Eelgrass meadows are critical habitats for finfish and shellfish in the Salish Sea. However, the eelgrasses that form the foundation of these meadows are threatened by several interacting stressors, including nutrient pollution, changing environmental conditions, and disease. The primary disease threat to eelgrasses is the protist Labyrinthula zosterae. My lab is studying how defenses produced by eelgrasses help curb pathogen growth. We are also looking at whether the green seaweeds that grow intermingled with eelgrass at many sites in the region can be infected or the pathogen or be carriers of the disease.
