RAPID: Ectoparasites and endoparasites of fishes as bioindicators of acute and chronic environmental perturbation after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico

鱼类寄生虫是海洋生物多样性的重要组成部分，其数量远远超过鱼类，但作为墨西哥湾人为污染的生物指示器（生物传感器），迄今为止很少受到关注。众所周知，这种生态多样化的鱼类寄生虫群落的变化，包括生活在鱼类表面的寄生虫（外寄生虫）和生活在鱼类体内的寄生虫（内寄生虫），与海洋污染有关，并表明海洋食物网以及沿海和近海鱼类栖息地的水质发生了负面变化。这项研究将有助于记录与墨西哥湾中北部深水地平线石油泄漏有关的直接和长期的环境“涟漪效应”，并告知在区域范围内使用寄生虫作为石油污染的生物指标。与联邦（东南渔业科学中心，NOAA， NMFS），州（佛罗里达海洋研究所，佛罗里达鱼类和野生动物保护委员会）和大学（奥本大学，中田纳西州立大学和南密西西比大学）的科学家和渔业生物学家建立了合作伙伴关系，以进行这项区域研究。该项目补充了其他NSF-RAPID项目，这些项目旨在监测墨西哥湾盆地深水地平线石油泄漏的影响。

Parasites of fishes are a large portion of marine biodiversity, easily outnumbering fish species, but so far have received little attention as bioindicators (biosensors) of anthropogenic pollution in the Gulf of Mexico. Changes to this ecologically diverse community of fish parasites, including those living on the surface of fishes (ectoparasites) and those living within fishes (endoparasites), are known to be associated with marine pollution and indicate negative alterations to the marine food web and also to water quality of coastal and offshore fish habitats. This research will help document the immediate and extended environmental "ripple effects" associated with the Deep Water Horizon Oil Spill in the north-central Gulf of Mexico as well as inform about the use of parasites as bioindicators of oil pollution on a regional scale.Partnerships with federal (Southeast Fisheries Science Center, NOAA, NMFS), state (Florida Marine Research Institute, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission), and university (Auburn University, Middle Tennessee State University, and University of Southern Mississippi) scientists and fisheries biologists have been established for this regional study. The project complements other NSF-RAPID projects that aim to monitor the effects of the Deep Water Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico basin.