Do parasites alter marine fish behavior?

For three weeks this summer, Anna is conducting fieldwork on Black Spot Syndrome and fish behavior alongside UROP student Nick Hernandez. Through scuba-based field surveys around the reefs of Curaçao, they are investigating how this infection may alter fish behavior, herbivory, and risk perception, and how such changes could ultimately impact coral reef ecosystems at a broader scale. The project is supported by an EBIO graduate research grant, the Lewis and Clark Fund, and The Next Swell.