Activity 4.1 – Invasive Species |
Led by – Sarah Culloty (UCC) |
Activity Questions: |
- Current status of alien species – what pathogens do they have?
- Can we learn from model organisms that have become established?
- Based on current knowledge can we predict impact?
- What potential inhibitors/drivers can we identify?
Activity 4.2 – Cockle Health |
Led by – Niall McKeown (AU) |
Activity Questions: |
- How do other species within the benthic and pelagic community affect cockle health?
- What species act as reservoirs or vectors for cockle parasites?
- How do cockle parasite affect trophic interactions?
- Focus on hyperparasitism and co-infection of helminth and protist parasites within C.edule to better understand their lifecycles and transmission strategies.
- Compare interactions of cockles and parasites in the Irish Sea with those occuring in other regions of the Atlantic.
Activity 4.3 – Disease connectivity |
Led by – Christopher Coates (SU) |
Activity Questions: |
- Where are the reservoirs of shellfish diseases in the aquatic environment?
- Do common shore crabs, Carcinus maenas, harbour pathogens potentially dangerous to crustaceans of commercial interest, e.g. Cancer pagurus?
- Can we ‘track’ pathogens, such as Hematodinium, in the water column (zooplankton) and into the host using eDNA approaches?
Activity 4.4 – Toxins and pathogens under Climate Change |
Led by – Nathan King (BU) |
Activity Objectives: |
- How do pathogenic bacteria interact with their environment?
- What are the emerging pathogens and toxins directly relevant to the Irish Sea system?
- How will pathogen communities as well as their pathogenicity change under predicted climatic and local environmental change?
- Where are the most at risk areas in the Irish Sea and how will these change in the future?