Data from: Allee effects may slow the spread of parasites in a coastal marine ecosystem ...

• Main Authors: Krkosĕk, Martin, Connors, Brendan M., Lewis, Mark A., Poulin, Robert
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: Dryad 2011
• Subjects: Population dynamics; Lepeoptheirus salmonis; ocean; British Columbia; Canada; Keta; Pacific; Oncorhynchus gorbuscha; Pink salmon
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.5061/dryad.34g16868; https://datadryad.org/stash/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.34g16868

Allee effects are thought to mediate the dynamics of population colonization, particularly for invasive species. However, Allee effects acting on parasites have rarely been considered in the analogous process of infectious disease establishment and spread. We studied the colonization of uninfected wild juvenile Pacific salmon populations by ectoparasitic salmon lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) over four years. From a dataset of 67,896 fish, we observed 88 occurrences of pre-copular pair formation among 1258 pre-adult female and 611 adult male lice. The probability of pair formation was dependent on the local abundance of lice, but this mate limitation is likely offset somewhat by mate-searching dispersal of males among host fish. A mathematical model of macroparasite population dynamics that incorporates the empirical results suggests a high likelihood of a demographic Allee effect, which can cause the colonizing parasite populations to die out. These results may provide the first empirical evidence for Allee ... : Sea lice mate guarding databaseThese data were published as: Krkosĕk, M., B. Connors, M. Lewis, and R. Poulin, 2012. Allee effects may slow the spread of parasites in a coastal marine ecosystem. American Naturalist, In press. The data were gathered as part of a long-term monitoring program led by M. Krkosek of sea lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) on wild juvenile salmon in the Broughton Archipelago, British Columbia, Canada. The meta-data sheet gives relevant information for each collection of fish: Collection ID; Date; Longitude of collection; Latitude of collection; Sea surface temperature (Celsius, measuered with a thermometer); Sea surface salinity (parts per thousand, measured with a refractometer). The database gives the raw data for each collection of fish: Collection ID; Fish number within collection; Fish species (p=Pink salmon, Oncorhynchus gorbuscha; c=chum salmon, O. keta); Fork length of fish (mm); Number of adult male lice on each fish (Male); Number of pre-adult female lice on each fish ...