Investigating the influence of environmental condition on the prevalence and distribution of shrimp Black Gill in North Carolina estuaries Grant uri icon

abstract

  • Penaeid species, including brown and white shrimp, have enormous economic, cultural, and ecological importance in North Carolina (NC). Over the last few decades, shrimp black gill (sBG), which causes melanization, inflammation, and necroses of gill tissues, has become prevalent in the southeast Atlantic. sBG decreases physical stamina and increases predation rates on shrimp, and there are clear relationships between environmental conditions and sBG outbreaks. Moreover, sBG has been associated with declining landings in Georgia and South Carolina. In NC, sBG is an emerging disease: the NC Division of Marine Fisheries (NC DMF) began tracking shrimp with visibly blackened gills in their Pamlico Sound Survey (P195) in 2017, with as many as 10% of white shrimp with sBG in DMF surveys. These values are a conservative estimate, however, because early stages of infection are not always visually apparent in field-based examinations. To our knowledge, our team is the first to design and perform concerted studies in NC estuaries to evaluate true sBG prevalence and potential impacts in the region. Last year, our pilot sampling of a portion of Pamlico Sound showed variable infection depending on site, with peak prevalence as high as 41% in our surveys and 69% from DMF-sampled shrimp in 2022 when we employed microscopy-based detection methods. These data suggest true infection prevalence is higher than reported from field-based surveys. Additionally, the effects of sBG on the physiology and energy storage of shrimp and the links between environmental conditions and sBG outbreaks are unknown in NC. In our proposed study, we will address these gaps by partnering with NC DMF to determine true infection prevalence temporally and spatially in NC estuaries using microscopy and PCR methods?sampling brown and white shrimp in Pamlico Sound and the New, and North Rivers.

date/time interval

  • April 2024 - April 2026