The Fishing and Hunting integrated science team focuses on contaminant and pathogen exposures in the environment that could impact the presence and vitality of fish and wildlife populations that drive commercial, recreational and subsistence activities such as hunting and fishing. If actual risks are identified this project will inform how to economically and effectively minimize risk by providing scientific data and understandings about the environmental transport, fate, and exposure pathways of contaminants and pathogens. Emphasis will be placed on addressing these issues on public and Department of the Interior managed landscapes.
Fish and wildlife that are healthy, abundant, and safe to eat drive many economically valuable commercial, recreational, and subsistence activities, and are a treasured part of the American landscape.
Contaminant and pathogen exposures are known to influence these natural resources. Team scientists together with other federal, state, and university collaborators, conduct scientific research that provides information to economically and effectively minimize risk to fish and wildlife by understanding the environmental transport, fate, exposure pathways, and potential effects of contaminants and pathogens. Because fish and wildlife can move over sometimes large distances, the Team studies exposure to contaminants and pathogens across landscapes, particularly on public lands and those managed by the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Current Science Questions and Activities
- Are sport fish in the Northeast U.S. exposed to chemical contaminants that are adversely affecting their health, reproduction and populations?
- How important are contaminants in relation to other risk factors (climatic, water quality, parasite, pathogen) influencing adverse health effects in Northeast United States sport fish?
- What is the susceptibility of black bass to formation of intersex from exposure to endocrine disrupting contaminants?
- Do exposures to endocrine disrupting contaminants during early development cause adverse outcomes later in life in wild fish.
- Are sublethal contaminant exposures causing waterfowl mortalities due to secondary factors such as starvation?
- What are the land use, habitat, and ecological factors that control pesticide and mercury exposures in sportfish from the Columbia River Basin?
- Are pesticide and mercury concentrations correlated with biomarkers of adverse health impacts of sportfish in the Columbia River Basin?
- Is there a human health risk due to pesticide and mercury in sportfish harvested from the Columbia River basin?
- Is the body condition of ducks harvested by hunters in the Pacific Flyway adversely impacted by environmental mercury exposures?
- Is there a human health risk due to mercury in ducks harvested in the Pacific Flyway?
- Are viruses risk factors associated with the genesis of liver or skin tumors?
The following are the data releases from this science team’s research activities.
Chemical and biological data from a study on sensitivity of a unionid mussel (Lampsilis siliquoidea) to a permitted effluent and elevated potassium
Biological variables and liver and testes transcript abundance from smallmouth bass sampled in the Lake Erie drainage, Pennsylvania (2016)
Chemical and biological data from a study on method development for a short term 7 day sodium chloride and mock effluent toxicity tests with unionid mussels
Presence/Absence of Myxobolus inornatus, Aeromonas spp., and Flavobacterium spp. in Young-of-the-Year Smallmouth Bass with Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization
Morphometric, Age, Visible Abnormalities, Skin and Liver Neoplasms, and Stable Isotopes in White Sucker Collected in the St. Louis River and Estuary, Minnesota/Wisconsin, 2011-2015
Morphometric, Age and Concentrations of Perfluoroalkyl Substances in Smallmouth Bass Plasma from Four Sites in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Metabarcoding data from freshwater mussel eDNA collected in Clinch River, Virginia 2017
Mucket eDNA detection in Wallen's Bend, Clinch river, Tennessee, September 2019
Estrogen equivalents of surface water and smallmouth bass estrogenic biomarker data in New Jersey, 2016-2017
Below are publications associated with this science team.
