Ecobiology

General objectives At the end of the course the student will have acquired knowledge on biology and ecology of marine parasites. The student will be also able to recognize the main parasites of marine organisms such as molluscs, squids, fish, fish-eating birds, reptiles and marine mammals. He/she will acquire knowledge on the main traditional methodologies, as well as those most innovative ones (based on -omics approach), used for the parasites' identification, and in the study of host-parasite interaction. The student will be able to study adaptive mechanisms evolved in marine parasites as a response to the hosts, even in relation to their evolutionary history. Knowledge on patterns of the host-parasite co-evolutionary history will be acquired, as well. The student will also acquire knowledge on the possible use of some parasites as ecological indicators of fish stocks, migration routes of definitive hosts populations, food-webs stability and, finally, of global warming of marine ecosystems, in a multidisciplinary approach. Finally, he/she will be able to monitoring the epidemiology of some parasite species that, having a pathogenic role could affect the population of their hosts, also in relation to their conservation status, such as in the case of overfished fish species, marine turtles and mammals. Specific objectives Knowledge and understanding The student will acquire knowledge on the life-cycle, biogeography, ecology, and evolutionary adaptive mechanisms of the main taxonomic groups of parasites of fish, molluscs, squids, marine birds, turtles and mammals. The student will be able to understand and to apply different genetic, genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic approaches actually used to recognise main parasites and to study the host-parasite interaction. Approaches aimed to study co-phylogenetic and co-evolutionary aspects in host -parasite evolutionary history, will be also acquired by the student. Moreover, he/she will acquire knowledge on some parasites which could have a zoonotic role to humans and on the pathogenic aspects derived from the accidental transmission. In this regard, knowledge on the main biological hazards (parasites) present in wild fisheries and the importance of monitoring them as part of risk assessment. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding The student will acquire the skills to use the most suitable methods for identifying and studying parasites in the aims of acquire knowledge on ecological and biological aspects. He will be able to apply methodologies for sampling parasites during field work (as in the case of fishing activity and necroscopy of stranded marine animals), as well as for the parasites analysis in laboratory work. He/she will be able to select the most appropriate methodology's strategies (both traditional and innovative, including the eDNA) for each case-study in the monitoring of parasites in a marine ecosystem. Critical and judgmental capacities The student, given the knowledge acquired during the course, as well during the field work and laboratory practices, will see application of genetic and epidemiological approaches to carry out monitoring of parasites in marine ecosystem, even in comparative analysis, at both time and space level. These practises will permit the student to choose the most suitable methods with critical and judgemental skills. Communication skills The student can select a particular case-study in the frame of the arguments treated during the ex-cathedra lecturing, for which a literature searching will be performed. He/she will then give an oral presentation of that case study, with a critical discussion during the communications to the other students of the course, on the methodologies applied and results achieved, which will be stimulated by the teacher. Learning skills The student will acquire the capability to design a specific protocol for a specific case study, in a multidisciplinary approach, to use parasites as ecological indicators in the monitoring of marine ecosystems health.