Uncovering a Culprit: How we identified a causative agent for sea star wasting disease in the sunflower sea star (Pycnopodia helianthoides)

Guest Presenter:
Melanie Prentice
Research Scientist
Hakai Institute

Beginning in 2013, sea star wasting disease (SSWD) swept the Pacific Coast of North America, devastating sunflower sea star (Pycnopodia helianthoides) populations from Mexico to Alaska by more than 90%. The rapid disappearance of P. helianthoides further contributed to a trophic cascade involving unchecked population growth of their sea urchin prey which then overgrazed kelp forests, contributing to the decline of this critical ecosystem along the coast. Key to the recovery of P. helianthoides and the kelp forest ecosystems reliant on them, was the identification of the pathogen responsible for causing SSWD. In this talk we present data leveraged from controlled challenge experiments and natural field outbreaks of SSWD to identify Vibrio pectenicida strain FHCF-3 as a causative agent of this disease in P. helianthoides. 

Melanie Prentice (she/her) is a Research Scientist at the Hakai Institute. Her research experience spans diverse species, ecosystems and questions, coalescing on the use of genetic and genomic tools to provide scientific guidance for the management of species and ecosystems at risk. Her most recent work employs controlled challenge experiments and genomic datasets to improve our understanding of wildlife epidemiology.

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