You may miss these parasites when they’re gone

An undated photo provided by Natalie Mastick shows a copper rockfish collected from Puget Sound in 1964, from the University of Washington fish collection at the Burke Museum. Warming temperatures in one part of the world seem to have driven down the parasite population, suggesting another unexpected way that climate change harms ecosystems. [Natalie Mastick/University of Washington via The New York Times]

Most people assume that a warmer planet will be a buggier, more parasite- and disease-ridden place. There are plenty of examples to justify this fear. Climate change is already expanding the range of ticks that spread Lyme disease; mosquitoes that transmit malaria and Zika; and nocturnal, biting kissing bugs that drive Chagas' disease infections.

But while some parasitic species are getting a boost from climate change, they may be the exception rather than the rule. According to a groundbreaking study published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that analyzed 85 parasitic species, the majority suffered population declines over 140 years, on par with some of the most threatened wildlife species - or worse.

"It's the kind of decline that triggers conservation action for mammals and birds, and that gets people riled," said Chelsea Wood, a...

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