Cornell University
Library
Cornell UniversityLibrary

eCommons

Help
Log In(current)
  1. Home
  2. College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
  3. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
  4. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Reports and Datasets
  5. Data and code from: Invertebrate herbivores influence seagrass wasting disease dynamics

Data and code from: Invertebrate herbivores influence seagrass wasting disease dynamics

File(s)
Graham_HerbivoreVector_README.txt (11.46 KB)
1_IndirectVectorExperiments.zip (10.54 KB)
2_HerbivoreFeedingPreferences.zip (7.15 KB)
3_HerbivoreQPCRAndFecalAssays.zip (1.63 KB)
4_FieldSurveys.zip (41.95 KB)
Permanent Link(s)
https://doi.org/10.7298/pmx7-x816
https://hdl.handle.net/1813/116091
Collections
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Reports and Datasets
Author
Graham, Olivia J.
Aoki, Lillian R.
Burge, Colleen A.
Harvell, Drew
Abstract

These files contain data, code, and metadata supporting all results reported in Graham et al. Invertebrate herbivores influence seagrass wasting disease dynamics. In Graham et al, we found: Although invertebrate herbivores commonly impact terrestrial plant diseases by facilitating transmission of plant pathogens and increasing host susceptibility to infection via wounding, less is known about the role of herbivores in marine plant disease dynamics. Importantly, transmission via herbivores may not be required in the ocean since saline ocean waters support pathogen survival and transmission. Through laboratory experiments with eelgrass (Zostera marina), we showed that isopods (Pentidotea wosnesenskii) and snails (Lacuna spp.) created grazing scars that increased disease severity and thus indirectly facilitated transmission of Labyrinthula zosterae (Lz), a protist that causes seagrass wasting disease. Experiments also quantified different feeding preferences amongst herbivores: amphipods (Ampithoe lactertosa) selectively consumed diseased eelgrass, while isopods and snails selectively grazed asymptomatic leaves, suggesting different herbivore taxa may have contrasting impacts on disease dynamics. Our experiments show no sign that herbivores directly vector Lz from diseased to asymptomatic eelgrass. However, we isolated live Lz from isopod, amphipod, and snail feces, and detected Lz with qPCR in amphipods and snails, suggesting that herbivores eating diseased eelgrass could pass the live pathogen. Finally, field surveys demonstrated a close association between seagrass wasting disease and invertebrate grazing scars; disease prevalence was 29 +/- 4.7% (95% CI) higher on eelgrass leaves with herbivore scars. Collectively, these findings show that some herbivores can increase eelgrass disease risk by facilitating the spread of an important pathogen via wounding, but not via direct transmission. Thus, herbivores may play different roles in plant disease dynamics in terrestrial versus marine ecosystems depending on the pathogen’s ability to survive and transmit without a vector.

Description
Please cite as:
Olivia Graham, Lillian Aoki, Colleen A. Burge, and Drew Harvell. (2024) Data and code from: Invertebrate herbivores influence seagrass wasting disease dynamics. [dataset] Cornell University eCommons Repository. https://doi.org/10.7298/pmx7-x816
Sponsorship
Women Diver's Hall of Fame Conservation Grant, University of Washington Sea Grant (NA18OAR4170095), University of Washington Research Fellowship Endowment, Cornell Sigma Xi Research Grant, NSF Division of Ocean Sciences (1829921), NSF Division of Computing and Communications (1522054), Cornell Ocean Research Apprenticeship for Lynch Scholars, Cornell Atkinson Center Sustainable Biodiversity Fund, Cornell Engaged Graduate Student Grant, Andrew Mellon Student Research Grant
Date Issued
2024
Keywords
disease ecology
•
eelgrass
•
Labyrinthula zosterae
•
plant-pathogen-herbivore interactions
•
Zostera marina
Rights
Attribution 4.0 International
Rights URI
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Type
dataset
software
Accessibility Hazard
none

Site Statistics | Help

About eCommons | Policies | Terms of use | Contact Us

copyright © 2002-2026 Cornell University Library | Privacy | Web Accessibility Assistance