Authors

D Thieltges¹;  ¹ NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Netherlands

Discussion

Biological invasions often result in dramatic impacts on native biota in recipient ecosystems and it is now increasingly recognised that they can also affect parasite-host interactions and diseases. In this presentation, I will give a conceptual overview of the different mechanisms of how invaders can affect diseases in invaded ecosystems and I will illustrate them with results of recent investigations on the invasion impacts of Pacific oysters. This marine bivalve has been introduced worldwide for aquaculture purposes and has become one of the most notorious invader in global coastal waters. The findings presented in this talk will highlight the intricate ecological complexity of the impacts of biological invasions on parasite-host interactions and diseases in recipient ecosystems.