tested (7.5°C and 15°C). Our results show L. zosterae is transmissible through water without direct contact with infected plants. Understanding the transmission dynamics of this disease in the context of changing ocean conditions will improve Z. marina protection and restoration in critical coastal habitats worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan E. Eisenlord
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY14853, USA
| | - M. Victoria Agnew
- Institute of Marine Environmental Technology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD21202, USA
| | - Miranda Winningham
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY14853, USA
| | - Olivia J. Lobo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY14853, USA
| | - Alex D. Vompe
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR97331, USA
| | - Bryanda Wippel
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195, USA
| | - Carolyn S. Friedman
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195, USA
| | - C. Drew Harvell
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY14853, USA
| | - Colleen A. Burge
- Institute of Marine Environmental Technology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD21202, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland Baltimore, Baltimore, MD21201, USA
- California Department of Fish & Wildlife, University of California, Davis Bodega Marine Laboratory, Bodega Bay, CA94923, USA
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Ziegler SL, Atencio WE, Carroll JM, Byers JE. High parasite prevalence in an ecosystem engineer correlated with both local- and landscape-level factors. Oecologia 2024; 205:423-435. [PMID: 38898336 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-024-05581-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Spatial variation in parasitic infection may have many physical and biological drivers. Uncovering these drivers may be especially important for parasites of ecosystem engineers because the engineers are foundational to their communities. Oysters are an important coastal ecosystem engineer that have declined drastically worldwide, in part due to enhanced cases of lethal oyster diseases, such as Dermo and MSX, caused by the protozoan parasites Perkinsus marinus and Haplosporidium nelsoni, respectively. Besides water quality and hydrodynamics, there is little information on how other variables influence the prevalence and intensity of these pathogens in oysters across a regional scale. To examine drivers of spatial variation in these oyster parasites-including host size, local reef properties, and landscape properties-we sampled 24 reefs systematically spread along the coast of Georgia, USA. Across sites, we found universally high prevalence of oysters with at least one of these parasites (91.02% ± 8.89, mean ± SD). Not only are high levels of parasite prevalence potentially problematic for a pivotal ecosystem engineer, but also low spatial variability may limit the explanatory power of variables across a regional scale. Our statistical models explained between 18 and 42% of the variation in spatial patterns of prevalence and intensity of these microparasites. Interestingly, landscape context was a positive predictor of P. marinus, but a negative predictor of H. nelsoni. Overall, our findings suggest that factors driving parasite prevalence and intensity operate across multiple spatial scales, and the same factor can both facilitate and hinder different parasites within the same host species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Wil E Atencio
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA, USA
| | - John M Carroll
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA, USA
| | - James E Byers
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
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Azizan A, Alfaro AC, Venter L, Jaramillo D, Bestbier M, Bennett P, Foxwell J, Young T. Quantification of Photobacterium swingsii and characterisation of disease progression in the New Zealand Greenshell™ mussel, Perna canaliculus. J Invertebr Pathol 2024; 203:108065. [PMID: 38246322 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2024.108065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Greenshell™ mussels (Perna canaliculus) are endemic to New Zealand and support the largest aquaculture industry in the country. Photobacterium swingsii was isolated and identified from moribund P. canaliculus mussels following a mass mortality event. In this study, a challenge experiment was used to characterise, detect, and quantify P. swingsii in adult P. canaliculus following pathogen exposure via injection into the adductor muscle. A positive control (heat-killed P. swingsii injection) was included to account for the effects of injection and inactive bacterial exposure. Survival of control and infected mussels remained 100% during 72-hour monitoring period. Haemolymph was sampled for bacterial colony counts and haemocyte flow cytometry analyses; histology sections were obtained and processed for histopathological assessments; and adductor muscle, gill, digestive gland were sampled for quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analyses, all conducted at 12, 24, 48 h post-challenge (hpc). The most profound effects of bacterial injection on mussels were seen at 48 hpc, where mussel mortality, haemocyte counts and haemolymph bacterial colony forming were the highest. The quantification of P. swingsii via qPCR showed highest levels of bacterial DNA at 12 hpc in the adductor muscle, gill, and digestive gland. Histopathological observations suggested a non-specific inflammatory response in all mussels associated with a general stress response. This study highlights the physiological effects of P. swingsii infection in P. canaliculus mussels and provides histopathological insight into the tissue injury caused by the action of injection into the adductor muscle. The multi-technique methods used in this study can be applied for use in early surveillance programs of bacterial infection on mussel farms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Awanis Azizan
- Aquaculture Biotechnology Research Group, Department of Environmental Sciences, School of Science, Auckland University of Technology, Private Bag 92006, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Andrea C Alfaro
- Aquaculture Biotechnology Research Group, Department of Environmental Sciences, School of Science, Auckland University of Technology, Private Bag 92006, Auckland 1142, New Zealand.
