Oyster disease and climate change. Are yearly changes in Perkinsus marinus parasitism in oysters (Crassostrea virginica) controlled by climatic cycles in the Gulf of Mexico?

Fluctuations in the protozoan Perkinsus marinus (pathogen of eastern oysters) have been related to salinity and temperature. Low temperatures and salinities have been shown to limit infection. The distribution of Perkinsus marinus (regional and temporal) in the Gulf of Mexico may be considered a product of two spatio-temporal phenomena: (1) a relatively stable spatial pattern occurs each year with centers of infection on the order of 300 km, and (2) a concordance in yearly shifts in prevalence and infection intensity occurs on a scale of >1000 km. It is hypothesized that long-term climatic changes are responsible for these spatio-temporal shifts.