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STUDIES IN SOUTHEASTERN AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
Citation:
WALTERS, DAVID M. STUDIES IN SOUTHEASTERN AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS. Presented at 2004 Region 4 Biology Meeting, Atlanta, GA, September 28 - 29, 2004.
Impact/Purpose:
The goals of this research are to:
(1) determine how landscape characteristics relate to the spread of red shiner through southeastern river systems,
(2) identify behavioral and genetic mechanisms underlying interspecific hybridization, and
(3) develop models to assess the vulnerability of tributary streams to invasion by red shiner.
Description:
This presentation provides an overview of selected ORD studies within Region 4. We are intiating a study of red shiners, an invasive minnow species of streams in the Atlanta metropolitan area. This noxious species has negatively impacted native fishes in the region, and our research is designed to understand the genetic, behavioral, and environmental mechanisms contributing to its spread. A second project, which is ongoing, addresses polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination in a stream near Clemson, SC. Our goals for this project are to determine the extent and magnitude of contamination, to identify pathways of PCBs through stream food webs, and to develop tools for monitoring the success of mitigation efforts.