Gray Lab Summer REU Student- Harrison

My name is Harrison Fried, and I am studying the effects of algal turbidity on the swimming performance of Emerald Shiner (Notropis atherinoides) and Golden Shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas). Agricultural runoff leads to large amounts of phosphorus and nitrogen that enter the Lake Erie watershed, which can create massive algal blooms. Fine particles from the algae can enter the gills of fish and cause gill abrasion, making it difficult for the fish to respire. The swimming performance tunnel, as shown in pictures, is used to measure the critical swimming speed of a fish (the maximum speed that a fish can swim for a set period). The goal of my study is to determine whether swimming performance is different in algal blooms than in clear water.

    

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