Deeper habitats and cooler temperatures moderate a climate-driven seagrass disease

Author:

Graham Olivia J.1ORCID,Stephens Tiffany2ORCID,Rappazzo Brendan3,Klohmann Corinne1ORCID,Dayal Sukanya45,Adamczyk Emily M.6ORCID,Olson Angeleen7ORCID,Hessing-Lewis Margot7ORCID,Eisenlord Morgan1ORCID,Yang Bo8ORCID,Burge Colleen910ORCID,Gomes Carla P.3ORCID,Harvell Drew1ORCID

Affiliation:

1. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-0001, USA

2. Seagrove Kelp Co, Ketchikan, AK 99901, USA

3. Department of Computer Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA

4. Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA

5. Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina, Wilmington, NC 28403-5915, USA

6. Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Unceded xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam) Territory, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z4

7. Hakai Institute, Calvert Island, P.O. Box 25039, Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada V9W 0B7

8. Department of Urban and Regional Planning, San Jose State University, San Jose, CA 95112, USA

9. Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21202, USA

10. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland Baltimore, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA

Abstract

Eelgrass creates critical coastal habitats worldwide and fulfills essential ecosystem functions as a foundation seagrass. Climate warming and disease threaten eelgrass, causing mass mortalities and cascading ecological impacts. Subtidal meadows are deeper than intertidal and may also provide refuge from the temperature-sensitive seagrass wasting disease. From cross-boundary surveys of 5761 eelgrass leaves from Alaska to Washington and assisted with a machine-language algorithm, we measured outbreak conditions. Across summers 2017 and 2018, disease prevalence was 16% lower for subtidal than intertidal leaves; in both tidal zones, disease risk was lower for plants in cooler conditions. Even in subtidal meadows, which are more environmentally stable and sheltered from temperature and other stressors common for intertidal eelgrass, we observed high disease levels, with half of the sites exceeding 50% prevalence. Models predicted reduced disease prevalence and severity under cooler conditions, confirming a strong interaction between disease and temperature. At both tidal zones, prevalence was lower in more dense eelgrass meadows, suggesting disease is suppressed in healthy, higher density meadows. These results underscore the value of subtidal eelgrass and meadows in cooler locations as refugia, indicate that cooling can suppress disease, and have implications for eelgrass conservation and management under future climate change scenarios. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Infectious disease ecology and evolution in a changing world’.

Funder

Dr. Carolyn Haugen

University of Washington Friday Harbor Labs

Division of Undergraduate Education

Cornell University

Women Diver's Hall of Fame

Tula Foundation

National Science Foundation

Susan Lynch

Washington SeaGrant

Publisher

The Royal Society

Subject

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

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