AbstractWe here investigate the relationship between oceanographic processes and variability in parasite recruitment to host populations using existing data from host‐parasite systems encountering differing hydrographic conditions. Combined epidemiological data obtained from both exploited fish and cephalopod populations indicate that variability in recruitment of parasite infracommunities tends to be associated with major current systems of the World’s oceans. It appears that instability in water masses caused by physical perturbations (e.g. water mass convergence and turbulent mixing in upwelling systems) is associated with instability of trophic interactions over time, which in turn leads to a paucity of parasite communities in that area. The likely relationship between parasite recruitment and oceanographic regime should be extremely useful to the fishing industry and also as an indicator of ecosystem health.