Marine Disease Summit

Sea star with wasting syndrome.\Photo by Jim Young.

Marine disease outbreaks and other mass mortalities are on the rise due to climate change and other human activities.   A workshop and strategic planning session on Marine Disease Outbreaks is being organized for Saturday, Oct. 20, in Portland to address the growing threat.  It takes place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the auditorium at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (1945 S.E. Water Ave.) in Portland.  While scientists, resource managers, and NGOs are particularly invited, interested members of the public are invited, too. 

According to the announcement circulated by Oregon State University’s Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans (PISC), “The sea star wasting syndrome (SSWS) event that devastated sea stars on the U.S. West Coast made it clear that a coordinated network is necessary to rapidly respond to disease outbreaks in the sea. We invite scientists, agencies, NGOs, aquaculture specialists, disease experts, conservationists, the public, and other stakeholders to join us.”

The goals are to develop a network that can be mobilized to monitor and investigate when there is another marine debris outbreak, and to develop a contingency plan to document, research, and if possible mitigate marine disease episodes.  These goals, of course, fit what the CoastWatch program does very well, and we plan to participate.  Another goal is to develop a strategic action plan for sea star wasting syndrome, something that CoastWatch’s sea star survey is helping to track.

To register (which involves filling out a questionnaire) or place yourself on the list to receive updates even if you can’t attend, go here.