Cardiac remodeling in response to embryonic crude oil exposure involves unconventional NKX family members and innate immunity genes.

Cardiac remodeling results from both physiological and pathological stimuli. Compared with mammalian hearts, fish hearts show a broader array of remodeling changes in response to environmental influences, providing exceptional models for dissecting the molecular and cellular bases of cardiac remodeling. We recently characterized a form of pathological remodeling in juvenile pink salmon () in response to crude oil exposure during embryonic cardiogenesis.

Temperature dependent pre- and postprandial activity in Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis).

Bluefin tunas are highly specialized fish with unique hydrodynamic designs and physiological traits. In this study, we present results in a captive population that demonstrate strong effects of ambient temperature on the tail beat frequency and swimming speed of a pelagic fish in both pre- and post-prandial states. We measured the responses of a ram ventilator, the Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis), after digestion of a meal to explore the impacts of the metabolic costs of digestion on behavior and respiration.

Quantification of Environmental DNA (eDNA) Shedding and Decay Rates for Three Marine Fish.

Analysis of environmental DNA (eDNA) to identify macroorganisms and biodiversity has the potential to significantly augment spatial and temporal biological monitoring in aquatic ecosystems. Current monitoring methods relying on the physical identification of organisms can be time consuming, expensive, and invasive. Measuring eDNA shed from organisms provides detailed information on the presence and abundance of communities of organisms.

Assessing niche width of endothermic fish from genes to ecosystem.

Endothermy in vertebrates has been postulated to confer physiological and ecological advantages. In endothermic fish, niche expansion into cooler waters is correlated with specific physiological traits and is hypothesized to lead to greater foraging success and increased fitness. Using the seasonal co-occurrence of three tuna species in the eastern Pacific Ocean as a model system, we used cardiac gene expression data (as a proxy for thermal tolerance to low temperatures), archival tag data, and diet analyses to examine the vertical niche expansion hypothesis for endothermy in situ.

Deepwater Horizon crude oil impacts the developing hearts of large predatory pelagic fish.

The Deepwater Horizon disaster released more than 636 million L of crude oil into the northern Gulf of Mexico. The spill oiled upper surface water spawning habitats for many commercially and ecologically important pelagic fish species. Consequently, the developing spawn (embryos and larvae) of tunas, swordfish, and other large predators were potentially exposed to crude oil-derived polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

Effects of temperature acclimation on Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis) cardiac transcriptome.

Little is known about the mechanisms underpinning thermal plasticity of vertebrate hearts. Bluefin tuna hearts offer a unique model to investigate processes underlying thermal acclimation. Their hearts, while supporting an endothermic physiology, operate at ambient temperature, and are presented with a thermal challenge when migrating to different thermal regimes.

Microarray gene expression profiles from mature gonad tissues of Atlantic bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus in the Gulf of Mexico.

Background: Bluefin tunas are highly prized pelagic fish species representing a significant economic resource to fisheries throughout the world. Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) populations have significantly declined due to overexploitation. As a consequence of their value and population decline, T.

Spatial analysis of biomineralization associated gene expression from the mantle organ of the pearl oyster Pinctada maxima.

Background: Biomineralization is a process encompassing all mineral containing tissues produced within an organism. One of the most dynamic examples of this process is the formation of the mollusk shell, comprising a variety of crystal phases and microstructures. The organic component incorporated within the shell is said to dictate this architecture.