Publications

Crayfish are critical functional components of aquatic ecosystems. Previous research has documented adverse effects of mineral extraction on crayfish. Here, we characterize potential risks of mining-derived waterborne nickel (Ni) to crayfish by documenting the effects of dissolved Ni on growth and food consumption of juvenile virile crayfish (Faxonius virilis) in a 28-day chronic...

Bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis), black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus), grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), and silver carp (H. molitrix) have spurred wide concern of potential ecosystem disruption as they threaten to invade the Laurentian Great Lakes. Besides competition for resources, carp may also have disadvantageous nutrition for predators. One biochemical aspect to...

The frequent detection of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in the environment raises concern for aquatic systems. Carbamazepine (CBZ), an antiepileptic drug, is among the most detected PPCP globally, with concentrations in surface water exceeding those that induce toxicity to aquatic organisms. Non-targeted transcriptomic profiling was conducted in zebrafish (Danio...

Northern snakehead Channa argus (Cantor, 1842) is an aquatic invasive fish species in the United States with first documented occurrence in the wild in the 2000s. Management efforts to control their populations in the eastern United States are ongoing. In the Mississippi River basin, limited resources have been allocated to control its distribution, after initial detection and rapid...

A substantial body of evidence exists demonstrating that exposure to environmental contaminants can alter animal behavior. Moreover, methodological and technological advancements, as well as increasing standardization, mean that behavioral ecotoxicity studies are more rigorous and reliable than ever before. Despite this, behavioral data are still seldom used in the risk assessment and...

Although nitrogen and phosphorus deficiency of algal blooms have been the focus of substantial attention, organic nutrients can limit algal growth in aquatic systems. Growing evidence indicates thiamine (vitamin B1) can influence the community of primary producers in marine systems, but comparatively little is known about the effect of thiamine on freshwater algal productivity.We...

Silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis), bighead carp (H. molitrix) and their hybrids, collectively known as bigheaded carps, have been introduced to Lake Balaton, Hungary. The current stock sizes are difficult to assess. We investigated environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques targeted for bigheaded carps, assessed the spatial distribution of eDNA in Lake Balaton, compared eDNA...

In a previous study, bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) were periodically photographed by trail cameras when they visited desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) burrows in the San Bernardino Mountains near Palm Springs, California, USA. The authors suggested that bighorn sheep may utilize the excavated spoil material from burrows as a mineral lick. To test that supposition, we collected soil...

The global use of antidepressants has steadily increased, raising concern to aquatic ecosystems due to the incomplete removal during wastewater treatment. Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) act on the neuronal system by inhibiting the reuptake of serotonin and norepinephrine. However, despite visual function being heavily dependent on the neuronal system, a knowledge gap remains regarding...

Chronic selenium (Se) water quality criteria are based primarily on dietary organoselenium exposure and subsequent reproductive effects in fish. Available chronic Se toxicity data suggests that invertebrates are less sensitive than fish, but chronic invertebrate studies are limited. We evaluated yeast-based diets for chronic toxicity studies with Hyalella azteca and Chironomus dilutus...

Rivers of the northern Great Plains have lacked long-term, continuous water temperature assessments, and there is limited information on thermal regimes of these systems and factors driving water temperature. We collected and assembled 2001–2022 water temperature data from 18 sites on four reaches of three rivers that differ in anthropogenic impacts: semi-natural Yellowstone River (YR)...

We evaluated the bioaccumulation and transfer of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in a stream food web contaminated by a food processing facility. Abiotic (i.e., water, sediment, and foam) and biotic (i.e., algae, aquatic insect larvae and adults, fish, and riparian spiders) matrices were sampled upstream and downstream of the facility’s wastewater outfall. Compared with...