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2003 Progress Report: Developmental Stability in Amphibians as a Biological Indicator of Chemical Contamination and Other Environmental Stressors, SEER project of SIP: Experimental Program To Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) From The Commonwealth Of Kentucky
EPA Grant Number: R829419E03Title: Developmental Stability in Amphibians as a Biological Indicator of Chemical Contamination and Other Environmental Stressors, SEER project of SIP: Experimental Program To Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) From The Commonwealth Of Kentucky
Investigators: Whiteman, Howard H. , Loganathan, Bommanna G.
Institution: Murray State University
EPA Project Officer: Winner, Darrell
Project Period: October 1, 2002 through September 30, 2004 (Extended to September 30, 2005)
Project Period Covered by this Report: October 1, 2002 through September 30, 2003
Project Amount: $165,775
RFA: EPSCoR (Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research) (2000)
Research Category: EPSCoR (The Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research)
Description:
Objective:The overall objective of this research project is to evaluate the potential of using developmental stability as a biological indicator of anthropogenic and natural stress in amphibians. Amphibians are ideal biological indicators because their semipermeable epidermis and complex life cycle expose them to multiple stressors in both aquatic and terrestrial environments. Therefore, amphibians should be among the first vertebrates affected by anthropogenic stressors in either of these environments. Furthermore, some of the same stressors affecting amphibians are known to have negative effects on other species, including humans. Although we proposed to evaluate a wide range of possible stressors, a major thrust of this project is to correlate amphibian developmental stability with contaminant levels accumulated in their tissues. We hypothesized that amphibian developmental stability would decrease with increased levels of anthropogenic (contaminants, land-use practices) and natural (population size and density) stressors. The specific objectives of this research project are to: (1) correlate the effects of environmental stressors with amphibian developmental stability; (2) evaluate the effect of species, life history stage, trophic level, and habitat type on measures of developmental stability; and (3) develop methods for separating the effects of anthropogenic and natural stressors.
Progress Summary:In Year 2 of the project, our research continued in earnest with the recruitment of a quality graduate student (Ms. Beth Kobylarz) concentrating on asymmetry analysis and a postdoctoral student working on contaminant analysis. Specifically, we processed two species of amphibians—bullfrogs and spotted salamanders—for developmental stability. Contaminant analysis currently is being conducted on these animals. We completed statistical analyses of our earlier asymmetry results, and we should have a manuscript submitted during spring 2004 (see below). Three other graduate students have become involved in this project. Ms. Christy Meredith has conducted experiments on the effects of nitrate on amphibian development, completed her M.S. during fall 2003, and will be submitting her work to Ecological Applications during spring 2004. Ms. Jessica Boynton joined our group in fall 2003, and with funding from the Kentucky Space Grant Consortium, she has been analyzing our developmental stability results from a geographic information systems' perspective. Most recently, Mr. I-Lun Chien has joined the project to complete the remaining contaminant analysis.
Future Activities:We currently are collecting larger numbers of bullfrog adults to correlate asymmetry with age, contamination level, and the presence of corticosterone, a known stress hormone. We also are collecting tissue samples of other species for contaminant processing and completing the contaminant analysis.
Journal Articles:No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 16 publications for this project
Supplemental Keywords:amphibians, bioindicators, contaminants, exposure, ambient air, carcinogen, chloroprene, epoxides, hemoglobin adducts, VOC, PAH, analytical, monitoring, mammalian, metabolism, KY, Kentucky, EPA Region 3, cleaner production/pollution prevention, air emissions, air pollution, alternative materials, amphibian bioindicator, amphibian decline, animal model, biomarker, biomarker based exposure inference, biomarker measurements, biomarkers, butadiene, causal mechanisms, clean technology, exposure, exposure assessment, hazardous emissions, human exposure, human health risk, pollution prevention, pollution prevention research. , Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, Geographic Area, Sustainable Industry/Business, Scientific Discipline, Health, RFA, Risk Assessments, amphibians, Health Risk Assessment, Ecological Risk Assessment, Biochemistry, cleaner production/pollution prevention, EPA Region, Environmental Chemistry, Monitoring/Modeling, State, biomarkers, causal mechanisms, clean technology, population decline, ecosystem health, Kentucky (KY), butadiene, developmental stability, hazardous emissions, human health risk, Region 3, biomarker based exposure inference, environmental monitoring, biomarker measurements, air pollution, alternative materials, amphibian bioindicator, exposure, PCB, biomarker, pollution prevention research, amphibian population, pollution prevention, animal model, air emissions
Relevant Websites:
http://www.mursuky.edu/qacd/cos/hbs/epaepscor-program.html 
Progress and Final Reports:
Original Abstract
2004 Progress Report
Final Report