David Bushek

Assistant Professor

Ph.D. 1994, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Ecology and Evolution

Address:	Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory 6959 Miller Ave Port Norris, NJ 08349 e-mail: bushek@hsrl.rutgers.edu phone: (856) 785-0074 ext 4327 fax: (856) 785-1544

Research Interests:

	Estuarine and coastal ecology
	Molluscan ecology, genetics and parasitology
	Shellfish aquaculture

Research Statement:

Bivalve mollusks often serve prominent roles in the ecology of estuarine and coastal ecosystems. For example, the eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica is a reef-forming, filter feeding bivalve that lives in estuaries along the east and gulf coasts of North America. Oyster reefs perform a variety of ecological roles that contribute significantly to the structure and function of the coastal ecosystems in which they exist. They form a unique habitat that supports an abundance of taxonomically diverse species. They stabilize banks and bottom sediments and serve as both active and passive filters as waters pass over them. Moreover, the metabolic activity of the oysters and other organisms associated with the reefs actively couple benthic and pelagic communities. In a broad sense, the ecological role of oyster reefs is gaining appreciation, but much remains to be learned. One focus of my research aims to enhance our understanding of the ecological impact of bivalves, particularly the eastern oyster, at the population, community and ecosystem levels.

Many bivalves and other mollusks also support important commercial fisheries or are commercially farmed and harvested for various forms of exploitation (e.g., food, medicine, jewelry). The natural population of many species have declined dramatically due to decades, even centuries, of over fishing and habitat loss/degradation. Today, most of these species continue to face high fishing pressure and habitat loss. In addition, many also face increasing levels of parasitism and disease. Aquaculture has and continues to relieve some of the pressure on natural populations, but has its own set of environmental impacts, positive and negative. Parasites and disease, nonetheless plague many aquaculture and restoration efforts. Understanding host-parasite dynamics and disease processes at all levels (molecular, cellular, organism, population, community, and ecosystem) is crucial to the development of successful management strategies. Bivalves and their parasites do not exist in a vacuum, but within a complex ecosystem. With that in mind, the predominant thrust of my research concerns host-parasite interactions in bivalve mollusks.

Selected Publications:

Bushek, D. S.E. Ford and M.M Chintala. 2002. Comparison of in vitro cultured and wild-type Perkinsus marinus III. Fecal elimination and its role in transmission. Dis. Aquat. Org., 51:217-225.

Chintala, M.M., D. Bushek, and S.E. Ford. 2002. Comparison of in vitro cultured and wild-type Perkinsus marinus II. Dosing methods and host response. Dis. Aquat. Org., 51:203-216.

Ford, S.E., M.M.Chintala, and D. Bushek. 2002. Comparison of in vitro cultured and wild-type Perkinsus marinus I. Pathogen virulence. Dis. Aquat. Org., 51:187-201.

Bushek, D, C. Dungan, and A. Lewitus. 2002. Serological Affinities of the Protozoan Oyster Pathogen Perkinsus marinus (Apicomplexa) with Some Dinoflagellates (Dinophyceae). J. Euk. Microbiol., 49(1):11-16

Dame, R., D. Bushek, D. Allen, E. Koepfler, A. Lewitus and D. Edwards. 2002. Ecosystem response to bivalve density reduction: management implications. Aquatic Ecology, 36:51-65.

Reece, K.S., D. Bushek, K.L. Hudson and J.E. Graves. 2001. Geographic distribution of Perkinsus marinus genetic strains along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the USA, Marine Biology, 139: 1047-1055.

Dame, R., D. Bushek and T. Prins. 2001. Benthic suspension feeders as determinants of ecosystem structure and function in shallow coastal waters. pp. 11-37 In: Ecological Studies, Vol. 151, K. Reise (ed) Ecological Comparisons of Sedimentary Shores. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, Germany, 384 pp.

Bushek D. and T.L. Howell. 2000. The effect of UV irradiation on Perkinsus marinus and its potential use to reduce transmission via shellfish effluents. Northeast Regional Aquaculture Center, Univ. Mass., North Dartmouth, MA. NRAC Publication No. 00-008. 5 pp.

White, D. L., D. Bushek, D. E. Porter, and D. Edwards. (in press) Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Kriging: Analysis of the Spatial and Temporal Distributions of the oyster pathogen Perkinsus marinus in a Developed and an Undeveloped Estuary. J. of Shellfish Res.

Bushek, D., S.E. Ford, K.A. Alcox, R. Gustafson, and S.K. Allen, Jr. (1997). Response of the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, to in vitro cultured Perkinsus marinus and the early fate of parasites delivered via three dosing methods. J. Shellfish Res., 16(2):479-485.

Bushek, D. and S.K. Allen, Jr. (1996) . Host-parasite interactions among broadly distributed populations of the eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica and the protozoan Perkinsus marinus. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 139:127-141.

Bushek, D., S.E. Ford and S.K. Allen. Jr. (1994) Evaluation of methods using Ray's fluid thioglycollate medium for diagnosis of Perkinsus marinus infections in the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica. Ann. Rev. Fish Dis., 4:201-217.

Bushek, D. and G.N. Cameron. (1992). Recruitment and reproduction of the Asiatic clam (Corbicula fluminea) in southeastern Texas. Texas J. Sci., 44(1):123-127.

Bushek, D. (1988) Settlement as a major determinant of intertidal oyster and barnacle distributions along an horizontal gradient. J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol., 122(1):1-18.