Project Page

A study of horse fly (Tabanidae) populations and their food web dynamics as indicators of the effects of environmental stress on coastal marsh health.

Implementing Organization

Louisiana State University Agricultural Center

Overview

DWH Project Funding

$1,847,460

Known Leveraged Funding

$0

Funding Organization

Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI)

Funding Program

Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative GoMRI Grant Program

Details

Project Category

Science

Project Actions

Environmental Research

Targeted Resources

Human and/or Institutional Capacity

Project Description

Microsatellite genotyping of six pristine and seven oiled saltmarsh greenhead (T. nigrovittatus) populations detected genetic bottlenecks in five of the oiled populations after the Deepwater Horizon disaster. We propose to follow up that study with a longitudinal population genetic study of horse flies as bioindicators of marsh health and recovery. We will use this information to develop a time- and cost-efficient PCR-based diagnostic method to differentiate between healthy and biologically depleted marsh soil for use in intensive sampling. The development of PCR diagnostic tools for food web detection fits our reductionist approach to develop and verify tools that can be used by coastal ecologists to evaluate tidal marsh health.

Contact

Lane Foil
None
lfoil@agcenter.lsu.edu
Project Website
Project Partners

None

Affiliated Institutions

None

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