RAPID: A Survey of Tabanid and Ceratopogonid Populations along Coastal Louisiana to Establish Baseline Data for Measuring the Impact of the BP Oil Spill on Tidal Marsh Communities

本项目将调查利用路易斯安那潮汐沼泽的虻科（马蝇等）和蠓科（蠓）昆虫。两科蝇的幼虫都以潮汐沼泽中的无脊椎动物为食，成虫的繁殖依赖于寄生在幼虫栖息地上方的脊椎动物。因此，这些蝇类可作为湿地健康状况的良好生物指标。与石油污染有关的影响和恢复将通过比较分析在受污染的潮汐沼泽地区和未受污染的地点收集的苍蝇的种群大小、物种多样性和遗传多样性的数据来进行评估。这些研究将显示哪些地区受到了泄漏的影响，并确定需要缓解和恢复的地区。石油泄漏可能会影响到墨西哥湾附近的社区，甚至可能影响到大西洋。因此，对这些昆虫的监测可能是未来快速评估工作中使用的重要因素。将与其他沿海国家的科学家建立合作关系，以促进未来评估工作的发展。这些研究将使研究生和本科生都能参与其中，并从中受益，为昆虫学在沿海研究中发挥新的作用。

This project will survey the insects that belong to the families Tabanidae (horse flies, etc.) and Ceratopogonidae (biting midges) that use Louisiana tidal marshes. The larvae of both families of flies prey upon invertebrates in tidal marshes, and adult reproduction is dependent upon the vertebrate hosts that reside above the larval habitats. Therefore, these flies will serve as excellent bioindicators for wetland health. The impact and recovery related to oil contamination will be evaluated via comparative analyses of data on population size, species diversity, and genetic diversity of flies collected in tidal marsh areas that are contaminated as well as sites that are not contaminated. The studies will show which areas have been affected by the spill, and identify areas needing mitigation and rehabilitation.The oil spill is likely to impact communities that border the Gulf and potentially even the Atlantic Ocean. Therefore, surveillance of these insects could be an important element used in future rapid assessment efforts. Collaboration with scientists from other coastal states will be established to foster development of future assessment efforts. Both graduate and undergraduate students would be involved and benefit from participation in these studies, which should provide a new role for entomology in coastal studies.