Effects of Climate Variability on Interannual Variation in Parasites, Pathologies, and Physiological Attributes of Bivalves from the U.S. East, Gulf, and West Coasts

Abstract

We analyzed weighted prevalence of various parasites and pathologies for 1995 to 2006 along with a set of physiological variables to determine the degree of concordancy in their interannual variations over 500-km stretches of coastline using data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA's) National Status and Trends “Mussel Watch” Program. The variables examined in mytilid mussels fell into three groups based on the temporal patterns observed: ceroid bodies, taxon richness, digestive tubule atrophy, and major pathologies varied concordantly along the Northeast and West Coasts. For reproductive stage, sex ratio, and gill ciliates, concordant temporal trends were limited to the northeast coast. Gregarines, found only in West coast mussels, behaved similarly to those variables falling into the first group. A final group, trematode metacercariae and sporocysts, tissue pathologies, and the prokaryotes, was characterized by limited concordancy. For oysters, a similar triplet of groups wa...