Reproductive health and endocrine disruption in smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) from the Lake Erie drainage, Pennsylvania, USA
Development of a multiplex fluorescence in situ hybridization assay to identify coinfections in young-of-the-year smallmouth bass
The sensitivity of a unionid mussel (Lampsilis siliquoidea) to a permitted effluent and elevated potassium in the effluent
Targeted and non-targeted analysis of young-of-year smallmouth bass using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry
Identification of Aphanomyces invadans, the cause of epizootic ulcerative syndrome, in smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) from the Cheat River, West Virginia, USA
Biological and anthropogenic influences on macrophage aggregates in white perch Morone americana from Chesapeake Bay, USA
Environmental and anthropogenic drivers of contaminants in agricultural watersheds with implications for land management
Widespread use of the nitrification inhibitor nitrapyrin: Assessing benefits and costs to agriculture, ecosystems, and environmental health
Groundwater discharges as a source of phytoestrogens and other agriculturally derived contaminants to streams
Assessing the ecological risks of per‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substances: Current state‐of‐the science and a proposed path forward
Per‐ and poly‐fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) encompass a large, heterogenous group of chemicals of potential concern to human health and the environment. Based on information for a few relatively well‐understood PFAS such as perfluorooctane sulfonate and perfluorooctanoate, there is ample basis to suspect that at least a subset can be considered persistent, bioaccumulative, and/or toxic. However, d
Assessment of microscopic pathology in fishes collected at sites impacted by wood tar in Pennsylvania
Reconnaissance of surface water estrogenicity and the prevalence of intersex in smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) inhabiting New Jersey
- Overview
The Fishing and Hunting integrated science team focuses on contaminant and pathogen exposures in the environment that could impact the presence and vitality of fish and wildlife populations that drive commercial, recreational and subsistence activities such as hunting and fishing. If actual risks are identified this project will inform how to economically and effectively minimize risk by providing scientific data and understandings about the environmental transport, fate, and exposure pathways of contaminants and pathogens. Emphasis will be placed on addressing these issues on public and Department of the Interior managed landscapes.
Fish and wildlife that are healthy, abundant, and safe to eat drive many economically valuable commercial, recreational, and subsistence activities, and are a treasured part of the American landscape.
Contaminant and pathogen exposures are known to influence these natural resources. Team scientists together with other federal, state, and university collaborators, conduct scientific research that provides information to economically and effectively minimize risk to fish and wildlife by understanding the environmental transport, fate, exposure pathways, and potential effects of contaminants and pathogens. Because fish and wildlife can move over sometimes large distances, the Team studies exposure to contaminants and pathogens across landscapes, particularly on public lands and those managed by the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Current Science Questions and Activities
The team determines the pathology of raised black tumors on brown bullhead. The team has histopathologists that study effects at a microscopic scale. This image shows the micrograph of testes from male smallmouth bass that are checked for abnormal tissues. - Are sport fish in the Northeast U.S. exposed to chemical contaminants that are adversely affecting their health, reproduction and populations?
- How important are contaminants in relation to other risk factors (climatic, water quality, parasite, pathogen) influencing adverse health effects in Northeast United States sport fish?
- What is the susceptibility of black bass to formation of intersex from exposure to endocrine disrupting contaminants?
- Do exposures to endocrine disrupting contaminants during early development cause adverse outcomes later in life in wild fish.
- Are sublethal contaminant exposures causing waterfowl mortalities due to secondary factors such as starvation?
- What are the land use, habitat, and ecological factors that control pesticide and mercury exposures in sportfish from the Columbia River Basin?
- Are pesticide and mercury concentrations correlated with biomarkers of adverse health impacts of sportfish in the Columbia River Basin?
- Is there a human health risk due to pesticide and mercury in sportfish harvested from the Columbia River basin?
- Is the body condition of ducks harvested by hunters in the Pacific Flyway adversely impacted by environmental mercury exposures?
- Is there a human health risk due to mercury in ducks harvested in the Pacific Flyway?
- Are viruses risk factors associated with the genesis of liver or skin tumors?
- Data
The following are the data releases from this science team’s research activities.
