Mémoire
| Résumé : | The Panama Canal has been a hot spot for marine invasions since its conception in 1914when it became a perfect pathway for transfer from the Western Atlantic to the EasternPacific. Numerous marine species have been introduced in the surrounding areas due to thehigh volume of shipping traffic. While many studies have monitored this area’s impact onmarine invasions, very few have considered the potential for parasite transfer when theirhosts have been introduced. Gatun Lake is a freshwater body situated in the Panama Canaland acts as a buffer to fight against marine invasions. However, more marine species arebeginning to be introduced and their parasites with them. Here, I consider the potentialparasite composition of the 20 marine fish known to be introduced to Gatun Lake anddetermine the possibility of their transfer through the canal. This is done by combining anextensive literature search with data collected from dissections of marine fish from the lake.Through this, 232 parasites were found to be infecting the marine fish in Gatun Lake. Bycategorizing each species according to host specificity and salinity tolerance, I proposespecies that may be more likely for transfer if they were to be introduced. This study ismeant to provide a framework for future research in this area and assess the risksassociated with parasitic invasions in the Panama Canal. |
