USGS National Wetlands Research Center: Aquatic Ecosystem Stressors

Aquatic Ecosystem Stressors

The USGS studies long-term issues surrounding the quality of the Nation's waters. The last decade of the 20th century witnessed the rise of technologies to detect small amounts of chemicals entering our waterways and to detect the influences of these stressors in aquatic ecosystems. Stressors of concern include hormonally active chemicals (such as synthetic estrogen), microbial pathogens, pharmaceutical compounds, and heavy metals. Fish and birds have proven to be good animal models in which to study the effects. NWRC's mission encompasses studying impacts on wetlands and aquatic habitats; therefore, several studies on ecosystem health are being performed. Ecosystem health is reflected by the health of its animals, and studies of their cells can yield quantitative, diagnostic, and predictive information. For parts of these studies, a specialized lab is used and includes the following: microscopic image analysis, fluorescence microscopy, and flow cytometry.

Research

Photographic Images Captured While Sampling for Bald Eagles near the Davis Pond Freshwater Diversion Structure in Barataria Bay, Louisiana (2009–10) (Dr. Jill A. Jenkins, Dr. Clinton W. Jeske, and Larry Allain)

Davis Pond Freshwater Diversion Biomonitoring: Prediversion and Postdiversion Freshwater Fish Data (Dr. Jill A. Jenkins and Dr. Draugelis-Dale)
Davis Pond Freshwater Prediversion Biomonitoring Study: Freshwater Fisheries and Eagles Project (Dr. Jill A. Jenkins and Dr. Clinton W. Jeske)
Effects of Wastewater Discharges on Endocrine and Reproductive Function of Western Mosquitofish (Gambusia spp.) and Implications for the Threatened Santa Ana Sucker (Catostomus santaanae) (Dr. Jill A. Jenkins and Dr. Draugelis-Dale)
Use of Eyeballs for Establishing Ploidy of Asian Carp, 2007, North American Journal of Fisheries Management: vol. 27, no. 4, p. 1195-1202. (Dr. Jill A. Jenkins)
Asian Carp in Louisiana (Dr. Jill A. Jenkins)
Fish Bioindicators of Ecosystem Condition at the Calcasieu Estuary, Louisiana (Dr. Jill A. Jenkins)

Flow Cytometry: An Essential Tool in Biomarker Research, p. 34 [abs.], IN Briggs, K.M., ed., 2010, Proceedings of the U.S. Geological Survey Interdisciplinary Microbiology Workshop, Estes Park, Colorado, October 15–17, 2008 (Dr. Jill A. Jenkins and Dr. Draugelis-Dale)
Viability of Male Gametes in Common Carp Cyprinus carpio along the Lower Colorado RIver from the Cibola National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Havasu NWR, and Lake Mohave of Lake Mead National Recreation Area (Dr. Jill A. Jenkins)
Pallid Sturgeon in the Lower Mississippi Region: Hematology and Genome Information (Dr. Jill A. Jenkins)

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