| | - Leonie Venter
- Aquaculture Biotechnology Research Group, Department of Environmental Sciences, School of Science, Auckland University of Technology, Private Bag 92006, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Diana Jaramillo
- Animal Health Laboratory, Ministry for Primary Industries, PO Box 2526, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
| | - Mark Bestbier
- Animal Health Laboratory, Ministry for Primary Industries, PO Box 2526, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
| | - Peter Bennett
- Animal Health Laboratory, Ministry for Primary Industries, PO Box 2526, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
| | - Jonathan Foxwell
- Animal Health Laboratory, Ministry for Primary Industries, PO Box 2526, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
| | - Tim Young
- Aquaculture Biotechnology Research Group, Department of Environmental Sciences, School of Science, Auckland University of Technology, Private Bag 92006, Auckland 1142, New Zealand; Centre for Biomedical & Chemical Sciences, School of Science, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand
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4
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Hanley TC, Grabowski JH, Schneider EG, Barrett PD, Puishys LM, Spadafore R, McManus G, Helt WSK, Kinney H, Conor McManus M, Randall Hughes A. Host genetic identity determines parasite community structure across time and space in oyster restoration. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20222560. [PMID: 36987644 PMCID: PMC10050946 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.2560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Intraspecific variation in host susceptibility to individual parasite species is common, yet how these effects scale to mediate the structure of diverse parasite communities in nature is less well understood. To address this knowledge gap, we tested how host genetic identity affects parasite communities on restored reefs seeded with juvenile oysters from different sources-a regional commercial hatchery or one of two wild progenitor lines. We assessed prevalence and intensity of three micro- and two macroparasite species for 4 years following restoration. Despite the spatial proximity of restored reefs, oyster source identity strongly predicted parasite community prevalence across all years, with sources varying in their relative susceptibility to different parasites. Oyster seed source also predicted reef-level parasite intensities across space and through time. Our results highlight that host intraspecific variation can shape parasite community structure in natural systems, and reinforce the importance of considering source identity and diversity in restoration design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Torrance C. Hanley
- Marine Science Center, Northeastern University, Nahant, MA 01908, USA
- Massachusetts Bays National Estuary Partnership, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | | | - Eric G. Schneider
- Marine Science Center, Northeastern University, Nahant, MA 01908, USA
- Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Division of Marine Fisheries, Jamestown, RI 02835, USA
| | - Patrick D. Barrett
- Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Division of Marine Fisheries, Jamestown, RI 02835, USA
| | - Lauren M. Puishys
- Marine Science Center, Northeastern University, Nahant, MA 01908, USA
| | - Rachele Spadafore
- Marine Science Center, Northeastern University, Nahant, MA 01908, USA
| | - Gwendolyn McManus
- Marine Science Center, Northeastern University, Nahant, MA 01908, USA
| | | | - Heather Kinney
- The Nature Conservancy, Rhode Island Chapter, Providence, RI 02906, USA
| | - M. Conor McManus
- Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Division of Marine Fisheries, Jamestown, RI 02835, USA
| | - A. Randall Hughes
- Marine Science Center, Northeastern University, Nahant, MA 01908, USA
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Hutson KS, Davidson IC, Bennett J, Poulin R, Cahill PL. Assigning cause for emerging diseases of aquatic organisms. Trends Microbiol 2023:S0966-842X(23)00031-8. [PMID: 36841735 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2023.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
Resolving the cause of disease (= aetiology) in aquatic organisms is a challenging but essential goal, heightened by increasing disease prevalence in a changing climate and an interconnected world of anthropogenic pathogen spread. Emerging diseases play important roles in evolutionary ecology, wildlife conservation, the seafood industry, recreation, cultural practices, and human health. As we emerge from a global pandemic of zoonotic origin, we must focus on timely diagnosis to confirm aetiology and enable response to diseases in aquatic ecosystems. Those systems' resilience, and our own sustainable use of seafood, depend on it. Synchronising traditional and recent advances in microbiology that span ecological, veterinary, and medical fields will enable definitive assignment of risk factors and causal agents for better biosecurity management and healthier aquatic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate S Hutson
- Cawthron Institute, 98 Halifax St East, Nelson, New Zealand; College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia.
