Marine Bird of Neotropics, What We Know, and We Should Know of Diseases in a Changing World

A vast diversity of marine birds inhabit the neotropics, from coastal residents such as gulls to oceanic travelers such as albatross and those that make transcontinental migrations such as shearwaters. Many marine birds are only seen in colonies during the breeding season; thus, the study and understanding of their life cycle can be limited. Consequently, the study of infectious and other diseases is restricted. Marine birds are exposed to multiple threats, such as fluctuations in primary productivity (e.g., coastal upwelling systems of Chile and Peru) and human-driven threats (e.g., overfishing and contaminants). In addition, marine vertebrates cohabit with a large diversity of potential pathogens, especially those that live on the water and land interface. In this chapter, we will review how environmental variables (e.g., primary productivity) and anthropic impacts (e.g., light or contaminants) contribute to the mortality of marine birds and influence the distribution of pathogens (viruses, bacteria, and parasites) in marine birds and the potential effect of climate change on host–pathogen interactions. We will focus on marine birds with breeding colonies in the neotropics, such as penguins, pelicans, and cormorants, to then identify gaps in knowledge across less-studied taxa.