Vicki S. Blazer
Vicki started with the National Fish Health Research Laboratory, Leetown Science Center (now the Eastern Ecological Science Center - Leetown Research Laboratory), Kearneysville, WV in1992. She was previously employed as the Assistant Leader of the Georgia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. She was also on the graduate faculty in the School of Forest Resources, University of Georgia, teac
She is active in numerous research projects within the Northeast as well as nationally and internationally. She is active in the American Fisheries Society Fish Health Section and a member of other scientific societies. She is an adjunct faculty member at West Virginia University and Penn State and serves on graduate student committees. Research areas include development of microscopic and molecular markers for understanding changes in the health and populations of wild fishes. Areas of focus include endocrine disruption, emerging diseases, fish tumor pathology and assessment at Great Lakes Areas of Concern, land use influences on fish health, reproduction and immunomodulation.
Professional Experience
Postdoctoral Research Associate, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia
Assistant Leader, Georgia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, School of Forest Resources, University of Georgia
Research Fishery Biologist, Leetown Science Center
Education and Certifications
B.S. in Marine Science and Biology Southampton College, Long Island University.
PhD in Fisheries, Aquaculture and Pathology, Rhode Island University
Affiliations and Memberships*
Adjunct Professor, West Virginia University
Adjunct Professor, Penn State University
Science and Products
Malignant melanoma of Brown Bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus) in Lake Memphremagog, Vermont/Quebec
Comparisons of stereological and other approaches for quantifying macrophage aggregates in piscine spleens
In vitro immune function in laboratory-reared age-0 smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) relative to diet
Seasonal development of the coccidian parasite Goussia bayae and hepatobiliary histopathology in white perch Morone americana from Chesapeake Bay
Assessment of skin and liver neoplasms in white sucker (Catostomus commersonii) collected in the Sheboygan River Area of Concern, Wisconsin, in 2017
Movement dynamics of smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) in a large river-tributary system
Necropsy-based wild fish health assessment
Indicators of exposure to estrogenic compounds at Great Lakes Areas of Concern: Species and site comparisons
Spatial and temporal variability of myxozoan parasite, Myxobolus inornatus, prevalence in young of the year smallmouth bass in the Susquehanna River Basin, Pennsylvania
Quantifying population-level effects of water temperature, flow velocity and chemical-induced reproduction depression: A simulation study with smallmouth bass
Temporal evaluation of estrogenic endocrine disruption markers in smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) reveals seasonal variability in intersex
An evaluation of the toxicity of potassium chloride, active compound in the molluscicide potash, on salmonid fish and their forage base
Science and Products
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Malignant melanoma of Brown Bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus) in Lake Memphremagog, Vermont/Quebec
In 2012, brown bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus) with large, raised, black growths were first reported from multiple areas within the Vermont portion of Lake Memphremagog. Subsequent surveys conducted from 2014 to 2017 at two sites within the lake indicated a prevalence of 30% in adult brown bullhead 200 mm and above total length. These lesions ranged from slightly raised smooth black areas to large nAuthorsVicki S. Blazer, Cassidy H. Shaw, Cheyenne R. Smith, P Emerson, Thomas R. JonesComparisons of stereological and other approaches for quantifying macrophage aggregates in piscine spleens
Macrophage aggregates (MA s) are focal accumulations of pigmented macrophages in the spleen and other tissues of fish. A central role of MA s is the clearance and destruction of degenerating cells and recycling of some cellular components. Macrophage aggregates also respond to chemical contaminants and infectious agents and may play a role in the adaptive immune response. Tissue damage or physioloAuthorsMark A Matsche, Vicki S. Blazer, Patricia M. MazikIn vitro immune function in laboratory-reared age-0 smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) relative to diet
Smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) are used as an indicator species in environmental monitoring and assessment studies. However, laboratory-based studies for methods development and effector assessment are limited for this species. Nutrition, a known modulator of teleost physiological responses including immune function, is a critical knowledge-gap sometimes overlooked in the design of laboratAuthorsChristopher A. Ottinger, Cheyenne R. Smith, Vicki S. BlazerSeasonal development of the coccidian parasite Goussia bayae and hepatobiliary histopathology in white perch Morone americana from Chesapeake Bay
The coccidium Goussia bayae infects the gallbladder and bile ducts of white perch Morone americana from Chesapeake Bay, USA. Seasonal changes in coccidian infections were analyzed from bile specimens of 1588 fish from the Choptank River during 2016-2018 using wet mount preparations with a Sedgwick-Rafter counting chamber. Histopathology of the gallbladder and liver was analyzed from a subset (n =AuthorsMark A Matsche, Vicki S. Blazer, Patricia M. MazikAssessment of skin and liver neoplasms in white sucker (Catostomus commersonii) collected in the Sheboygan River Area of Concern, Wisconsin, in 2017
Two hundred adult white sucker (Catostomus commersonii), age 3 years and older, were collected from the lower Sheboygan River Area of Concern in 2017, during the spring spawning run. Fish were euthanized, weighed, and measured, and any visible abnormalities were documented. Pieces of raised skin lesions as well as five to eight pieces of liver were removed and preserved for histopathological analyAuthorsVicki S. Blazer, Heather L. Walsh, Ryan P. Braham, Patricia M. MazikMovement dynamics of smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) in a large river-tributary system
Smallmouth bass, Micropterus dolomieu Lacepède, movement dynamics were investigated in a connected mainstem river-tributary system. Smallmouth bass moved large distances annually (n = 84 fish, average = 24.6 ± 25.9 km, range = 0.03 to 118 km) and had three peak movement periods (pre-spawn, post-spawn and overwintering). Movement into and out of tributaries was common, but the movement between mainAuthorsTyler Wagner, Megan K. Schall, Timothy Wertz, Geoffrey D. Smith, Vicki S. BlazerNecropsy-based wild fish health assessment
Anthropogenic influences from increased nutrients and chemical contaminants, to habitat alterations and climate change, can have significant effects on fish populations. Adverse effects monitoring, utilizing biomarkers from the organismal to the molecular level, can be used to assess the cumulative effects on fishes and other organisms. Fish health has been used worldwide as an indicator of aquatiAuthorsVicki S. Blazer, Heather L. Walsh, Ryan P. Braham, Cheyenne R. SmithIndicators of exposure to estrogenic compounds at Great Lakes Areas of Concern: Species and site comparisons
Adverse effects resulting from potential exposure of wild fishes to estrogenic endocrine disruptors was assessed at seven United States Great Lakes Areas of Concern using biomarkers ranging from organismal (gonadosomatic indices) to tissue/plasma (histology, plasma vitellogenin) and molecular (hepatic gene transcripts) levels. Biomonitoring was conducted on pelagic, top predator species, largemoutAuthorsVicki S. Blazer, Heather L. Walsh, Cassidy H. Shaw, Luke R. Iwanowicz, Ryan P. Braham, Patricia MazikSpatial and temporal variability of myxozoan parasite, Myxobolus inornatus, prevalence in young of the year smallmouth bass in the Susquehanna River Basin, Pennsylvania
A myxozoan parasite, Myxobolus inornatus, is one disease agent identified in young of the year (YOY) smallmouth bass in the Susquehanna River Basin, Pennsylvania. We investigated spatial and temporal variability in M. Inornatus prevalence across the Susquehanna River Basin and at several out-of-basin sites. We examined potential land use drivers of M. Inornatus prevalence including agricultural anAuthorsMegan K. Schall, Vicki S. Blazer, Heather L. Walsh, Geoffrey D. Smith, Timothy Wertz, Tyler WagnerQuantifying population-level effects of water temperature, flow velocity and chemical-induced reproduction depression: A simulation study with smallmouth bass
Evaluating stochastic abiotic factors and their combined effects on fish and wildlife populations have been challenging in environmental sciences. Contributing to this challenge is the paucity of data describing how observations made on individuals related to exposure to chemical compounds ultimately effect population vital rates, and how this exposure interacts with other abiotic drivers. Using tAuthorsTyler Wagner, Vicki S. Blazer, Yan LiTemporal evaluation of estrogenic endocrine disruption markers in smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) reveals seasonal variability in intersex
A reconnaissance project completed in 2009 identified intersex and elevated plasma vitellogenin in male smallmouth bass inhabiting the Missisquoi River, VT. In an attempt to identify the presence and seasonality of putative endocrine disrupting chemicals or other factors associated with these observations, a comprehensive reevaluation was conducted between September 2012 and June 2014. Here, we coAuthorsLuke R. Iwanowicz, A.E. Pinkney, C.P. Guy, A.M. Major, K. Munney, Vicki S. Blazer, David Alvarez, Heather L. Walsh, Adam J. Sperry, Lakyn R. Sanders, D. R. SmithAn evaluation of the toxicity of potassium chloride, active compound in the molluscicide potash, on salmonid fish and their forage base
Potash, with the active ingredient potassium chloride (KCl) is a chemical that is currently being evaluated for potential use as a molluscicide to combat invasive zebra mussels and quagga mussels in Western United States waters. Although data available for other freshwater fishes indicate that recommended treatment levels of potash as a molluscicide are sublethal, this has not been demonstrated foAuthorsChristine L. Densmore, Luke R. Iwanowicz, Anne P. Henderson, Vicki S. Blazer, Baileigh M. Reed-Grimmett, Lakyn R. Sanders - News
*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