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

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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.