The invasive nature of stamp sand, residual waste from early copper mining activities in the 20th Century, threatens aquatic life in the Keweenaw Peninsula. Lake whitefish– a culturally and economically important game to tribal communities within the Buffalo Reef area– has recently declined in spawning. However, how stamp sand affects lake whitefish breeding and/or survival is not known. Preliminary investigations suggest that elevated copper levels in Keweenaw Peninsula stamp sand samples may negatively affect larval fish, as high copper concentrations are toxic to aquatic organisms. Using zebrafish as a tractable model system, we questioned the influence of stamp sand exposure on key survival parameters– hatching, cardiac activity, and sensory structure (neuromast) development. Exposure to different stamp sand concentrations on zebrafish embryos resulted in a delay in hatching, normal cardiac activity, and an extensive reduction or absence of neuromast hair cells. Neuromasts are sensory organs of the lateral line that are critical for orientation in the water column. Employing DASPEI staining, a fluorescent staining technique that marks the hair cells of neuromast, we confirmed the extensive reduction or absence of the hair cells in different stamp sand concentrations. In totality, stamp sand exposure on zebrafish does not induce a significant cardiovascular stress response, yet renders sublethal effects on hatching and neuromast development, thus potentially impacting the ability of larvae to maneuver within their environment.
Author(s): Samantha Federici 1, Mason Schmitt 2, Benjamin A. Akande 2, Nia Everson 3, Jennifer A. Schumacher 2,4
Advisor: Jennifer A. Schumacher, Biology
Benjamin A. Akande, Biology
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