Baylisascaris procyonis is a predominant parasitic infection of raccoons (Procyon lotor) in the Pacific Northwest, commonly referred to as “raccoon roundworm”. Raccoons serve as definitive hosts of the parasite, harboring adult worms in their intestine and shedding eggs in their feces. Infection can be spread to humans, dogs, birds and rodents through incidental consumption of eggs or other infected animals. Maturation of eggs occurs in the gut before larvae travel to other tissues including the liver, heart, lungs, brain and eyes. Infection causes encephalitis, liver damage, blindness, seizures, coma and death. Understanding the regional prevalence of B. procyonis infection is important for targeting resources for effective treatment. This research seeks to determine the prevalence of B. procyonis infection between geographically distinct raccoon populations of the Pacific Northwest. We expect a greater prevalence of B. procyonis infection in urban groups due to higher population densities. Fecal samples were collected between 2013 and 2020 from three categories of geographical regions: urban, rural and island. Samples were taken from the greater Seattle area (urban), surrounding regions of the Puget Sound (rural) and Blakely Island (island). Wet mounts were prepared from flotations using 1 g of fecal sample in aqueous ZnSO₄ or sugar solution. Samples were examined using light microscopy to identify the presence of B. procyonis eggs and nematode larvae. Current data shows a greater prevalence (p = 0.018) of B. procyonis eggs in urban populations compared to rural and island populations. There appears to be no difference in nematode larvae prevalence between geographical locations (p = 0.586) suggesting nematode infections in rural and island populations are likely not B. procyonis. This data provides valuable information to educate the public about the risk of B. procyonis infection and take preventative measures to protect humans and domestic animals. 

Fungi in the order Erysiphales (powdery mildews) are the causal agents of a detrimental disease to over 10,000 plant species. Identifying powdery mildew species is important for answering a wide array of questions. For example, different species often require different control regimes. Accurate identification of powdery mildews is often accomplished by sequencing DNA of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. The ITS region is a commonly used fungal barcode that consists of an extremely divergent region between two highly conserved regions among eukarya. To sequence these regions we require primers (~20 base pair DNA sequences) on either side of the region. These primers assist in running Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). In most samples there will be multiple organisms present. In order to select only the target fungi (powdery mildew) for sequencing, we need primers genetically specific to the order we are looking at yet divergent from all other organisms. The primers for the powdery mildew ITS that have previously been generated have numerous issues such as they tend to amplify other organisms and fail to sequence specimens that are over five years old. The lack of success of previous primers highlights the need for new, more specific, primers. To accomplish this task we use a combination of genomic computer programs. The programs are used to locate the locations of these primers and to analyze their chemical compositions to ensure they will be conducive for a successful PCR reaction. By viewing the PCR results we can determine if the primer was specific enough to only amplify powdery mildew DNA. New powdery mildew specific primers will greatly enhance our ability to genetically identify powdery mildew from field and herbarium samples.

Globally, wetlands provide important ecosystem services and are critical to supporting wildlife and biodiversity. Anthropogenic disturbances, such as road construction, have a negative impact on wetland health and have dramatically reduced their number worldwide. In response to the damage caused by road construction, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) mitigates the consequent reduction of functions and the loss of wetlands through restoration efforts, including the monitoring and eradication of invasive vegetation (e.g. reed canary grass). WSDOT currently maps and monitors invasive species on the ground, which is challenging as they are hard to access due to inundation and dense vegetation. Compared to field survey methods, drones have the potential to quickly and safely survey large areas, reducing human effort and cost. By focusing on a single mitigation wetland site, we investigate the use of drones as an effective tool to accurately survey reed canary grass. We use object-based image analysis (OBIA) to create maps of reed canary grass cover and test the accuracy of the map using visual interpretation and confusion matrices. Results will inform about the difference in map accuracy between three drone sensors, an add-on 5-band (red, green, blue, red-edge, near-infrared (NIR)) camera and two built-in 3-band (reed, green, blue) cameras. We discuss opportunities and limitations of using drones as a tool to map invasive species. Additionally, we highlight the considerations that ecologists and natural resource managers must take into account when using drones for wetland monitoring. In conclusion, we identify future areas of research that include testing the repeatability of these methods at additional wetlands and increasing the suitability, number, and timing of the field data in support of this work.

Trace metals are a vital part of primary production for phytoplankton, and are a scarce resource around the world. Iceland's unique geology allows for these metals to be recycled through geologic processes as they are released from volcanic ash and trapped in ice, frozen in time until being released again through melt. Iceland's glaciers are melting at a rapid pace due to the warming climate, and are releasing and transporting these trace metals that have not been exposed to the environment for an extended period of time. Sólheimajökull, a glacier located in Southeast Iceland, is no exception and has seen an increasing retreat as it melts at an accelerated pace. The metals being released and transported in this melt are found to be magnitudes higher in abundance relative to the open waters surrounding the island. Introducing these metals to the open ocean could cause rapid changes in the biogeochemical processes of the surface ocean. With this increased melt, we're likely to see an increase in release and transportation of these metals, some of which may reach the coast and cause ecological devastation. In this study, I aim to quantify the trace metal deposition through various freshwater streams of Sólheimajökull.

Thalassinidean shrimp, commonly known as mud and ghost shrimp, are derailing oyster beds, a profitable aquaculture venture in Washington, by burrowing under them and causing sinking. In an attempt to replace harsh chemicals as pest control, a brine solution to osmotically eliminate these shrimp has been researched. Osmoconformers cannot control their internal pressure and are susceptible because of high gill surface area. Unfortunately, when this high salinity water is pulled back to the ocean at high tide, subtidal invertebrates, like the common shrimp Pandalus danae are also potentially impacted. Here we show the death rates of P. danae in varying salinities, and gill dehydration due to osmotic pressure through histology. Mortality rates were high for all salinity treatments. All the gills processed through histology showed intense dehydration. Though time of death, and thus time of dehydration, varied by salinity treatment, amount of dehydration did not. Runoff from the brine treatments to kill mud shrimp will impact other species in the subtidal, especially other osmoconformers. They have no way to retain water and thus are very susceptible. This study could provide information about ecological impacts of other animals in the brine solution beyond just killing the mud shrimp.