Climate Change, Fish and Shellfish, and Parasite Dynamics: A Comprehensive Review

• Type: Another Publication in an International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2026

Authors

Atroch, F (Author) Other; Rangel, LF (Author) Other; Ayra-Pardo, C (Author) Other; Santos, MJ (Author) FCUP

Journal

Title: Journal of Marine Science and Engineering

Vol. 34

Final page: 167

Publisher: MDPI

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 0 Citations

Scopus - 0 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-01A-ZDW

DOI: 10.3390/jmse14020167

Abstract (EN): Anthropogenic climate change represents a critical and complex threat to the health and resilience of aquatic ecosystems. This review aims to critically synthesise and evaluate the synergetic and antagonistic mechanisms through which rising water temperature, the most prominent climatic factor, modulates the host-parasite relationship. The systematic literature review was conducted across a high-impact database (Web of Science), focusing on the extraction and qualitative analysis of data concerning infection dynamics and both host and parasite interactions. The findings demonstrate that thermal stress imposes a dual penalty on host-parasite systems: (1) it confers a critical thermal advantage to direct-life cycle parasites, significantly accelerating their virulence, reproduction, and infective capacity; (2) simultaneously, it severely compromises the immunocompetence and physiological resilience of piscine hosts, often through immunometabolic trade-offs and inflammatory dysfunction. This toxic synergy is the root cause of the exponential disease prevalence/intensity of parasites and fish mass mortality events, directly impacting biodiversity and global aquaculture sustainability. In contrast, it may also cause the disruption of the transmission chains to threaten complex life cycle parasites with localised extinction. We conclude that climate mitigation must be urgently recognised and implemented as a primary strategy for biological risk management to secure aquatic health and global food safety.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 23