NTCC biology students continued their research into vertebrate parasites during a recent trip to southeastern Oklahoma — and once again, their fieldwork produced some potentially significant findings.
Biology 2289 students Ireland Fite, Emely Chavelas, Jordan Krumrie and Stephany Fuentes traveled with their mentor, Dr. Chris McAllister, to the Idabel and Broken Bow area Oct. 23-25. The group stayed at the Oklahoma State University Kiamichi Forestry Research Station while conducting research on parasites found in regional fish populations.
Prior to the trip, McAllister collaborated with Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation personnel David Bogner and Jay Barfield, who provided fish samples from several lakes in the region.
During their fieldwork, the NTCC group collected fish from creeks and rivers in Choctaw and McCurtain counties and discovered myxosporean parasites in green sunfish, bluegill and plains longear sunfish (Lepomis aquilensis). The finding in the plains longear sunfish is particularly exciting, as McAllister believes myxosporeans have never previously been reported from the species. Further study could determine whether the discovery represents a new parasite species.
The students also took time during the trip to visit the Museum of the Red River, where they saw the museum’s Acrocanthosaurus atokensis dinosaur exhibit.
The group will wrap up its fall field research in early November with visits to several East Texas watersheds, where little is currently known about fish myxosporeans.
