Over the last several years, a number of epidemic dermatological diseases have been observed in fishes of the Pamlico River estuary. The most important is ulcerative mycosis, a deep, granulomatous, oomycete infection that primarily affects Atlantic menhaden Brevoortia tyrannus. Since 1984, prevalence rates of up to 90% have been observed during certain times of the year. Other less prevalent diseases have also been observed in various species, including lymphocystis, atypical Aeromonas salmonicida, and other unidentified idiopathic dermatological lesions. The high prevalence of many of these diseases has been of concern to fisheries managers because of their potential impact upon estuarine populations. While a number of environmental problems populations. While a number of environmental problems (noxious algae blooms, increasing turbidity, anoxic/hypoxic events, loss of submerged aquatic vegetation, etc.) plague the Pamlico River estuary, none have yet to be directly linked to diseases in the fishery. However, the preponderance of infectious diseases, many of which are considered opportunistic agents, suggests that immunosuppression is somehow contributing to many of these problems.

Supported by grants from the UNC Water Resources Research Institute and the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries.