Welcome to the interactive web schedule for the 2019 Midwest Fish & Wildlife Conference! Please note, this event has passed. To return to the main Conference website, go to: www.midwestfw.org.
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CONFERENCE SCHEDULE UPDATES & CHANGES: As a result of the prolonged government shutdown, we experienced a number of cancellations and changes to the schedule. Cancellations and changes are listed here (as of January 26, 2019).
AUTHORS. Eve Choi, Dr. Janet Vigna, Dr. Jennifer Moore – Grand Valley State University
ABSTRACT. The prevalence of mosquito-transmitted diseases has led to the demand for effective treatments to control mosquito populations, and the range of impact for mosquito-transmitted diseases are projected to expand in lieu of global climate change. We investigated the toxic effects that Bti, a biological mosquito larvicide, has on North America frog larvae. New protocols were developed to study the acute toxicity, genotoxicity (damage to the DNA), and cellular effects of Bti-based pesticides on leopard frog and wood frog tadpole development, using techniques for studying toxicity at the cellular and genetic level. Tadpole mortality was collected to estimate the LC50 (lethal concentration) of Bti. To evaluate genetic damage from sublethal Bti exposure, imaging flow cytometry was conducted on blood samples to determine cell-to-cell variation in DNA content and activity. Additionally, intestinal histology was used to identify cellular abnormalities in the intestine of Bti-treated tadpoles. The results from this study can be used to inform amphibian conservation efforts and to lay the foundation for further studies of Bti's impact in natural aquatic communities.
