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J.W. Fournie

Publications and source records attributed to J.W. Fournie.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS2008

Mercury concentrations in salmonids from western U.S. National Parks and relationships with age and macrophage aggregates

Mercury accumulation in aquatic foodwebs and its effects on aquatic biota are of growing concern both for the health of the fish and the piscivores that prey upon them. This is of particular concern for western U.S. National Parks because it is known that mountainous and Arctic areas are sinks for some contaminants. The Western Airborne Contaminants Assessment Project seeks, in part, to ascertain mercury concentrations and evaluate effects of contaminants on biota in 14 lakes from 8 National Parks or Preserves. In this paper we report that mercury has accumulated to concentrations in trout that may negatively impact some piscivorous wildlife, indicating potential terrestrial ecosystem effects. Additionally, we show that mercury concentrations increase with age in 4 species of trout, providing evidence of bioaccumulation. Finally, we demonstrate that mercury is associated with tissue damage in the kidney and spleen, as indicated by increases in macrophage aggregates. This finding suggests that mercury, and possibly other contaminants, are negatively affecting the trout that inhabit these remote and protected ecosystems. Our results indicate that mercury is indeed a concern for the U.S. National Parks, from an organismic and potentially an ecosystem perspective. ?? 2008 American Chemical Society.

Environmental Science & Technology↗
USGS2006

Diagnostic criteria for proliferative hepatic lesions in brown bullhead Ameiurus nebulosus

Brown bullhead Ameiurus nebulosus is used as indicator species for contaminant effects at areas of concern (AOC) in the Great Lakes and other areas. One of the beneficial use impairments at numerous AOC is 'fish tumors and other deformities'. An impairment occurs when the prevalence of fish tumors and other deformities exceeds those at unimpacted or control sites or when survey data confirm the presence of neoplastic or preneoplastic liver lesions in bullhead or white sucker Catostomus commersonii. Numerous surveys have been conducted over the years assessing neoplasia in these fishes, both liver and skin tumors. However, a major problem in comparing the results has been a lack of consistent criteria for evaluating histological changes in bullhead livers. As individual AOC develop and implement remedial action plans, realistic and attainable delisting targets need to be specified. For this to occur and be consistent from site to site there must be standardization of the criteria being used to evaluate specific impairments. In this report, specific diagnostic criteria are provided for both non-neoplastic and neoplastic proliferative hepatocellular and biliary lesions. These criteria should assist fish pathologists in describing and categorizing proliferative liver lesions from brown bullhead. ?? Inter-Research 2006.

Diseases of Aquatic Organisms↗
USGS2001

Utility of splenic macrophage aggregates as an indicator of fish exposure to degraded environments

The utility of splenic macrophage aggregates (MAs) as an indicator of fish exposure to degraded environments was evaluated in several species of estuarine fishes as part of the Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program–Estuaries (EMAP-E). Using image analysis, we measured the number and mean size of MAs per square millimeter on tissue sections of spleen from 983 fishes representing seven species from 266 stations scattered across coastal estuaries of the Gulf of Mexico. At 16 stations, at least one fish exhibited a high density of MAs (>40 MAs/mm 2 ). Densities of MAs that exceeded 40/mm 2 correlated with exposure to either hypoxic conditions or sediment contamination. Fisher's exact test showed that the observed frequencies of joint occurrence between high numbers of MAs and both high sediment contaminants and low dissolved oxygen were significantly greater than the expected background frequencies. For all 16 sites where MAs were greater than 40/mm 2 , sediments displayed at least one contaminant at a concentration in the highest 5% of those observed for all Gulf of Mexico stations. Additionally, comparison of subjective visual analyses with the image analysis measurements showed a strong correlation, indicating that similar analyses can be performed without computer image analysis. This study demonstrates that splenic MAs are effective biotic indicators for discriminating between fish exposed to degraded and nondegraded environments.

Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas↗
USGS1996

Hepatic neoplasms in wild common carp

Common carp Cyprinus carpio from West Point Lake, Georgia-Alabama, were sampled ( N = 81) during fall 1991. Gross examination revealed single nodules in the livers of four fish; representative tissues from all sampled fish were preserved for histological examination. One of the four nodules was a hepatocellular adenoma and the other three were hepatocellular carcinomas. Two additional neoplasms, a cholangioma and a cholangiocellular carcinoma, were found in one of the nodule-containing livers. Nonneoplastic liver changes that were found microscopically included nuclear pleomorphism, hepatic megalocytosis, and occurrence of clear cell foci. Possible predisposing factors, including exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, are discussed. These are the first reported cases of hepatic neoplasms in common carp, a species generally considered resistant to hepatocellular neoplasia.

Journal of Aquatic Animal Health↗