Environmental Health
Behavioral Toxicology Laboratory - Columbia, Missouri
About the Capability
The Environmental Health Program supports scientists in the Behavioral Toxicology Laboratory at the Columbia Environmental Reserach Center to develop behavioral methods in aquatic toxicology. These assays are used to characterize and quantify effects of contaminants on aquatic organisms. They have utilized these methods with a variety of organisms including larval and juvenile fish and amphibians.
Swimming paths of control (left) and copper (right) exposed fish demonstrate changes in swimming behavior detected following exposure to metals. Such changes can impact ability of fish to survive.
(Credit: Holly J. Puglis. Public domain.)
Key Instrumentation and Capabilities
- New (2018) 1,054 square foot laboratory facility
- Two proportional diluters equipped with high-definition cameras for quantifying swimming activity
- Five (3 small and 2 large) respirometers for measuring swimming performance
- A series of aquaria equipped with individual light and temperature control and cameras
- Five countercurrent avoidance chambers for characterizing avoidance or attractance to stimuli
- Electro-olfactogram recordings (olfactory cues)
Screen shot of a computer monitor from a video recording setup from a swimming behavior experimental swimming behavior assay system. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists can record swimming activity of multiple treatments simultaneously in the swimming behavior assay.
(Credit: Puglis, USGS. Public domain.)
Key Behaviors Studied
- Avoidance and Attractance
- Swimming Activity
- Critical Swimming Performance (Endurance)
- Predator/Prey Interactions
- Reproductive Behavior
- Feeding Behavior
Behavioral Toxicology Laboratory — Columbia, Missouri. Screen shot of a computer monitor from a video recording setup from a swimming behavior experimental swimming behavior assay system. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists can record swimming activity of multiple treatments simultaneously in the swimming behavior assay.
(Credit: Puglis, USGS. Public domain.)
Behavioral Toxicology Laboratory — Columbia, Missouri. Screen shot of a video of attractance behavior of Asian carp when food stimulus is introduced. USGS scientists are studying the observed behavior to develop a targeted chemical control strategy for this invasive species.
(Credit: Erinn L. Scott, USGS. Public domain.)
Behavioral Toxicology Laboratory — Columbia, Missouri. Inclusion of a dye tracer to demonstrate gradient in a counter current avoidance chamber. These chambers are used to understand how a contaminant, or any other stimulus, may affect natural attractance or avoidance behaviors in fish.
(Credit: Edward E. Little - Contact: Holly J. Puglis, USGS. Public domain.)
Behavioral Toxicology Laboratory — Columbia, Missouri. A rack of eight aquaria used for behavior modification studies. Each tank is isolated from each other both visually and audibly. The fish in each of the tanks are continuously monitored and their behavior recorded by a close-circuit camera and digital video recorder.
(Credit: Chris Witte - Contact: Mark L. Wildhaber, USGS. Public domain.)