Impact of Cyanobacteria and Their Associated Toxins on Fish Gut Microbiomes

Abstract

Record ID: 312

Program Affiliation: NA

Presentation Type: Poster

Abstract: The field of freshwater fish microbiome is still widely under-studied and is largely focused on marine fish and fish mucous membranes. The gut microbiome of fish is a gateway to understanding the influences of toxins and primary producers in a system. Knowing the impact on the microbiome can give light to the health of the fish in the system or the overall health of the system. It's known that the Central stoneroller fish has a vast diversity of its gut microbiome but also is very immersed in its environment as it consumes algae in the system. Diving into relationships between the environment and fish gut microbiome in a simulation, the goal was to find direct links between toxins and the impacts on the Central Stonerollers. The target species, the Central stonerollers, are native to the Little Miami River; the fish collected from the experiment system were then dissected. The guts were extracted and DNA sequenced by the Environmental Protection Agency. The outcome of this work will help build an understanding of the health of our streams and fish compared to the toxins that are produced by primary producers.