Water quality as a deterrent to the movement of invasive fishes in the Illinois waterway: Implications for the upper Mississippi Basin

Schneider, Amy Elizabeth

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/125725 Copy

Description

Title

Water quality as a deterrent to the movement of invasive fishes in the Illinois waterway: Implications for the upper Mississippi Basin

Author(s)

Schneider, Amy Elizabeth

Issue Date

2024-07-16

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Suski, Cory

Committee Member(s)

• Esbaugh, Andrew
• Lamer, James

Department of Study

Natural Res & Env Sci

Discipline

Natural Res & Env Sciences

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

M.S.

Degree Level

Thesis

Keyword(s)

• Carp
• contaminants
• invasive
• freshwater

Abstract

One of the hallmarks of invasive species is their propensity to spread. Removing an invasive species after establishment is virtually impossible, and so considerable effort is invested in preventing the range expansion of invaders. Silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) were discovered in the Mississippi River in 1981 and have spread throughout the basin. Despite their propensity to expand, the ‘leading edge’ in the Illinois River has stalled south of Chicago and has remained stable for a decade. Studies have indicated that contaminants in the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS) may be contributing to the lack of upstream movement, but this hypothesis has not been tested. My first study used a laboratory setting to quantify the role of contaminants in deterring upstream movement of silver carp within the CAWS. For this, water was collected from the CAWS near the upstream edge of the distribution and transported to a fish culture facility. Silver carp and one native species were exposed to CAWS water, and activity, behavior, avoidance, and metabolic rates were quantified. Results showed that silver carp experienced an elevated metabolic cost in CAWS water, along with reductions in swimming behavior. My second study was conducted to quantify the molecular and histological mechanisms that contaminants may be inciting that are deterring upstream movement of silver carp within the CAWS. For this, water was collected from the CAWS near the upstream edge of the distribution and transported to a biological science station in Havana, Illinois. Silver carp collected from the core populations in the Illinois River and were exposed to either CAWS water or river water from the same location as the core population, and olfactory and liver tissue was collected to quantify genetic expression and histological indices of damage. Results showed that silver carp olfactory tissue experienced changes in genetic expression when exposed to CAWS water. My third study aimed to quantify molecular, histological, and physical responses of silver carp captured along a gradient of contaminants within the Illinois River. To accomplish this, silver carp were collected from the core population downstream in the Illinois River, a middle population, and the leading-edge population and collected gill and liver tissue to quantify genetic expression, histological indices of damage, and visual assessments of silver carp and a native control, the gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum). Results showed changes in genetic expression in both gill and liver tissues from silver carp captured at the leading edge, higher instances of aneurysms in the gills from leading edge carp, and higher physical injury scores. Together, results indicate a role for contaminants in CAWS water at deterring upstream movement.

Graduation Semester

2024-08

Type of Resource

Thesis

Handle URL

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/125725

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2024 Amy Schneider

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