Millions of kilograms of pesticides are used in both agricultural and aquatic ecosystems around the world to combat, control and eradicate nuisance species. Pesticides can enter aquatic ecosystems through direct or indirect pathways and persist for prolonged periods in the environment. Although pesticides are designed for specific purposes, they can have negative impacts on nontarget organisms. Our goal is to understand the impacts of pesticides on nontarget organisms and provide management agencies with our scientific findings to improve risk assessment while communicating this information to all our diverse stakeholders.
Projects
Impacts of Aquatic Herbicides on Nontarget Organisms
Aquatic herbicides have the potential to contaminate surface water and groundwater through direct application and runoff and they can affect nontarget organisms in their natural habitats. Our laboratory is studying the molecular, biochemical, organismal and ecological impacts of herbicides that are directly applied to lake ecosystems on nontarget fish species while bridging the gap between laboratory and field work. The goal of this actionable science is to enhance risk assessment decisions for aquatic plant management and increase our understanding of the impacts that herbicide application practices have on nontarget organisms.
