Sea Level Rise in Holocene Adriatic Linked to Increased Parasitic Activity

Photo Credit: Scientific Reports

Researchers have found that a rise in parasitic trematodes correlated with rises in sea level during the Holocene in Italy. Studying drill cores taken from the Po River delta in 2014, this group of researchers found an increased number of parasitic infestations in clams at times when sea levels were higher. Because the trematodes left no direct fossil remains, the study used empty pockets in clam shells produced by trematodes as a proxy for their prominence.

These researchers also link rising sea levels in the present and their findings over the course of the Holocene to an expected increased risk of parasites to humans in the future. Thus, the study finds that climate change may adverse impacting human internal health more quickly than previously thought. See the full article here.

Adapted from Sciencedaily