Chemical and biological data from a study on sensitivity of a unionid mussel (Lampsilis siliquoidea) to a permitted effluent and elevated potassium
The data release includes data from four studies: (1) toxicity of a permitted effluent, which entered the Deep Fork River (DFR), Oklahoma, USA, to a unionid mussel (Lampsilis siliquoidea) and to 2 standard test species (cladoceran Ceriodaphnia dubia; and fathead minnow Pimephales promelas) in short-term 7-d effluent tests; (2) relative sensitivities of the 3 species to potassium (K), an elevated mBiological variables and liver and testes transcript abundance from smallmouth bass sampled in the Lake Erie drainage, Pennsylvania (2016)
In 2016, smallmouth bass were collected from three sites in the Lake Erie drainage in Erie County, Pennsylvania and an out-of-basin site in the Allegheny River drainage in order to assess reproductive health and identify endocrine disruption responses. Pieces of liver and gonad were taken in Z-Fix and RNALater for histology and transcript abundance analysis. A landscape analysis was conducted forChemical and biological data from a study on method development for a short term 7 day sodium chloride and mock effluent toxicity tests with unionid mussels
The data consists of the responses (survival, growth, and/or reproduction) of test organisms were determined in six concentrations of toxicants in 7-day toxicity tests or in four different feeding rates in 7-day feeding experiments. Specifically we evaluated the sensitivity of 2 mussel species (Villosa constricta and Lampsilis siliquoidea) and P. promelas and C. dubia using effluents in 7-d exposuPresence/Absence of Myxobolus inornatus, Aeromonas spp., and Flavobacterium spp. in Young-of-the-Year Smallmouth Bass with Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization
Histopathological assessments of young-of-the-year smallmouth bass (YOY SMB) in the Susquehanna River drainage identified a high prevalence of the myxozoan Myxobolus inornatus. This myxozoan infects the connective tissue of the muscle below the skin but is sometimes observed in the esophagus and buccal cavity. In some instances, shallow infections cause breaks in the skin which could increase theMorphometric, Age, Visible Abnormalities, Skin and Liver Neoplasms, and Stable Isotopes in White Sucker Collected in the St. Louis River and Estuary, Minnesota/Wisconsin, 2011-2015
The dataset provides length, weight, age, observations of visible external abnormalities, liver and skin histopathology and stable isotopes of white sucker captured within the St. Louis river and associated bays.Morphometric, Age and Concentrations of Perfluoroalkyl Substances in Smallmouth Bass Plasma from Four Sites in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Archived plasma from fish health monitoring sites within the Chesapeake Bay watershed was analyzed for 13 perfluoroalkyl compounds. Smallmouth bass were collected from two sites in the Potomac River drainage (Antietam Creek, Maryland and South Branch Potomac, West Virginia) and two in the Susquehanna River drainage (West Branch Mahantango Creek, Pennsylvania and Pine Creek, Pennsylvania). Site andMetabarcoding data from freshwater mussel eDNA collected in Clinch River, Virginia 2017
Data from metabarcoding assays to detect a suite of mussel species using mitochondrial DNA regions of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and NADH dehydrogenase subunit (ND1) genes sequences.Mucket eDNA detection in Wallen's Bend, Clinch river, Tennessee, September 2019
The data describe the technical performance of a designed qPCR assay for the detection of mucket (Actinonaias ligamentina) eDNA from field collected water samples. Parameters described include the sequences of the primers and probes used; the limit of detection and limit of quantification for the assay; a list of freshwater mussels species that were used to test specificity of the assay; and in siEstrogen equivalents of surface water and smallmouth bass estrogenic biomarker data in New Jersey, 2016-2017
The data were gathered as a preliminary assessment of estrogenicity under base-flow conditions at over 100 sites (lakes and streams) throughout New Jersey followed by more targeted sampling of smallmouth bass at nine sites with varying levels of estrogenicity. In 2016, 102 sites (lakes and streams) for the preliminary estrogenicity assessment were selected utilizing compiled results of previous mo - Publications
Below are publications associated with this science team.
