Programs
Department of Environmental & Aquatic Animal Health - Research
Programs & Projects
Diseases of Crustaceans
Introduction
Blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) support one of the largest fisheries
in the Chesapeake Bay. Given the economic importance of the crab, surprisingly little is known about its pathogens and diseases. The
Crustacean Diseases Laboratory has focused on the epizootiology, ecology, and pathophysiology of an unusual parasitic
dinoflagellate,
Hematodinium perezi. The dinoflagellate lives in the hemolymph of blue crabs, where it rapidly proliferates and kills its host. Epizootics have reached
prevalences as high as 70% of the crabs from coastal bays on the Delmarva Peninsula. While the lab is primarily
engaged with Hematodinium, other diseases such as Vibrio, Paramoeba,
Ameson, and Carcinonemertes, also receive attention.
Research
The Crustacean Diseases Laboratory has been
investigating the environmental and host-driven factors that contribute to the fulmination of the epizootics. Current
support from NOAA's Saltonstall-Kennedy Program focuses on addressing host mortality through injection,
transmission, and survivorship studies. These studies include the examination of selected physiological parameters
as indicators of the general state of the diseased crabs and lobsters.