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Does terrestrial epidemiology apply to marine systems?

January 1, 2004

Most of epidemiological theory has been developed for terrestrial systems, but the significance of disease in the ocean is now being recognized. However, the extent to which terrestrial epidemiology can be directly transferred to marine systems is uncertain. Many broad types of disease-causing organism occur both on land and in the sea, and it is clear that some emergent disease problems in marine environments are caused by pathogens moving from terrestrial to marine systems. However, marine systems are qualitatively different from terrestrial environments, and these differences affect the application of modelling and management approaches that have been developed for terrestrial systems. Phyla and body plans are more diverse in marine environments and marine organisms have different life histories and probably different disease transmission modes than many of their terrestrial counterparts. Marine populations are typically more open than terrestrial ones, with the potential for long-distance dispersal of larvae. Potentially, this might enable unusually rapid propagation of epidemics in marine systems, and there are several examples of this. Taken together, these differences will require the development of new approaches to modelling and control of infectious disease in the ocean.

Publication Year 2004
Title Does terrestrial epidemiology apply to marine systems?
DOI 10.1016/j.tree.2004.08.009
Authors Hamish I. McCallum, Armand M. Kuris, C. Drew Harvell, Kevin D. Lafferty, Garriet W. Smith, James Porter
Publication Type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Series Title Trends in Ecology and Evolution
Index ID 70176655
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse
USGS Organization Western Ecological Research Center