Semester

Fall

Date of Graduation

2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MS

College

Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design

Department

Wildlife and Fisheries Resources

Committee Chair

Patricia Mazik

Committee Member

Heather Walsh

Committee Member

Amy Welsh

Abstract

In the early 2000s, fish kills of different species, including smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu, were reported in areas of the Potomac River drainage, including the Shenandoah River in Virginia. Since the first reports of fish kills and lesions affecting smallmouth bass, they have continued to show signs of adverse health effects. Additionally, in some areas of the Potomac River drainage, population declines have occurred, and lethal sampling is discouraged. To develop a holistic, integrative approach to assess fish health, Smallmouth Bass were collected and sampled using non-lethal techniques at three sites within the Shenandoah River drainage, VA and one out-of-basin site along the Maury River, VA (located within the James River drainage). For non-lethal method development, deformity, erosion, lesion, and tumor (DELTs) scores were analyzed, gill snips were taken in RNAlater for immune-function gene expression analysis, whole blood was collected for immune-function gene expression analysis and blood smears, plasma was extracted for enzyme, protein, and lysozyme analysis, mucus was extracted for detection of largemouth bass virus (LMBV), and portions of the dorsal and anal fin from each fish were sampled for aging. Blood smears were analyzed for white blood cell type and counts as well as red blood cell counts and micronuclei and nuclear abnormalities. The results of this thesis will not only be applicable for future smallmouth bass studies but will provide relevant, non-lethal health assessment techniques for other species experiencing population declines or under a conserved status.

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