June 5, 2003
River Research by L-A College Professor and Student
A science professor and a student from the Natural and Applied
Sciences program at USM's Lewiston-Auburn College are conducting
research on water quality in the Androscoggin River. Dr. Blake
Whitaker and graduating senior Kim Chamberland, have been
studying the Androscoggin (along with the Kennebec and the
Penobscot) sampling fish and looking for levels of genetic
damage. Their results for the Androscoggin River for the past
two years have shown significant genetic damage in small mouth
bass. "We have found a strong correlation between the level
of increasing genetic damage seen and increasing levels of
PCB and dioxin levels in the river," said Chamberland. She
added that they are particularly interested in doing this
study because they are seeing many bass thriving in these
rivers despite the presence of dioxin and PCBs. "We wonder
whether these fish have been able to evolve so that they are
able to withstand these toxins. If so, there should be changes
in their DNA... changes that could be significant enough to
cause certain groups of fish to actually become separate populations."
This summer's research by Whitaker and Chamberland will
include using a molecular biology technique called AFLP (Amplified
Fragment Length Polymorphism) to assess whether or not separate
populations have developed along the river as a result of
selective pressure due to the presence of environmental toxins.
AFLP is a type of DNA fingerprinting that allows one to determine
whether individuals are members of a particular population
by comparing banding patterns produced from DNA that has been
run out on a gel. "We are interested in doing this study in
particular because we know dioxin and PCBs are toxic yet we
are seeing many bass thriving in these rivers," added Whitaker.
"We question whether these fish have been able to evolve so
that they are able to withstand these toxins. If so, there
should be changes in their DNA... changes that could be significant
enough to cause certain groups of fish to become unique breeding
populations."
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