Inventory of benthic macroinvertebrates and zooplankton in several European Bonamia ostreae-endemic areas and their possible role in the life cycle of this parasite

Bonamia ostreae is a protozoan parasite of the native oyster, Ostrea edulis. The parasite can be transmitted directly from infected to uninfected oysters. Though direct transmission of the parasite can occur between oysters it is unclear if this represents the complete life cycle of the parasite, an...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Marine biology 2006-09, Vol.149 (6), p.1477-1487
Main Authors: Lynch, S. A, Armitage, D. V, Wylde, S, Mulcahy, M. F, Culloty, S. C
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Biological and medical sciences
Bonamia
Bonamia ostreae
disease reservoirs
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
inventories
Life cycles
Macroinvertebrates
Marine biology
Ostrea edulis
Oysters
Parasites
pathogens
Plankton
Sea water ecosystems
surveys
Synecology
Zooplankton
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Summary:Bonamia ostreae is a protozoan parasite of the native oyster, Ostrea edulis. The parasite can be transmitted directly from infected to uninfected oysters. Though direct transmission of the parasite can occur between oysters it is unclear if this represents the complete life cycle of the parasite, and the involvement of a carrier/reservoir cannot be ruled out. A survey of benthic macroinvertebrate and zooplankton survey was carried out in the North Channel, Cork Harbour, Ireland, an area where B. ostreae is endemic and the parasite has been present since the 1980s. This was compared to several European surveys of benthic macroinvertebrate and zooplankton species found in other B. ostreae endemic areas. The objective was to identify any species that were common to these sites and could act as possible carrier/reservoir hosts for the pathogen. Species that were found to be common in two or more sites were included in two comparison tables. These species will be targeted in future studies investigating the possible role of macroinvertebrates and zooplankton in the complete life cycle of B. ostreae.
ISSN:0025-3162
1432-1793
DOI:10.1007/s00227-006-0312-6