Heather Gordon results 27
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Modeling of gene regulatory networks: an annotated glossaryNARA Subscribed
Marine megafauna species are affected by a wide range of anthropogenic threats. To evaluate the risk of such threats, species’ vulnerability to each threat must first be determined. We build on the existing threats classification scheme and ranking system of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species by assessing the vulnerability of 256 marine megafauna species to 23 at‐sea threat...
Exploring Marine Mammal Cognition as a Conservation ToolNARA Subscribed
Cognition is an animal's real‐time adaptation system for responding to change. Rapid environmental change, often anthropogenic, is expanding the range and severity of challenges confronting wild animals. Effective conservation requires a multifaceted approach that includes animals' capacities. Large‐brained, long‐lived animals such as marine mammals often have extensive capability to adaptively modify their behavior due to the...
Land use change threatens global biodiversity and compromises ecosystem functions, including pollination and food production. Reduced taxonomic α‐diversity is often reported under land use change, yet the impacts could be different at larger spatial scales (i.e., γ‐diversity), either due to reduced β‐diversity amplifying diversity loss or increased β‐diversity dampening diversity loss. Additionally, studies often focus on taxo...
Spatial thinking skills used by hydrogeology practitioners and students while completing a hydrogeology taskNARA Subscribed
A typical classroom exercise in hydrogeology is to develop a conceptual model of a contaminated site, identify groundwater flow direction(s), and predict the location and mass of a contaminant plume. This requires knowledge of key hydrogeological concepts and is highly visuospatial in nature. Among multiple discrete spatial thinking skills identified by cognitive science, the combination of visual penetrative ability and worki...
Monitoring wild fish health and exposure effects in impacted rivers and streams with differing land use has become a valuable research tool. Smallmouth bass ( Micropterus dolomieu ) are a sensitive, indicator species that exhibit signs of immunosuppression and endocrine disruption in response to water quality changes and contaminant exposure. To determine the impact of agriculture and development on smallmouth bass health, two...
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have become an environmental issue worldwide. A first step to assessing potential adverse effects on fish populations is to determine if concentrations of concern are present in a region and if so, in which watersheds. Hence, plasma from adult smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu collected at 10 sites within 4 river systems in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States, from 2014 to...
Decades of poor reproductive success and young-of-the-year survival, combined with adult mortality events, have led to a decline in the smallmouth bass (SMB; Micropterus dolomieu ) population in sections of the Potomac River. Previous studies have identified numerous biologic and environmental stressors associated with negative effects on SMB health. To better understand the impact of these stressors, this study was conducted...
Learning Together for and with the Martuwarra Fitzroy RiverNARA Subscribed
Co-production across scientific and Indigenous knowledge systems has become a cornerstone of research to enhance knowledge, practice, ethics, and foster sustainability transformations. However, the profound differences in world views and the complex and contested histories of nation-state colonisation on Indigenous territories, highlight both opportunities and risks for Indigenous people when engaging with knowledge co-product...
Reproductive health and endocrine disruption in smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) from the Lake Erie drainage, Pennsylvania, USANARA Subscribed
Smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu were sampled from three sites within the Lake Erie drainage (Elk Creek, Twentymile Creek, and Misery Bay, an embayment in Presque Isle Bay). Plasma, tissues for histopathological analyses, and liver and testes preserved in RNALater® were sampled from 30 smallmouth bass (of both sexes) at each site. Liver and testes samples were analyzed for transcript abundance with Nanostring nCounter® tec...
The long and narrow path for novel cell‐based seafood to reduce fishing pressure for marine ecosystem recoveryNARA Subscribed
Cell‐based seafood is an emerging novel food, with many start‐up companies aspiring for ocean conservation benefits through expanded market share that displaces wild‐caught seafood. However, the ability for cell‐based seafood to achieve this conservation outcome is often oversimplified and will rely on an extensive, and we find somewhat tenuous, chain of events. Here, we outline the technological, behavioural, market and ecolo...
Large‐scale prion protein genotyping in Canadian caribou populations and potential impact on chronic wasting disease susceptibilityNARA Subscribed
Polymorphisms within the prion protein gene ( Prnp ) are an intrinsic factor that can modulate chronic wasting disease (CWD) pathogenesis in cervids. Although wild European reindeer ( Rangifer tarandus tarandus ) were infected with CWD, as yet there have been no reports of the disease in North American caribou ( R. tarandus spp.). Previous Prnp genotyping studies on approximately 200 caribou revealed single nucleotide polymorp...
Assigning Escherichia coli strains to phylogenetic groups: multi‐locus sequence typing versus the PCR triplex methodNARA Subscribed
Summary It is well recognized that Escherichia coli consists of a number of distinct phylo‐groups and that strains of the different phylo‐groups vary in their ecological niches, life‐history characteristics and propensity to cause disease. Consequently, much can be learnt by assigning a strain of E. coli to one of the recognized phylo‐groups. A triplex PCR‐based method that enables strains of E. coli to be assigned to a phylo‐...