Managing marine disease emergencies in an era of rapid change

Maya L. Groner, Jeffrey Maynard, Rachel Breyta, Ryan B. Carnegie, Andrew P. Dobson, Carolyn S. Friedman, Brett Froelich, Melissa Garren, Frances M.D. Gulland, Scott F. Heron, Rachel T. Noble, Crawford W. Revie, Jeffrey D. Shields, Raphaël Vanderstichel, Ernesto Weil, Sandy Wyllie-Echeverria, C. Drew Harvell

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

115 Scopus citations

Abstract

Infectious marine diseases can decimate populations and are increasing among some taxa due to global change and our increasing reliance on marine environments. Marine diseases become emergencies when significant ecological, economic or social impacts occur.We can prepare for and manage these emergencies through improved surveillance, and the development and iterative refinement of approaches to mitigate disease and its impacts. Improving surveillance requires fast, accurate diagnoses, forecasting disease risk and real-time monitoring of disease-promoting environmental conditions. Diversifying impact mitigation involves increasing host resilience to disease, reducing pathogen abundance and managing environmental factors that facilitate disease. Disease surveillance and mitigation can be adaptive if informed by research advances and catalysed by communication among observers, researchers and decision-makers using information-sharing platforms. Recent increases in the awareness of the threats posed by marine diseases may lead to policy frameworks that facilitate the responses and management that marine disease emergencies require.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number20150364
JournalPhilosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
Volume371
Issue number1689
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 5 2016

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
  • General Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Keywords

  • Adaptive management
  • Environmental law
  • Impact mitigation
  • Marine disease
  • Response plan
  • Surveillance

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