Prey choice and habitat use drive sea otter pathogen exposure in a resource-limited coastal system.

ABSTRACT: The processes promoting disease in wild animal populations are highly complex, yet identifying these processes is critically important for conservation when disease is limiting a population. By combining field studies with epidemiologic tools, we evaluated the relationship between key factors impeding southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) population growth: disease and resource limitation. This threatened population has struggled to recover despite protection, so we followed radio-tagged sea otters and evaluated infection with 2 disease-causing protozoal pathogens, Toxoplasma gondii and Sarcocystis neurona, to reveal risks that increased the likelihood of pathogen exposure. We identified patterns of pathogen infection that are linked to individual animal behavior, prey choice, and hab

SUBMITTER: Johnson CK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2650139 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature