Maureen K Purcell, Ph.D.
I have been a scientist with the USGS since 2005. I was a microbiologist and then the Fish Health Section Chief at the Western Fisheries Research Center, and am now the Deputy Center Director of the Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center.
Prior to joining FRESC's management team, I led a team of scientists, technicians, post-doctoral researchers, graduate students and visiting scientists working to improve methods for the detection of fish pathogens, determine factors affecting the epidemiology of fish diseases, and develop novel control strategies for reducing losses among both hatchery-reared and wild fish.
Professional Experience
2022 - Present: Deputy Center Director, U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Corvallis, OR
2017 - 2022: Chief, Fish Health Section, U.S. Geological Survey, Western Fisheries Research Center, Seattle, WA
2014 - Present: Affiliate Associate Professor, Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
2008 - 2016: Research Microbiologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Western Fisheries Research Center, Seattle, WA
2005 - 2008: Microbiologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Western Fisheries Research Center, Seattle, WA
1999 - 2000: Contractor, NOAA Fisheries, Northwest Fishery Science Center, Seattle, WA
1997 - 1999: Professional Research Assistant, The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. 2005. Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
M.S. 1997. Zoology, University of Maine, Orono, ME
B.S. 1993. Zoology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA
Affiliations and Memberships*
American Fisheries Society - Fish Health Section
European Association of Fish Pathologists
Associate Editor - Journal of Aquatic Animal Health
Editorial Board - Fish and Shellfish Immunology
Editorial Board - Journal of Virological Methods
Honors and Awards
2016 - Presidential Early Career Service Award for Scientists and Engineers
2012 - U.S. Geological Survey, Western States Diversity Award group award to Fish Health Section
2012 - American Fisheries Society, Most significant paper in Journal of Aquatic Animal Health
2009 - U.S. Geological Survey, Best Professional Paper in Biology by a New Scientist
2008 - American Fisheries Society, Most significant paper in Journal of Aquatic Animal Health
2004 - Faculty Merit Award, U.W. School of Aquatic and Fisheries Sciences
Science and Products
AquaDePTH-Aquatic Disease and Pathogen Repository
Partners - FHP
Fish Health Program Lead Scientists and Areas of Expertise
Species Studied by the Fish Health Program
Tribal Collaboration - Fish Health Program (FHP)
Herring Disease Program
Detection Protocols - Renibacterium salmoninarum
Ichthyobodo - FHP
Research on Emerging Viruses of Salmonids - FHP
Emerging Viruses - FHP
Nucleospora Salmonis - FHP
Whirling Disease - FHP
Entry and spread of specialist and generalist infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) genotypes in Chinook salmon, steelhead and sockeye salmon
Detections, Physical Captures, Water Quality, and Fish Health associated with Endangered Suckers in Three Net Pens in Upper Klamath Lake, 2020
Analytical and diagnostic validation of a molecular test to detect and discriminate IHNV genogroups U and M
Histological and molecular testing of nuclear inclusion X in Pacific Razor clams from select locations in Washington, USA
Spatial and temporal survey of waterborne myxozoan parasites in the Lake Sammamish watershed, Washington, from 2019 - 2021
Survival, viral load and neutralizing antibodies in steelhead trout and cell cultures exposed to infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) at 3 temperatures
Data from 2018 Experiment on Effects of Temperature on Survival and Growth of Juvenile Lost River Suckers (Deltistes luxatus) naturally exposed to Ichthyobodo spp
Nuclear inclusion X testing of Pacific Razor clams from select locations in Washington and Alaska
Laboratory exposure of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), coho salmon (O. kisutch) and rainbow trout (O. mykiss) to a Pacific Canadian strain of piscine orthoreovirus genotype one (PRV-1)
Final Dataset: Molecular testing of adult Pacific salmon and trout (Oncorhynchus spp.) for several RNA viruses demonstrates widespread distribution of piscine orthoreovirus (PRV) in Alaska and Washington
Local and systemic replicative fitness for viruses in specialist, generalist, and non-specialist interactions with salmonid hosts
Evaluating the effect of nuclear inclusion X (NIX) infections on Pacific razor clam populations
Variation in within-host replication kinetics among virus genotypes provides evidence of specialist and generalist infection strategies across three salmonid host species
A phylogeny based on cytochrome-c oxidase gene sequences identifies sympatric Ichthyophonus genotypes in the NE Pacific Ocean
Rapid diagnostic test to detect and discriminate infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) genogroups U and M to aid management of Pacific Northwest salmonid populations
Disruption of the Francisella noatunensis orientalis pdpA gene results in virulence attenuation and protection in zebrafish
Herring Disease Program - Annual Project Report 2012011-E, February 1, 2010-January 31, 2021
Temperature variation and host immunity regulate viral persistence in a salmonid host
Environmental variation has important effects on host–pathogen interactions, affecting large-scale ecological processes such as the severity and frequency of epidemics. However, less is known about how the environment interacts with host immunity to modulate virus fitness within hosts. Here, we studied the interaction between host immune responses and water temperature on the long-term persistence
Long-term shedding from fully convalesced individuals indicates that Pacific herring are a reservoir for viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus
Differential susceptibility of Yukon River and Salish Sea stocks of Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha to ichthyophoniasis
Effect of temperature on survival of Lost River Suckers with a natural infection of Ichthyobodo spp.
Exploration of the 2016 Yellowstone River fish kill and proliferative kidney disease in wild fish populations
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Science and Products
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AquaDePTH-Aquatic Disease and Pathogen Repository
The Aquatic Disease and Pathogen Repository (AquaDePTH) will be a public-facing national repository to support biosurveillance of aquatic animal diseases and pathogens. By collating historically published data, plus new aquatic pathogen and disease information, stakeholders will be able monitor fish kill and aquatic pathogen trends spatially and temporally in freshwater and marine environments...Partners - FHP
For more than five decades the WFRC Fish Health Program has worked with partners to provide research findings to managers of aquatic resources. Those partners form a network of colleagues, co-investigators, and customers. Our partners include Department of the Interior bureaus, tribal and state fisheries agencies, other federal partners and the private sector.Fish Health Program Lead Scientists and Areas of Expertise
Lead Scientists - ExpertiseSpecies Studied by the Fish Health Program
List of species studied by the Fish Health Program. These species include bacteria, fish, parasites, and viruses. The list contains both common and scientific names. Descriptions of species and studies can be found under the "Related Science" tab.Tribal Collaboration - Fish Health Program (FHP)
The Fish Health Program has a strong commitment to respond to requests for research and technical support from Tribal fisheries agencies.Herring Disease Program
Using an approach that involves a combination of field- and laboratory-based studies, we are investigating fish health factors that may be contributing to the failed recovery of Pacific herring populations in Prince William Sound, AK. Field studies are providing infection and disease prevalence data to inform the population models, serological data that indicate the prior exposure history and...Detection Protocols - Renibacterium salmoninarum
Protocols for the Detection of Renibacterium salmoninarum in salmonIchthyobodo - FHP
Fish Diseases - IchthyobodoResearch on Emerging Viruses of Salmonids - FHP
At the request of the State of Washington, the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission (NWIFC) and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Western Fisheries Research Center has been providing technical advice and conducting research regarding the emergence of IHNV in the watersheds of coastal Washington State.Emerging Viruses - FHP
Fish Diseases - Emerging VirusesNucleospora Salmonis - FHP
Fish Diseases - Nucleospora SalmonisWhirling Disease - FHP
Fish Diseases - Whirling Disease - Data
Entry and spread of specialist and generalist infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) genotypes in Chinook salmon, steelhead and sockeye salmon
Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) represents one of the most critical challenges for salmonids in the Pacific Northwest. There are three genogroups of IHNV, designated U, M, and L; the U is further delineated into two subgroups, UC and UP, and the M is further delineated into four subgroups (MA – MD). The UP, UC and MD subgroups co-occur in the Columbia River Basin where the host specDetections, Physical Captures, Water Quality, and Fish Health associated with Endangered Suckers in Three Net Pens in Upper Klamath Lake, 2020
To determine how initial length affects survival of captively-reared juvenile suckers, we introduced Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tagged juvenile suckers into three net pens in Upper Klamath Lake. The suckers originated from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Sucker Assisted Rearing Program in Klamath Falls, Oregon, which rears suckers collected as larvae in Upper Klamath Lake includingAnalytical and diagnostic validation of a molecular test to detect and discriminate IHNV genogroups U and M
Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) is an acute pathogen of salmonids in North America, Europe and Asia that is phylogenetically classified into five major virus genogroups (U, M, L, E and J). The geographic range of the U and M genogroup isolates overlap in the North American Columbia River Basin and Washington Coast region, where these genogroups pose different risks depending on theHistological and molecular testing of nuclear inclusion X in Pacific Razor clams from select locations in Washington, USA
Nuclear inclusion X (NIX), the etiological agent of bacterial gill disease in Pacific razor clams (Siliqua patula) was associated with host mortality events in coastal Washington, USA during the mid-1980s. Ongoing observations of truncated razor clam size distributions in Kalaloch Beach, Washington raised concerns that NIX continues to impact populations. We conducted a series of spatial and longiSpatial and temporal survey of waterborne myxozoan parasites in the Lake Sammamish watershed, Washington, from 2019 - 2021
There is a fundamental knowledge gap on the distribution, prevalence, intensity, and ecology of salmonid myxozoan parasites in the Lake Sammamish watershed, Washington. To address this knowledge gap, we tested water samples for Ceratonova shasta, Parvicapsula minibicornis and Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae DNA from 84 sites distributed throughout the Lake Sammamish watershed in fall 2019 and 74 sitSurvival, viral load and neutralizing antibodies in steelhead trout and cell cultures exposed to infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) at 3 temperatures
Environmental variation has important effects on host-pathogen interactions, affecting large-scale ecological processes such as the severity and frequency of epidemics. However, less is known about how the environment modulates viral fitness traits and within host infection processes. Viral genetic variation, fish host immune response and environmental parameters such as temperature have been repoData from 2018 Experiment on Effects of Temperature on Survival and Growth of Juvenile Lost River Suckers (Deltistes luxatus) naturally exposed to Ichthyobodo spp
Data included in this data set are for an experiment conducted in 2018. Data were collected on survival, growth, food consumption, and Ichthyobodo copy numbers of Lost River suckers exposed to five different temperature groups. There are five levels of data. Temperature data contains 1,178 records and the data file is 35 KB, survival data contains 150 records and the data file is 3 KB, food consumNuclear inclusion X testing of Pacific Razor clams from select locations in Washington and Alaska
A quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay was developed to detect nuclear inclusion X (NIX) in Pacific razor clams, and assay specificity was confirmed by chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH). Both tests were applied to evaluate NIX infections in wild Pacific razor clams collected during spring 2019. Consistent with results from earlier histopathological assessments, qPCR and CISH indicated 100% prevaleLaboratory exposure of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), coho salmon (O. kisutch) and rainbow trout (O. mykiss) to a Pacific Canadian strain of piscine orthoreovirus genotype one (PRV-1)
Piscine orthoreovirus genotype one (PRV-1) is the causative agent of heart and skeletal muscle inflammation (HSMI) in farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.). The virus has also been found in Pacific salmonids in western North America, raising concerns about the risk to native salmon and trout. Here, we report the results of laboratory challenges using juvenile Chinook salmon, coho salmon, and raiFinal Dataset: Molecular testing of adult Pacific salmon and trout (Oncorhynchus spp.) for several RNA viruses demonstrates widespread distribution of piscine orthoreovirus (PRV) in Alaska and Washington
Dataset for the publication 'Molecular testing of adult Pacific salmon and trout (Oncorhynchus spp.) for several RNA viruses demonstrates widespread distribution of piscine orthoreovirus (PRV) in Alaska and Washington'. This research was initiated in conjunction with a systematic, multi-agency surveillance effort in the United States (U.S.) in response to reported findings of infectious salmon ane - Publications
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Local and systemic replicative fitness for viruses in specialist, generalist, and non-specialist interactions with salmonid hosts
Host tissues represent diverse resources or barriers for pathogen replicative fitness. We tested whether viruses in specialist, generalist, and non-specialist interactions replicate differently in local entry tissue (fin), and systemic target tissue (kidney) using infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) and three salmonid fish hosts. Virus tissue replication was host specific, but one featuAuthorsDavid James Páez, Gael Kurath, Rachel L. Powers, Kerry A. Naish, Maureen K. PurcellEvaluating the effect of nuclear inclusion X (NIX) infections on Pacific razor clam populations
ABSTRACT: Nuclear inclusion X (NIX), the etiological agent of bacterial gill disease in Pacific razor clams Siliqua patula, was associated with host mortality events in coastal Washington State, USA, during the mid-1980s. Ongoing observations of truncated razor clam size distributions in Kalaloch Beach, Washington, raised concerns that NIX continues to impact populations. We conducted a series ofAuthorsMaya Groner, Paul Hershberger, Steven C. Fradkin, Carla M. Conway, Aine C. Hawthorn, Maureen K. PurcellVariation in within-host replication kinetics among virus genotypes provides evidence of specialist and generalist infection strategies across three salmonid host species
Theory of the evolution of pathogen specialization suggests that a specialist pathogen gains high fitness in one host, but this comes with fitness loss in other hosts. By contrast, a generalist pathogen does not achieve high fitness in any host, but gains ecological fitness by exploiting different hosts, and has higher fitness than specialists in nonspecialized hosts. As a result, specialist pathoAuthorsDavid James Páez, Douglas G. McKenney, Maureen K. Purcell, Kerry A. Naish, Gael KurathA phylogeny based on cytochrome-c oxidase gene sequences identifies sympatric Ichthyophonus genotypes in the NE Pacific Ocean
ABSTRACT: In recent decades, evidence has accumulated to suggest that the widespread and highly variable parasite Ichthyophonus hoferi is actually a species complex. Highly plastic morphology and a general lack of defining structures has contributed to the likely underestimate of biodiversity within this group. Molecular methods are a logical next step in the description of these parasites, but maAuthorsJacob L. Gregg, Paul Hershberger, Abigail S. Neat, Hiruni T. Jayasekera, Jayde A. Ferguson, Rachel L. Powers, Maureen K. PurcellRapid diagnostic test to detect and discriminate infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) genogroups U and M to aid management of Pacific Northwest salmonid populations
Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) is an acute pathogen of salmonids in North America, Europe, and Asia that is phylogenetically classified into five major virus genogroups (U, M, L, E, and J). The geographic range of the U and M genogroup isolates overlap in the North American Columbia River Basin and Washington Coast region, where these genogroups pose different risks depending on thAuthorsWilliam N. Batts, Tony R. Capps, Lisa M. Crosson, Rachel L. Powers, Rachel Breyta, Maureen K. PurcellDisruption of the Francisella noatunensis orientalis pdpA gene results in virulence attenuation and protection in zebrafish
Several Francisella spp. including F. noatunensis are regarded as important emerging pathogens of wild and farmed fish. However, very few studies have investigated the virulence factors that allow these bacterial species to be pathogenic in fish. The Francisella Pathogenicity Island (FPI) is a well-described, gene-dense region encoding major virulence factors for the genus Francisella. PdpA is a mAuthorsJohn Hansen, Karina Ray, Po-Jui Chen, Susan Yun, Diane G. Elliott, Carla M. Conway, Michael Culcutt, Maureen K. Purcell, Timothy J Welch, John Patrick Bellah, Ellie Maureen Dalsky, Justin Blaine Greer, Esteban SotoHerring Disease Program - Annual Project Report 2012011-E, February 1, 2010-January 31, 2021
We will investigate fish health factors that may be contributing to the failed recovery of Pacific herring populations in Prince William Sound. Field samples will provide infection and disease prevalence data from Prince William Sound and Sitka Sound to inform the age structured assessment (ASA) model, serological data will indicate the prior exposure history and future susceptibility of herring tAuthorsPaul Hershberger, Maureen K. PurcellTemperature variation and host immunity regulate viral persistence in a salmonid host
Environmental variation has important effects on host–pathogen interactions, affecting large-scale ecological processes such as the severity and frequency of epidemics. However, less is known about how the environment interacts with host immunity to modulate virus fitness within hosts. Here, we studied the interaction between host immune responses and water temperature on the long-term persistence
AuthorsDavid J. Páez, Rachel L. Powers, Peng Jia, Natalia Ballesteros, Gael Kurath, Kerry A. Naish, Maureen K. PurcellLong-term shedding from fully convalesced individuals indicates that Pacific herring are a reservoir for viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus
Processes that allow viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) virus to persist in the marine environment remain enigmatic, owing largely to the presence of covert and cryptic infections in marine fishes during typical sub-epizootic periods. As such, marine host reservoirs for VHS virus have not been fully demonstrated, nor have the mechanism(s) by which infected hosts contribute to virus perpetuation anAuthorsPaul Hershberger, Ashley MacKenzie, Jacob L. Gregg, M. D. Wilmot, Rachel L. Powers, Maureen K. PurcellDifferential susceptibility of Yukon River and Salish Sea stocks of Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha to ichthyophoniasis
Preliminary evidence suggests that Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha from the Yukon River may be more susceptible to Ichthyophonus sp. infections than Chinook from stocks further south. To investigate this hypothesis in a controlled environment, we experimentally challenged juvenile Chinook from the Yukon River and from the Salish Sea with Ichthyophonus sp. and evaluated mortality, infectionAuthorsDiane G. Elliott, Carla M. Conway, Constance L. McKibben, Ashley MacKenzie, Lucas M. Hart, Maya Groner, Maureen K. Purcell, Jacob L. Gregg, Paul HershbergerEffect of temperature on survival of Lost River Suckers with a natural infection of Ichthyobodo spp.
To compensate for low natural survival of endangered Lost River Suckers Deltistes luxatus, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Klamath Tribes have initiated captive rearing programs. We conducted laboratory experiments intended to determine the temperature for optimum growth of juvenile Lost River Suckers; however, due to an unanticipated infection with Ichthyobodo spp., we instead estimateAuthorsBarbara A. Martin, Summer M. Burdick, Maureen K. Purcell, Rachel L. PowersExploration of the 2016 Yellowstone River fish kill and proliferative kidney disease in wild fish populations
Proliferative kidney disease (PKD) is an emerging disease that recently resulted in a large mortality event of salmonids in the Yellowstone River (Montana, USA). Total PKD fish mortalities in the Yellowstone River were estimated in the tens of thousands, which resulted in a multi‐week river closure and an estimated economic loss of US$500,000. This event shocked scientists, managers, and the publiAuthorsPatrick Ross Hutchins, Adam J. Sepulveda, Hanna Hartikainen, Ken D. Staigmiller, Scott T. Opitz, Renee M. Yamamoto, Amberly Huttinger, Rick J. Cordes, Tammy Weiss, Lacey R. Hopper, Maureen K. Purcell, Beth OkamuraNon-USGS Publications**
Purcell, M., G. Mackey, E. LaHood, H. Huber, and L. Park. 2004. Molecular methods for the genetic identification of salmonid prey from Pacific harbor seal (Phoca vitulina richardsi ) scat. Fish. Bull. 1002: 213-220.Lage, C., M. Purcell, M. Forgarty, and I. Kornfield. 2001. Microsatellite evaluation of haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) stocks in the northwest Atlantic Ocean. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 58: 982-990. DOI: 10.1139/cjfas-58-5-982.Purcell, M.K., J-L. Mu, D.C. Higgins, R. Elango, H. Whitmore, S. Harris, and B. Paigen. 2001. Fine mapping of Ath6, a quantitative trait locus for atherosclerosis in mice. Mammalian Genome 12(7): 495-500. DOI: 10.1007/s00335001-0006-9.Purcell, M.K., I.L. Kornfield, M.J. Fogarty and A. Parker. (1996) Interdecadal heterogeneity of mitochondrial DNA in Atlantic haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) from Georges Bank. Molecular Marine Biology and Biotechnology. 5:185-192.**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
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*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government