Review: Host-pathogen dynamics of seagrass diseases under future global change

• Main Authors: BK Sullivan, Stacey Trevathan-Tackett, S Neuhauser, LL Govers
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: Science & Technology; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Environmental Sciences; Marine & Freshwater Biology; Environmental Sciences & Ecology; Global change; Halophytophthora; Labyrinthula; Marine infectious disease; Phytophthora; Phytomyxea; EELGRASS ZOSTERA-MARINA; PHYTOPHTHORA ROOT-ROT; WASTING DISEASE; CLIMATE-CHANGE; THALASSIA-TESTUDINUM; OCEAN ACIDIFICATION; SP-NOV; INFECTIOUS-DISEASES; FLORIDA BAY; LABYRINTHULA SP; 069902 Global Change Biology; 060205 Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl Marine Ichthyology); 060701 Phycology (incl Marine Grasses); Centre for Integrative Ecology; School of Life and Environmental Sciences; MD Multidisciplinary; 3103 Ecology; 3108 Plant biology; 3199 Other biological sciences; Ocean acidification
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10536/DRO/DU:30102898; https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Review_Host-pathogen_dynamics_of_seagrass_diseases_under_future_global_change/20831101

Human-induced global change is expected to amplify the disease risk for marine biota. However, the role of disease in the rapid global decline of seagrass is largely unknown. Global change may enhance seagrass susceptibility to disease through enhanced physiological stress, while simultaneously promoting pathogen development. This review outlines the characteristics of disease-forming organisms and potential impacts of global change on three groups of known seagrass pathogens: labyrinthulids, oomycetes and Phytomyxea. We propose that hypersalinity, climate warming and eutrophication pose the greatest risk for increasing frequency of disease outbreaks in seagrasses by increasing seagrass stress and lowering seagrass resilience. In some instances, global change may also promote pathogen development. However, there is currently a paucity of information on these seagrass pathosystems. We emphasise the need to expand current research to better understand the seagrass-pathogen relationships, serving to inform predicative modelling and management of seagrass disease under future global change scenarios.