A bacterium thought to only infect salmon may be more widespread than previously thought, according to California Sea Grant research. Fish pathologist Ron Hedrick found that the P. salmonis bacterium could also infect white sea bass. The study began after farm-raised Chilean salmon consistently got sick and died after being placed in open-ocean net pens. The occurrence puzzled scientists for several reasons. First, the salmon eggs, not salmon, were flown to Chile and the disease was believed not to be transmitted via eggs. Also, Chile had no wild salmon living off its coasts. So where did the bacterium come from?
Since finding the bacterium in white sea bass, Hedrick now believes that P. salmonis exists in the world's oceans and is neither unique to salmon nor sea bass. Consistent with this, scientists have found similar bacteria in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and the Mediterranean Sea.
Hedrick is now working to detect bacterial DNA and antibodies of the bacterium in hatchery and wild white sea bass. If successful, this will further support the conclusion that the bacterium is present in naturally occurring populations of marine fish. CONTACT: Ron Hedrick, Professor, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, 530-752-3411, Email: rphedrick@ucdavis.edu
SEA GRANT PEOPLE IN THE NEWS: Texas Sea Grant's Gary Graham Named to Panel
Texas Sea Grant marine fisheries specialist Gary Graham has been appointed the National Academy of Sciences Committee on Cooperative Research in NOAA Fisheries. The National Academy panel will address issues promoting cooperative and collaborative fisheries research programs between the academic community and NOAA Fisheries. For more information contact Graham at: Office Phone 361-972-3654, or by email at: glgraham@tamu.edu
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Contact: Ben Sherman
sherman@nasw.org
202-662-7095
National Sea Grant College Program
30-Sep-2002