Biodiversity differentially impacts disease dynamics across marine and terrestrial habitats

• Published in: Trends in parasitology 2024-02, Vol.40 (2), p.106-117
• Main Authors: Pagenkopp Lohan, Katrina M., Gignoux-Wolfsohn, Sarah A., Ruiz, Gregory M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; aquaculture; Biodiversity; consumers; Ecosystem; infectious diseases; marine ecosystems; microbiome; Parasites; parasitology; reservoir; risk; trophic interactions; vector
• ISSN: 1471-4922; 1471-5007
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2023.12.004

Community diversity profoundly impacts disease systems.Within the biodiversity–disease relationship, multiple levels of diversity exist to affect disease prevalence, transmission, and severity.More evidence exists for how diversity impacts disease in terrestrial compared with marine systems.We propose two global foundation species as model systems to explore the biodiversity–disease relationship in marine systems.Spatially and temporally replicated measures, experiments, and models are needed in marine systems to fill the large knowledge gaps regarding the universality and magnitude of the biodiversity–disease relationship. The relationship between biodiversity and infectious disease, where increased biodiversity leads to decreased disease risk, originated from research in terrestrial disease systems and remains relatively underexplored in marine systems. Understanding the impacts of biodiversity on disease in marine versus terrestrial systems is key to continued marine ecosystem functioning, sustainable aquaculture, and restoration projects. We compare the biodiversity–disease relationship across terrestrial and marine systems, considering biodiversity at six levels: intraspecific host diversity, host microbiomes, interspecific host diversity, biotic vectors and reservoirs, parasite consumers, and parasites. We highlight gaps in knowledge regarding how these six levels of biodiversity impact diseases in marine systems and propose two model systems, the Perkinsus–oyster and Labyrinthula–seagrass systems, to address these gaps. The relationship between biodiversity and infectious disease, where increased biodiversity leads to decreased disease risk, originated from research in terrestrial disease systems and remains relatively underexplored in marine systems. Understanding the impacts of biodiversity on disease in marine versus terrestrial systems is key to continued marine ecosystem functioning, sustainable aquaculture, and restoration projects. We compare the biodiversity–disease relationship across terrestrial and marine systems, considering biodiversity at six levels: intraspecific host diversity, host microbiomes, interspecific host diversity, biotic vectors and reservoirs, parasite consumers, and parasites. We highlight gaps in knowledge regarding how these six levels of biodiversity impact diseases in marine systems and propose two model systems, the Perkinsus–oyster and Labyrinthula–seagrass systems, to address these gaps.