What's in a Fish? The Historical Ecology of Parasites of Freshwater Fish in Georgia
Disciplines
Biodiversity | Integrative Biology | Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Within the state of Georgia, there are over 260 species of freshwater fish. Despite the large biodiversity, there is very little known about the parasitic diseases within these fish. Understanding these parasites better, and how they may affect their hosts, may give researchers a better understanding of the interactions within our freshwater ecosystems. In order to fill in this gap in research, we studied the parasites of freshwater fish in Georgia to better understand their relationships with their hosts. Specifically, we seek to answer two main questions: How have parasite communities of fish changed over the past two decades in Paulding and Cobb counties? What environmental and host variables contribute to the observed community changes? To gather our data, we dissected fish from Kennesaw State University’s Mountains-to-Metro Biodiversity Collection. We dissected each fish by removing their right eye, right gills, and internal organs. We then examined these specimens underneath a dissecting microscope and carefully extracted any parasites found within. These parasites were identified morphologically, and we analyzed the data with mixed models to determine 1) how parasite diversity and abundance have changed over the past two decades and 2) how hosts and environmental factors contributed to these changes. We will discuss preliminary results. With this project, we hope to better understand the interactions between species within our waterways. This project can also reveal patterns that help us understand how aquatic life is responding to anthropogenic pressures.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
CSM - Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Whitney Preisser
What's in a Fish? The Historical Ecology of Parasites of Freshwater Fish in Georgia
Within the state of Georgia, there are over 260 species of freshwater fish. Despite the large biodiversity, there is very little known about the parasitic diseases within these fish. Understanding these parasites better, and how they may affect their hosts, may give researchers a better understanding of the interactions within our freshwater ecosystems. In order to fill in this gap in research, we studied the parasites of freshwater fish in Georgia to better understand their relationships with their hosts. Specifically, we seek to answer two main questions: How have parasite communities of fish changed over the past two decades in Paulding and Cobb counties? What environmental and host variables contribute to the observed community changes? To gather our data, we dissected fish from Kennesaw State University’s Mountains-to-Metro Biodiversity Collection. We dissected each fish by removing their right eye, right gills, and internal organs. We then examined these specimens underneath a dissecting microscope and carefully extracted any parasites found within. These parasites were identified morphologically, and we analyzed the data with mixed models to determine 1) how parasite diversity and abundance have changed over the past two decades and 2) how hosts and environmental factors contributed to these changes. We will discuss preliminary results. With this project, we hope to better understand the interactions between species within our waterways. This project can also reveal patterns that help us understand how aquatic life is responding to anthropogenic pressures.