Bitter Crab Disease: determining the potential of a parasite to impact economies and ecosystems
The global impact of Bitter Crab Disease will be explored by international delegates during a Bitter Crab Disease Workshop being held September 20 to 22 in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. The workshop is co-hosted by the Atlantic Veterinary College’s (AVC) Lobster Science Centre and the United State’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
“To our knowledge, no other disease of a wild marine species has the potential to significantly impact widespread economies and ecosystems like Bitter Crab Disease does,” explains Dr. Frank Morado of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration based in Seattle, Washington. “We know that Bitter Crab Disease impacts commercial fisheries by harming product quality and causing significant mortalities due to infection. We know that the parasite that causes this disease is present in about 25 species of crustaceans. But there is still a lot that is unknown which is the reason that we have organized this workshop.”
Bitter Crab Disease is caused by parasitic dinoflagellates of the genus Hematodinium. The disease has exploded across the Northern Hemisphere over the past 20 years, negatively impacting fisheries.
Considered a world-authority on Bitter Crab Disease, Morado will co-chair the workshop with Dr. Rick Cawthorn, a professor of parasitology within AVC’s Department of Pathology and Microbiology, and a research scientist with the AVC Lobster Science Centre.
“The workshop will explore issues ranging from fisheries to parasite ecology, and will facilitate discussion with participants from industry, management, and research in an effort to gain further knowledge on this complex disease,” explains Cawthorn. “In addition it will assist in identifying areas for research collaboration.”
Presenters from countries such as Scotland and Greenland, as well as North American coastal locations Newfoundland & Labrador and Alaska, will share expertise gained through experience with Bitter Crab Disease in their respective geographic areas. More than 50 participants will travel to Prince Edward Island to take part in the workshop.
Further information on the Bitter Crab Disease Workshop can be found at www.lobsterscience.ca/bcdworkshop/. The workshop is the second of three major international aquatic species events being co-hosted by the Atlantic Veterinary College in September. Mollusc Health and Disease Management, one of few comprehensive courses in the world dealing with shellfish exclusively, was recently carried out by the Atlantic Veterinary College’s Shellfish Research Group in conjunction with the Canadian Aquaculture Institute.
The 8th International Conference and Workshop on Lobster Biology and Management will take place in Charlottetown from September 23 to 28 immediately following the Bitter Crab Disease Workshop. This conference is co-hosted by the Lobster Science Centre at AVC and the Prince Edward Island Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture. More than 200 delegates from approximately 20 countries will gather to further knowledge on lobster research, biology, and management.
Funded by the four Atlantic provinces, the Atlantic Veterinary College at UPEI is committed to excellence and innovation in education, research, and professional services. Since opening in 1984, the College has graduated approximately 1,000 doctors of veterinary medicine, has become known around the world for its research capabilities, and is the Atlantic region’s only full service veterinary referral hospital.
For further information, please contact:
Charlotte McCardle
External Relations, AVC Dean’s Office
92 566 0533/cmccardle@upei.ca
