SAMANTHA M. WILSON
Snorkel surveys were completed to identify and number bass nests.
Like birds, bass build nests, except their nests are the size of a hoola-hoop and dug down into the lake substrate.
Tissue samples are stored in vials at -80 degrees celcius to preserve them for lab analyses.
Snorkel surveys were completed to identify and number bass nests.
Dedicated Dads
SIGNIFICANCE
Have you ever thought having kids ages you faster? or maybe your parents have blamed you for some of their grey hairs? I found that being a parent does not age you faster (at least not in bass...).
OVERVIEW
I examined smallmouth bass dad's for evidence of oxidative stress (the main contributor to senescence or aging). Smallmouth bass dad's are dedicated. They defend their offspring from predators for up to six weeks, without eating, until offspring are independent. If the struggles of parental care led to oxidative stress, every spawning period could contribute to an increased rate of aging and be a potential trade-off of provision of parental care.
I found that despite the increase in activity and decrease in food intake during parental care, smallmouth bass dads did not experience oxidative stress. I hypothesized that increased activity would increase free radical production and decreased food intake would reduce availability in antioxidants, leading to an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants called oxidative stress. However, no increase in free radical damage occured and antioxidant capacity actually increased in the late stages of parental care, possibly due to a return to feeding. Therefore, paternal smallmouth bass do not experience senecsence as a trade-off for provision of parental care.
REFERENCE
Wilson, S.M., Gravel, M.-A., Mackie, T.A., Willmore, W.G., Cooke, S.J. 2012. Oxidative stress associated with paternal care in smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu). Comp. Bioc. Phys. A – 162(3): 212-218.