Fish and Aquatic Organism Health

USGS research investigates pathogens and other environmental factors that affect aquatic organism health to support the management, conservation, and restoration of aquatic species. Aquatic organism health is one of the Fisheries: Aquatic and Endangered Resources(FAER) program's research goals.

Human Dimensions
National Fish Health Laboratories
Aquatic Ecosystem Stressors
Detection, Transmission, and Immunology
Aquatic Animal Drugs and Treatments
Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia Virus (VHS)

Human Dimensions

• National Science for Public Health, Great Lakes Coastal Beach Health Science (GLSC)

National Fish Health Laboratories

• Fish Health at the Leetown Science Center (LSC)

• Fish Health at the Western Fisheries Research Center (WFRC)

• Aquaculture Drug Research and Development (UMESC)

Aquatic Ecosystem Stressors

• Aquatic Ecosystem Stressors Research at the National Wetlands Research Center (NWRC)

• Comparison of the Bacterial Flora and Parasite Infestations of Healthy and Diseased Imperiled Freshwater Mussels from Seasonal Mussel Dieoffs in the Tennessee River (White wartyback pearly mussel) (LSC)
  
  
• Diseases of Coral and Coral Reef Fishes (Algae, Anemones, Bivalves, Coral, Echinoderms, Fireworms, Mollusks, Pathogenic microbes, Plants, Protists, Tunicates, Snails, Sponges) (LSC)

• Effect of Riparian Zone and Associated Stream Substrata on Tubifex tubifex: Density and Infection Rate with Myxobolus cerebralis (Myxobolus cerebralis/ Whirling Disease, Tubifex tubifex) (LSC)

• Endocrine Disruption of Smolting and Ion Regulation in Anadromous Fish (American shad, Atlantic salmon, Atlantic sturgeon, Striped bass) (LSC)

• Epidemiology and Control of Emergent Disease Issues Associated with Interjurisdictional Fish Restoration Programs (LSC)

• Evaluation of the Potential Toxicological Effects of Anthropogenic Disturbances on Fish Populations in Maine and the Northeast U.S. (Atlantic salmon) (LSC)

• Fish Health and Reproductive Studies at Lake Erie Areas of Concern (LSC)

• Influences of Environmental Factors, Point Source Pollution and Pathogen Distribution on Fish Health Issues in the Chesapeake Bay: 1) Menhaden Lesions (Dinoflagellates, Menhaden, Pfiesteria piscicida) (LSC)

• Influences of Environmental Factors, Point Source Pollution and Pathogen Distribution on Fish Health Issues in the Chesapeake Bay: 2) Mycobacterial Lesions in Striped Bass (LSC)

• Investigation of Point and Non-Point Bacterial Contamination in West Virginia and Virginia Surface and Ground Waters by Rapid Molecular Methods (Bacteria) (LSC)

• Investigations on Fish Health in Selected Tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay and Linkages to Water Quality, Land Use and Other Environmental Factors (LSC)
  
  
• Klamath Basin: A Watershed Approach to Support Habitat Restoration, Species Recovery, and Water Resource Planning. (Pacific salmon) Download the fact sheet about this cross-disciplinary multi-topical research (PDF) (WFRC)

• Pathogenesis of Frog Virus 3 Among Early Life Stages of the Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) (LSC)

• Role of Essential Nutrients with Emphasis on Thiamine in Early Mortality Syndrome of Salmonids and Other Species (LSC)

• Thiamine Deficiency Complex and Early Mortality Syndrome (GLSC)

• Virulence Assessment of Isolates of Infectious Pancreatic Necrosis Virus (IPNV) Endemic and Exotic to the Great Lakes Basin (LSC)

• Whirling Disease Research (LSC)

Detection, Transmission, and Immunology

• Detection of Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia Virus. Download the Fact Sheet (321.17 KB, PDF) (WERC)
  
  
• Development of an Improved Mediume for Primary Isolation of Flavobacterium psychrophilum, Cause of Bacterial Coldwater Disease (Flavobacterium psychrophilum) (LSC)

• Development of Molecular Genetic Markers to Study the Genetics of Scleractinian Corals in Relationship to Coral Disease and Reef Resilience (Coral) (LSC)

• Effects of Estrogen and Related Contaminants on the Expression of Genes Involved in the Innate Immune System of Fish in Rivers of the Chesapeake Bay Drainage (Largemouth bass, Northern hogsuckers, Smallmouth bass, Sunfish) (LSC) (also related to Genetics, Genomics, and Molecular Biology)
  

• Genetics of Resistant Strains of Salmonids to Myxobolus cerebralis (Atlantic salmon, Brook trout, Lake trout, Myxobolus cerebralis/Whirling disease, Rainbow trout) (LSC)

• Identifying Mussel Tissues/Sites that May be Collected in a Non-Destructive/Non-Lethal Procedure for the Purpose of Health Screening and Detection of Pathogens in Imperiled Freshwater Mussels (LSC)

• Imperiled Freshwater Mussels: The Need for Research to Prevent the Introduction and Transmission of Pathogens and Diseases (Freshwater mussels, Zebra mussels) (LSC)

• Lake Trout Immunocompetence at Great Lakes Areas of Concern (Lake trout) (GLSC)

• Method Verification of the Detection of Mitochondrial Cytochrome B Sequences of DNA Specific to Various Animal Hosts in a Set of Challenge Water Samples (Coliform bacteria, Enterococcus, Escherichia coli) (LSC)

• Molecular Based Detection of Fish Pathogens Relevant to the Endangered Suckers of Upper Klamath Lake and the Development of a Surrogate Laboratory Model for Disease Challenge Studies (Algal blooms, Flavobacterium columnare, Lost River sucker, Shortnose sucker, White sucker) (LSC) (also related to Genetics, Genomics, and Molecular Biology)

Aquatic Animal Drugs and Treatments

• Application of Calcein as a Dietary Component for Fish Marking to Enhance Product Evaluation and Management Capabilities (Atlantic salmon, Brook trout, Lake trout, Rainbow trout, Snake River cutthroat trout, Shovelnose sturgeon, Striped bass) (LSC)

• AQUI-S (UMESC)

• Chloramin-T (UMESC)

• Disease Model (Channel catfish, Flavobacterium columnare/Columnaris disease, Rainbow trout, Walleye, Yellow perch) (UMESC)

• Florfenical (UMESC)

• Formalin (Finfish) (UMESC)

• Hydrogen Peroxide (Channel catfish, Finfish, Flavobacterium branchiophilum, Flavobacterium columnare, Salmonines, Saprolegniasis) (UMESC)

• Modeling Microbial Diversity of Infection to Affect FDA Revision of Licensed Antibiotics from "Control of Mortality" to "Control of Pathogen" (LSC)

• Oxytetracycline (UMESC)
  
  
• Physiology - Endocrinology and Immunology (LSC)
  
  
• Immunocompetence - Lake Trout Immunocompetence at Great Lakes Areas of Concern (Lake trout) (GLSC)

Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia Virus (VHS)

• Isolation of Viral Haemorrhagic Septicaemia Virus from Muskellunge, Esox Masquinongy (Mitchill), in Lake St Clair, Michigan, USA Reveals a New Sublineage
  of the North American Genotype (Published by the Journal of Fish Diseases 2006, 29, p.611–619).
  
  
• Isolation of Viral Haemorrhagic Septicaemia Virus from Mummichog, Stickleback, Striped Bass and Brown Trout in Eastern Canada (Published by the Journal of Fish Diseases 2007, 30, 213–223).
  
  
• Detection of Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia in Round Gobies in New York State (USA) Waters of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River (Published by the Inter-Research Diseases of Aquatic Organisms Journal, Vol. 76: 187–192, 2007).
  
  
• An Integrated Research Program on Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia in the Great Lakes - Western Fisheries Research Center (WFRC)
  
  
• Mortality Event in Freshwater Drum Aplodinotus Grunniens from Lake Ontario, Canada, Associated with Viral Haemorrhagic Septicemia Virus, Type IV (Published by the Inter-Research Diseases of Aquatic Organisms Journal, Vol. 76: 99–111, 2007).
  
  
• Molecular Epidemiology of Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia Virus in the Great Lakes Region - USGS Factsheet, Western Fisheries Research Center (WFRC)
  
  
• Detection of Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia Virus - USGS Factsheet, Western Fisheries Research Center (WFRC)
  
  
• What Happens When VHSv Appears in Your Neighborhood – VHSv in Michigan Case History (PPT) - Gary Whelan MI DNR Fisheries Division, August 2009
  
  
• Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia Past, Present and Future (PPT) - James Winton, US Geological Survey, Western Fisheries Research Center (WFRC)
  
  
• Research on Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia at the Western Fisheries Research Center - Western Fisheries Research Center (WFRC)
  
  
• Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS) Briefing Paper - Western Fisheries Research Center (WFRC)

	Recently the USGS released a national database that reports on endocrine and reproductive conditions in two species of fish. This is the first national database of endocrine information for fish collected in U.S. streams and rivers. The information in the report provides a vital national basis for comparison that will be used by scientists studying endocrine disruption at sites across the country. The database includes information on sex steroid hormones, vitellogenin - an egg protein that indicates exposure to estrogenic substances when found in male fish - and reproductive stage for common carp and largemouth bass. Data summaries are provided by reproductive season across a wide geographic scale. Check out the database, or contact Steve Goodbred.