In addition to Harvell, other authors of the
Science report are: Kiho
Kim, Cornell University; J.M. Burkholder, North Carolina State University; R.R.
Colwell, University of Maryland; P.R. Epstein, Harvard Medical School; E.E.
Hoffmann, Old Dominion University; J. Grimes, University of Southern
Mississippi; A.D.M.E. Osterhaus, Erasmus University, the Netherlands; R.
Overstreet, University of Southern Mississippi; J.W. Porter, University of
Georgia; University of South Carolina; G.W. Smith, University of South Carolina;
and G. Vasta, Center of Marine Biotechnology, Baltimore.
Noting that some marine diseases are transmissible or toxic to humans -- apart
from their effect on biodiversity of the sea -- Harvell said there is an "urgent
need" for interdisciplinary studies of ocean epidemics.
"The molecular and computational tools we need to trace these diseases are
beginning to come on line, and we are just starting to understand the mechanisms
of disease resistance in marine organisms," she said. "We have identified some
indicator species of heightened disease load, such as corals. The puzzle to
solve is whether corals are unusually vulnerable to disease -- due perhaps to
ocean warming -- or whether increased diseases in other less apparent species,
like crabs and snails, are going undetected."
'"/>
Contact: Roger Segelken
hrs2@cornell.edu
607-255-9736
Cornell University News Service
2-Sep-1999
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