Killer storms: North Atlantic hurricanes and disease outbreaks in sea urchins
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Date
2010-11Author
Scheibling, Robert Eric
Lauzon-Guay, Jean-Sebastien
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An increase in the incidence of disease in various marine organisms over the past few decades
has been linked to ocean climate change. In Nova Scotia, Canada, mass mortalities of sea urchins,
due to an amoebic disease, are associated with tropical cyclones of relatively high intensity that
pass close to the coast when water temperature is above a threshold for disease propagation. These
conditions increase the likelihood of introduction and spread of a nonindigenous water-borne
pathogen through turbulent mixing. Our analysis shows that the most deadly storms, in terms of the
probability of a sea urchin mass mortality, have become more deadly over the past 30 years. We also
found that storms have been tracking closer to the coast and that surface temperature has increased
during the hurricane season. These trends are likely to continue with climate warming, resulting in
a regional shift to a kelp bed ecosystem and the loss of the urchin fishery.
Citation
Scheibling, Robert E., and Jean-Sebastien Lauzon-Guay. 2010. "Killer storms: North Atlantic hurricanes and disease outbreaks in sea urchins." Limnology and Oceanography 55(6): 2331-2338. DOI:10.4319/lo.2010.55.6.2331