Map of the Salton Sea. Sites of fish sampling. 6 Seasonal variation in infestation of tilatpia in Varner Harbor, 1998-1999 by Amyloodinium ocellatum and Ambiphrya ameiuri. Original Abstract Parasites of fish and invertebrates are integral parts of aquatic ecosystems. Especially in water bodies with poor environmental conditions they can exert a strong regulatory effect on populations.
Environmental stresses can depress host immunity.
Fish become more susceptible to infections and these can become more severe, even fatal. Sick and dead fish can become a source of disease for piscivorous birds and can present serious threats to their health. For many decades, the Salton Sea has been the site of an unprecedented series of die-offs of fish and water birds. These mortality events have been associated with critical combinations of high temperature and salinity, low oxygen tension, and toxic algal blooms. Recently, bacterial and viral pathogens have been documented or suspected as a cause of some of the massive birds and fish kills.