Sea urchin pathogen: a possible tool for biological control

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Abstract
A sea urchin pathogen recently exerted great impact on the Nova Scotia [Canada] near-shore community by releasing large areas of habitat to seaweed colonization and growth. The pathogen has promise for use as a tool for biological control because it is virulent, apparently species specific, can be maintained and transferred in the laboratory, and is waterborne. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that it could be transferred from the laboratory to the field. This was accomplished in a reciprocal transplant experiment. Sea urchins from 2 sites 3.5 km apart were brought to the laboratory; one group was exposed to the disease-causing agent and the other served as control. Both groups were returned to the field but released at opposite sites. Sea urchins naturally occurring near the release of the exposed sea urchins developed disease symptoms within 4 wk; and by 8 wk when the temperature became too low for transfer of disease, diseased sea urchins were found as far as 120 m from the release site. No disease occurred at the control site by 8 wk or in 5 additional areas within a few kilometers of the 2 release sites.