Diseases in ocean ecosystems and their dynamicsudin relation to climate change.udIn: Winter School onudImpact of Climate Change on Indian Marine Fisheries held at CMFRI, Cochin 18.1.2008 to 7.2.2008

摘要

Existing and emerging pathogens pose unusual challenges to marine life, because of their potentialudto drive rapid changes in the numerical abundance and composition of host populations. Disease outbreaks,uddue to parasites (protozoans, crustaceans and helminthes) and microbial pathogens (bacteria, fungi andudvirus) alter the structure and function of marine ecosystems, directly affecting vertebrates and invertebrates.udAlthough the important pathogens in terrestrial ecosystems have long been recognized and studied, the roleudof diseases in most marine communities is comparatively unknown and such studies are limited. Quantitativeudanalysis of the scientific literature of the past four decades indicates a large increase in the number ofudreports about marine diseases in molluscs, corals, marine mammals, turtles and echinoderms (Kim et al.ud2005; Table1). In this context, it would be of great importance to analyse the basis and timing of marineuddisease events and pathogen profile in relation to the major environmental events such as climate change.udThe ecological and biological impacts of diseases in the oceans remain largely unknown in spite of theudnegative impacts of diseases to the marine ecosystem.