My postdoctoral research focused on the influence of the filter feeding community on Hematodinium perezi dynamics in blue crab (Callinectus sapidus) populations in the Chesapeake Bay (USA). The parasite H. perezi is a highly pathogenic dinoflagellate that causes significant mortality in blue crabs (>80% in some circumstances). Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) are extremely efficient filter feeders and have been demonstrated to remove infectious H. perezi particles from the water column. I am utilizing a series of lab experiments, field manipulations, and sentinel studies to understand if oyster reefs can reduce H. perezi transmission.
Aquatic Disease Ecology in a Changing World 