Parasites of Marine Species: Diversity, Impacts, and Management Strategies.

Marine parasites represent a vast and ecologically critical component of aquatic ecosystems. These parasites exhibit an extraordinary diversity, estimated to span thousands of species across various taxonomic groups, including nematodes, trematodes, cestodes, and parasitic crustaceans. Understanding the complexities of marine parasitism is essential to unveil their ecological significance, effects on hosts, and the broader aquatic environment. Still, there remain significant gaps in our knowledge regarding their distribution, host specificity, and the subtle balance they maintain within marine ecosystems.

This Research Topic aims to provide a comprehensive characterization of marine parasite diversity, investigate their ecological and economic impacts on host species, and formulate evidence-based management strategies. The central objectives include answering specific questions about host-parasite dynamics, documenting biodiversity across parasites, evaluating their influence on ecosystems, and examining potential strategies for mitigating adversities caused by these organisms while simultaneously fostering ecosystem health and resource sustainability in marine environments.

The Research Topic's scope emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach to advancing our understanding of marine parasites. To gather further insights into the diversity and impacts of marine parasites, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

- Taxonomic revisions using integrative morphology-molecular methods
- Molecular mechanisms of host-parasite interactions (e.g., immune evasion genes)
- Population genetics elucidating transmission pathways and speciation
- Ecological impacts quantifying effects on host fitness, food web dynamics, and ecosystem services (e.g., parasite-mediated nutrient cycling)

We welcome Original Research, Systematic Reviews, Methodological Advances (e.g., eDNA detection), and Modelling Studies addressing:

- Climate change impacts on parasite distribution
- Fisheries/aquaculture management strategies
- Conservation implications of parasite biodiversity loss
- Novel biocontrol approaches

Manuscripts must present empirical data or quantitative models relevant to marine ecosystems.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Community Case Study
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Community Case Study
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Marine Parasite Diversity, Host-Parasite Dynamics, Ecological Impacts, Management Strategies, Biodiversity Conservation

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.