Underwater information disruption

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Many of life's interactions are based on the acquisition and interpretation of information, both within and between organisms. One of the most complex and widely used routes for acquiring information from the external environment is olfaction, i.e. the sense of smell. For many species, the olfactory sense is critical to mating, moving, foraging and fleeing, among other activities that are central to the survival of organisms. It is therefore not surprising that olfaction has received considerable attention in aquatic species and has been shown to be of central importance for guiding large-scale movements of fishes and interactions between different fish species in complex ecosystems. The main objective of the proposed research is to determine how chemicals added to the hydrosphere affect the life of fishes. There are three specific aims of the proposed research: (1) determine the impairment of short-term information acquisition; (2) assess the alteration of long-term information interference; and (3) explore the alterations of information acquisition and response across generations. The first step in exploring information disruption is the establishment of a basic, reliable and repeatable biological olfactory readout. Our particular assay assays behavioral responses and is performed in a blind two-choice reticular trough where fish have only two places to be. Using this assay, we will determine the responses of fish to human-sourced chemicals (our example focusses on the ultraviolet filters in sunscreen) as well as their effects on innate responses to natural odorants. To document the alteration(s) in information-based responses due to synthetic chemical exposure, we will use methods that isolate the nasal epithelium using the electro-olfactography. In addition, brain tissue will be extracted post-exposure and chemical and metabolite concentrations quantified using analytical chemistry (confirming chemical uptake). Changes in defensive and compensatory homeostatic mechanisms will also be determined over the course of fish's lives using dietary exposures to the same synthetic contaminants. Methods will include qPCR, transcriptomics and proteomics, with specific targets that include biotransformation and metabolic pathways. The last objective of our work is to determine whether the effects of chemical exposure of olfactory tissue of fish transfer across generations. Methods will include imprinting and behavioural assays as well as persisting gene markers. The results of these experiments will be transformative for understanding of how olfactory tissue functions over time in a changing aquatic environment. This research focusses on the chemosensory responses of fishes, as this incredibly diverse group of vertebrates that exist across the globe live their lives immersed in fluids replete with complex odorant mixtures that they use to guide their lives.