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一大部分，数量轻松超过鱼类物种，但迄今为止，作为墨西哥湾人为污染的生物指示器(生物传感器)，鱼类寄生虫几乎没有受到关注。这一生态多样性的鱼类寄生虫群落的变化，包括生活在鱼表面的变化(体表寄生虫)和生活在鱼内的变化(内生寄生虫)，已知与海洋污染有关，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相关的直接和长期的环境“涟漪效应”，并提供关于在区域范围内使用寄生虫作为石油污染生物指标的信息。已与联邦(东南渔业科学中心、NOAA、NMFS)、州立(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、田纳西中部州立大学和南密西西比大学)科学家和渔业生物学家为这一区域研究建立了伙伴关系。该项目是对其他NSF-RAPID项目的补充，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.