Susan Bower
Update the DFO website entitled "Synopsis of infectious diseases and parasites of commercially exploited shellfish" and provide advice on diseases of shellfish upon request.
Current research and/or projects
Dr. Bower established, at the Pacific Biological Station, the Shellfish Diseases Research Program that included many projects on diseases of various shellfish species of commercial value on the west coast of Canada. The objectives of the Program were to acquire a better understanding of the diseases that may be encountered during the mariculture of shellfish or that may impact on wild shellfish stocks on the west coast of Canada and to find methods for their prevention or control.
Dr. Bower retired in January 2008 and as an Emeritus Scientist, she continues to be involved in establishing and subsequently updating a comprehensive description of infectious diseases and parasites of commercially exploited shellfish from around the globe. This descriptive data base is available at the Synopsis of Infectious Diseases and Parasites of Commercially Exploited Shellfish website.
Research and/or project statements
Centre(s) of Expertise:
Related Links:
Professional activities / interests
infectious diseases of commercially important molluscs
Education and awards
BSc - Fish and Wildlife Biology, University of Guelph, 1974
MSc - Parasitology, University of Guelph, 1976
PhD - Parasitology, University of Guelph, 1980
Key publications
Primary Publications:
- Bower, S.M., Blackbourn, J. and Meyer, G.R. (1998): Distribution, prevalence, and pathogenicity of the protozoan Perkinsus qugwadi in Japanese scallops, Patinopecten yessoensis, cultured in British Columbia, Canada. Can. J. Zool. 76: 954-959.
- Bower, S.M. and G.R. Meyer. 2002. Morphology and ultrastructure of a protistan pathogen in the haemolymph of shrimp (Pandalus spp.) in the northeastern Pacific Ocean. Can. J. Zool. 80: 1055-1068.
- Bower, S.M. and S.E. McGladdery. 2003. Challenges to food production in the aquatic environment: protistan parasites that affect molluscan aquaculture. The Journal of Parasitology 89 (Suppl.): S250-S262
- Bower, S.M. 2003. Update on emerging abalone diseases and techniques for health assessment. Journal of Shellfish Research 22: 805-810.
- Bower, S.M. and S.E. McGladdery 2003. A scientific review of the potential environmental effects of aquaculture in aquatic ecosystems. Volume II. Disease interactions between wild and cultured shellfish Can. Tech. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 2450: viii + 33p.
- Bower, S.M., R.B. Carnegie, B. Goh, S.R.M. Jones, G.J. Lowe and M.W.S. Mak. 2004. Preferential PCR amplification of parasitic protistan small subunit rDNA from metazoan tissues. The Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology 51: 325-332.
- Bower, S.M., B. Goh, G.R. Meyer, R.B. Carnegie and A. Gee. 2005. Epizootiology and detection of Nocardiosis in oysters. In: P.J. Walker, R.G. Lester and M.G. Bondad-Reantaso (eds.). Diseases in Asian Aquaculture V. Proceedings of the Fifth Symposium on Diseases in Asian Aquaculture 24-28 November 2002 Queensland, Australia. Fish Health Section, Asian Fisheries Society, Quezon City. Pg. 249-262.
- Bower, S.M., K. Bate and G.R. Meyer. 2005. Susceptibility of juvenile Crassostrea gigas and resistance of Panope abrupta to Mikrocytos mackini. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 88: 95-99.
- Bower, S.M. 2006. Parasitic diseases of shellfish. In P.T.K. Woo Fish Diseases and Disorders. Volume 1: Protozoan and Metazoan Infections . 2nd Edition. CABI Publishing, UK
Secondary Publications: