Can Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) smell a toxic compound produced by Algal Blooms?
Standing
Undergraduate
Type of Proposal
Oral Research Presentation
Faculty
Faculty of Science
Faculty Sponsor
Dr. Barbara Zielinski
Proposal
Algal blooms in the Laurentian Great Lakes produce the neurotoxin, ß-N-Methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA). This compound causes severe damage and fatalities to fish through its agonistic effect on glutamatergic receptors in the central and peripheral nervous system. Sea lamprey are an invasive species to the Great Lakes and parasitically feed on native fish species such as trout and salmon. As lampreys migrate downstream of lakes to feed and upstream to spawn, they may contact algal blooms responsible for producing this neurotoxin. Exposure to this toxin may reduce their sensitivity to odorants used for trapping lampreys, leading to inefficient traps. In this study, we are using electrophysiology to determine if sea lamprey have the ability to detect this toxin using their olfactory system, and what kind of effect this toxin has on their sensitivity to other odorants. The results of this study will contribute to a wider knowledge for understanding the effect of algal blooms on aquatic species and of potential factors that may be considered when developing new control methods for managing lamprey populations.
Availability
March 29th: 12-3, March 31st: 12-3
Special Considerations
Presenter: Alexia Piccolo
Can Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) smell a toxic compound produced by Algal Blooms?
Algal blooms in the Laurentian Great Lakes produce the neurotoxin, ß-N-Methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA). This compound causes severe damage and fatalities to fish through its agonistic effect on glutamatergic receptors in the central and peripheral nervous system. Sea lamprey are an invasive species to the Great Lakes and parasitically feed on native fish species such as trout and salmon. As lampreys migrate downstream of lakes to feed and upstream to spawn, they may contact algal blooms responsible for producing this neurotoxin. Exposure to this toxin may reduce their sensitivity to odorants used for trapping lampreys, leading to inefficient traps. In this study, we are using electrophysiology to determine if sea lamprey have the ability to detect this toxin using their olfactory system, and what kind of effect this toxin has on their sensitivity to other odorants. The results of this study will contribute to a wider knowledge for understanding the effect of algal blooms on aquatic species and of potential factors that may be considered when developing new control methods for managing lamprey populations.