Research

Current Research

Decreasing juvenile salmonid mortality through reduction of a myxosporean parasite’s definitive host population: Manayunkia occidentalis in the Feather River, CA. 

Currently I am working on a project centered around the freshwater annelid Manayunkia occidentalis, a filter feeding annelid worm endemic to the Pacific Northwest. These tiny creatures with an adult size of approximately 5-6mm are one of the two hosts of the parasitic cnidarian Ceratonova shasta. Yes, a cnidarian! This parasite infects the worms in which it sexually reproduces. Spores are released into the water column and infect salmonids, in which the parasite asexually reproduces. Upon Chinook salmon mortality, morphologically different spores are released that in turn infect the worms, as shown in the life cycle figure on the right. 

Since the parasite is often lethal Chinook Salmon in the Feather River, conservation efforts can benefit from studying the annelid worm population as a means of parasite control. In the Feather River, CA, spores have been found and an infectious zone has been identified, indicating the worm’s presence. However, a noteworthy population of these annelid worms has not been mapped. 

For this project, I will focus on identifying the spatial and temporal distribution of M. occidentalis and infection rate with C. shasta. Additionally, I aim to determine how several environmental factors influence M. occidentalis densities and C. shasta infection rate in the Feather River, CA. 

The Miller Lab:

We have a wonderful team of students working on this project:

Dr. Don Miller

Professor

Dani Hartwigsen

Graduate Student

Dayna Ramel

Undergraduate Researcher

Sam Jacobs

Undergraduate Researcher

Valentina Giron

Undergraduate Researcher

Steven Verschoor

Undergraduate Researcher

Melina McKee

Undergraduate Researcher

Ella Cook

Intern

Sarah Kindopp

Intern