Fewer parasites in U.S. waters might be seen by many as a good thing, but a Kennesaw State University biologist says the trend signals potential danger for fish and other wildlife.
Fewer parasites in U.S. waters might be seen by many as a good thing, but a Kennesaw State University biologist says the trend signals potential danger for fish and other wildlife.
According to Whitney Preisser, assistant professor of biology, the decrease in parasites is likely a result of changes in the water temperature. These changes hint at a potential ecological threat which could impact all species. Her findings were recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of the Sciences.
“If the parasites die off, then we might see impacts to the free-living species, the ones most people want to keep around, as well,” Preisser said. “This paper hopefully draws attention to an urgent environmental issue.”
Preisser, whose specialties are parasitology and disease ecology, began her work as a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Washington. When she joined the KSU College of Science and Mathematics faculty in August 2022, she continued her research by tapping into the work of Professor Emeritus Bill Ensign. Between the 1990s and 2016, Ensign took more than 2,000 specimens out of streams and creeks primarily in Cobb and Paulding counties for research purposes. Preisser is now examining them for further study of parasites specific to local waterways. The collection spans more than 115 species of fish, offering a glimpse into the waterways’ health.
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Image: Whitney Preisser (Credit: Kennesaw State University)
