Using molecular genetics to identify cryptic infection and potential reservoirs of black gill parasites in wild shrimp: developing an ecosystem monitoring tool for North Carolina's shrimp fishery

To understand the potential risk that BGD presents for the North Carolina shrimp fishery, it is essential to estimate the pervasiveness of BGD in penaeid shrimp and understand the mechanisms by which BGD is spread. Therefore, our proposed project will assess the rate of infection of BGD in penaeid shrimp and other crustacean species, which may serve as a reservoir (Price, 2016) and disease amplifier, for the parasitic ciliate that causes BGD using genetic techniques. These data will be used to create the first estimate of the prevalence and spatial distribution of BGD in North Carolina and will be used to produce a model of disease spread in North Carolina to aid in understanding the potential impact on the North Carolina shrimp fishery.

Scholars @ ECU