Filter Total Items: 25Reproductive health and endocrine disruption in smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) from the Lake Erie drainage, Pennsylvania, USA
Smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu were sampled from three sites within the Lake Erie drainage (Elk Creek, Twentymile Creek, and Misery Bay, an embayment in Presque Isle Bay). Plasma, tissues for histopathological analyses, and liver and testes preserved in RNALater® were sampled from 30 smallmouth bass (of both sexes) at each site. Liver and testes samples were analyzed for transcript abundanceDevelopment of a multiplex fluorescence in situ hybridization assay to identify coinfections in young-of-the-year smallmouth bass
Histopathological assessments of young-of-the-year (age-0) Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu in the Susquehanna River drainage identified a high prevalence of the myxozoan Myxobolus inornatus. This myxozoan infects the connective tissue of the muscle below the skin but is sometimes observed in the esophagus and buccal cavity. In some instances, shallow infections cause breaks in the skin, whichThe sensitivity of a unionid mussel (Lampsilis siliquoidea) to a permitted effluent and elevated potassium in the effluent
Freshwater mussels are one of the most imperiled groups of animals in the world and are among the most sensitive species to a variety of chemicals. However, little is known about the sensitivity of freshwater mussels to wastewater effluents. The objectives of the present study were to (1) assess the toxicity of a permitted effluent, which entered the Deep Fork River, Oklahoma (USA), to a unionid mTargeted and non-targeted analysis of young-of-year smallmouth bass using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry
Smallmouth bass in the Susquehanna River Basin, Chesapeake Bay Watershed, USA, have been exhibiting clinical signs of disease and reproductive endocrine disruption (e.g., intersex, male plasma vitellogenin) for over fifteen years. Previous histological and targeted chemical analyses have identified infectious agents and pollutants in fish tissues including organic contaminants, mercury, and perfluIdentification of Aphanomyces invadans, the cause of epizootic ulcerative syndrome, in smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) from the Cheat River, West Virginia, USA
The oomycete Aphanomyces invadans (Saprolegniales, Oomycetes), the cause of epizootic ulcerative syndrome (EUS), is an OIE (World Organization for Animal Health) reportable pathogen, capable of infecting many fish species worldwide in both freshwater and estuarine environments (Iberahim et al. 2018). Since the discovery of EUS in Japan in 1971 (Egusa and Masuda 1971), it has spread globally and caBiological and anthropogenic influences on macrophage aggregates in white perch Morone americana from Chesapeake Bay, USA
The response of macrophage aggregates in fish to a variety of environmental stressors has been useful as a biomarker of exposure to habitat degradation. Total volume of macrophage aggregates (MAV) was estimated in the liver and spleen of white perch Morone americana from Chesapeake Bay using stereological approaches. Hepatic and splenic MAV were compared between fish populations from the rural ChoEnvironmental and anthropogenic drivers of contaminants in agricultural watersheds with implications for land management
If not managed properly, modern agricultural practices can alter surface and groundwater quality and drinking water resources resulting in potential negative effects on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Exposure to agriculturally derived contaminant mixtures has the potential to alter habitat quality and negatively affect fish and other aquatic organisms. Implementation of conservation practicesByEcosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Contaminant Biology, Environmental Health Program, Toxic Substances Hydrology, California Water Science Center, Central Midwest Water Science Center, Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Kansas Water Science Center, New Jersey Water Science Center, New York Water Science Center, Pennsylvania Water Science CenterWidespread use of the nitrification inhibitor nitrapyrin: Assessing benefits and costs to agriculture, ecosystems, and environmental health
Agricultural production and associated applications of nitrogen (N) fertilizers have increased dramatically in the last century, and current projections to 2050 show that demands will continue to increase as the human population grows. Applied in both organic and inorganic fertilizer forms, N is an essential nutrient in crop productivity. Increased fertilizer applications, however, create the poteGroundwater discharges as a source of phytoestrogens and other agriculturally derived contaminants to streams
Groundwater discharge zones in streams are important habitats for aquatic organisms. The use of discharge zones for thermal refuge and spawning by fish and other biota renders them susceptible to potential focused discharge of groundwater contamination. Currently, there is a paucity of information about discharge zones as a potential exposure pathway of chemicals to stream ecosystems. Using thermaAssessing the ecological risks of per‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substances: Current state‐of‐the science and a proposed path forward
Per‐ and poly‐fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) encompass a large, heterogenous group of chemicals of potential concern to human health and the environment. Based on information for a few relatively well‐understood PFAS such as perfluorooctane sulfonate and perfluorooctanoate, there is ample basis to suspect that at least a subset can be considered persistent, bioaccumulative, and/or toxic. However, d
Assessment of microscopic pathology in fishes collected at sites impacted by wood tar in Pennsylvania
In an effort to determine whether fish populations in an area affected by wood tar waste exhibited health effects, fish were collected and analyzed with histopathology. Multiple species, including Mottled Sculpin (Cottus bairdii), Creek Chub (Semotilus atromaculatus), White Sucker (Catostumus commersonii), Redside Dace (Clinostomus elongatus), Common Shiner (Luxilus cornutus), and Western BlacknosReconnaissance of surface water estrogenicity and the prevalence of intersex in smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) inhabiting New Jersey
The observation of testicular oocytes in male fishes has been utilized as a biomarker of estrogenic endocrine disruption. A reconnaissance project led in the Northeastern United States (US) during the period of 2008–2010 identified a high prevalence of intersex smallmouth bass on or near US Fish & Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuges that included the observation of 100% prevalence in smallm