Sea Star Wasting Disease Update 2017

The largest non-commercial marine mass mortality event on record
(as of 2013) created a ‘natural experiment’ and an opportunity to
study genomic changes in wild populations with unprecedented
detail. Rather than observing only the aftermath—a team of
researchers from UC Merced is reconstructing the population and
genetic consequences of an epidemic outbreak of sea star wasting
disease. The team measured the abundance and genetic variation of
Pisaster ochraceus, a keystone species, in the year preceding mass
mortality. They then repeated sampling of adults and juveniles in
subsequent years, measuring population dynamics and genomic shifts
during and after the disease outbreak. At a time when marine
diseases and mass mortalities are on the rise, this study documents
the impact of little-known wildlife diseases and potential
trajectory of recovery in a keystone marine species. Series: "UCTV
Prime" [Science] [Show ID: 33101]