| | - Ian C Davidson
- Cawthron Institute, 98 Halifax St East, Nelson, New Zealand
| | - Jerusha Bennett
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Robert Poulin
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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Guo X, Puritz JB, Wang Z, Proestou D, Allen S, Small J, Verbyla K, Zhao H, Haggard J, Chriss N, Zeng D, Lundgren K, Allam B, Bushek D, Gomez-Chiarri M, Hare M, Hollenbeck C, La Peyre J, Liu M, Lotterhos KE, Plough L, Rawson P, Rikard S, Saillant E, Varney R, Wikfors G, Wilbur A. Development and Evaluation of High-Density SNP Arrays for the Eastern Oyster Crassostrea virginica. MARINE BIOTECHNOLOGY (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2023; 25:174-191. [PMID: 36622459 DOI: 10.1007/s10126-022-10191-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica is a major aquaculture species for the USA. The sustainable development of eastern oyster aquaculture depends upon the continued improvement of cultured stocks through advanced breeding technologies. The Eastern Oyster Breeding Consortium (EOBC) was formed to advance the genetics and breeding of the eastern oyster. To facilitate efficient genotyping needed for genomic studies and selection, the consortium developed two single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays for the eastern oyster: one screening array with 566K SNPs and one breeders' array with 66K SNPs. The 566K screening array was developed based on whole-genome resequencing data from 292 oysters from Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico populations; it contains 566,262 SNPs including 47K from protein-coding genes with a marker conversion rate of 48.34%. The 66K array was developed using best-performing SNPs from the screening array, which contained 65,893 oyster SNPs including 22,984 genic markers with a calling rate of 99.34%, a concordance rate of 99.81%, and a much-improved marker conversion rate of 92.04%. Null alleles attributable to large indels were found in 13.1% of the SNPs, suggesting that copy number variation is pervasive. Both arrays provided easy identification and separation of selected stocks from wild progenitor populations. The arrays contain 31 mitochondrial SNPs that allowed unambiguous identification of Gulf mitochondrial genotypes in some Atlantic populations. The arrays also contain 756 probes from 13 oyster and human pathogens for possible detection. Our results show that marker conversion rate is low in high polymorphism species and that the two-step process of array development can greatly improve array performance. The two arrays will advance genomic research and accelerate genetic improvement of the eastern oyster by delineating genetic architecture of production traits and enabling genomic selection. The arrays also may be used to monitor pedigree and inbreeding, identify selected stocks and their introgression into wild populations, and assess the success of oyster restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ximing Guo
- Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory, Rutgers University, 6959 Miller Avenue, Port Norris, NJ, 08349, USA.
| | - Jonathan B Puritz
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island, 120 Flagg Road, Kingston, RI, 02881, USA
| | - Zhenwei Wang
- Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory, Rutgers University, 6959 Miller Avenue, Port Norris, NJ, 08349, USA
| | - Dina Proestou
- USDA ARS NCWMAC Shellfish Genetics Lab, 120 Flagg Rd., Kingston, RI, 02881, USA
| | - Standish Allen
- Virginia Institute of Marine Science, 1375 Greate Rd., Gloucester Pt., VA, 23062, USA
| | - Jessica Small
- Virginia Institute of Marine Science, 1375 Greate Rd., Gloucester Pt., VA, 23062, USA
| | | | - Honggang Zhao
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Jaime Haggard
- Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory, Rutgers University, 6959 Miller Avenue, Port Norris, NJ, 08349, USA
| | - Noah Chriss
- Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory, Rutgers University, 6959 Miller Avenue, Port Norris, NJ, 08349, USA
| | - Dan Zeng
- Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory, Rutgers University, 6959 Miller Avenue, Port Norris, NJ, 08349, USA
| | - Kathryn Lundgren
- USDA ARS NCWMAC Shellfish Genetics Lab, 120 Flagg Rd., Kingston, RI, 02881, USA
| | - Bassem Allam
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - David Bushek
- Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory, Rutgers University, 6959 Miller Avenue, Port Norris, NJ, 08349, USA
| | - Marta Gomez-Chiarri
- Department of Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Science, University of Rhode Island, 120 Flagg Road, Kingston, RI, 02881, USA
| | - Matthew Hare
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Christopher Hollenbeck
- Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, 6300 Ocean Drive Unit 5892, Corpus Christi, TX, 78412, USA
| | - Jerome La Peyre
- School of Animal Sciences, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, 201 Animal and Food Sciences Laboratory Building, Forestry Lane, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
| | - Ming Liu
- Patuxent Environmental and Aquatic Research Laboratory, Morgan State University, 10545 Mackall Road, Saint Leonard, MD, 20685, USA
| | - Katie E Lotterhos
- Northeastern Marine Science Center, 430 Nahant Rd, Nahant, MA, 01908, USA
| | - Louis Plough
- Horn Point Lab, University of Maryland, 5745 Lovers Lane, Cambridge, MD, 21613, USA
| | - Paul Rawson
- School of Marine Sciences, University of Maine, 5751 Murray Hall, , Orono, ME, 04469, USA
| | - Scott Rikard
- School of Fisheries Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences, Auburn University Shellfish Laboratory, Auburn University, 150 Agassiz St., Dauphin Island, AL, 36528, USA
| | - Eric Saillant
- School of Ocean Science and Engineering, The University of Southern Mississippi, 103 McIlwain Drive, Ocean Springs, MS, 39564, USA
| | - Robin Varney
- Shellfish Research Hatchery, University of North Carolina Wilmington, 5600 Marvin K. Moss Ln., Wilmington, NC, 28409, USA
| | - Gary Wikfors
- Milford CT Laboratory, NOAA Fisheries, 212 Rogers Avenue, Milford, CT, 06460, USA
| | - Ami Wilbur
- Shellfish Research Hatchery, University of North Carolina Wilmington, 5600 Marvin K. Moss Ln., Wilmington, NC, 28409, USA
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