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Darlene Slavick and Dr. Tanya Matlaga, Department of Biology, Susquehanna University, 514 University Ave, Selinsgrove PA 17870
Atrazine is a widely used herbicide that enters streams and serves as an abiotic stressor. Such herbicides cause chronic stress in exposed aquatic organisms and can contribute to local and global declines in amphibian populations. While studies have shown a relationship between atrazine exposure and dysregulated stress response in several amphibian species, there has been no such study on the northern two-lined salamander (Eurycea bislineata), commonly found in agricultural regions. Our study aims to determine the effects of atrazine on stress response in northern two-lined salamander larvae via water-borne collection of the stress hormone corticosterone. We predict that atrazine will alter corticosterone release in larvae exposed to higher concentrations of the herbicide, indicating a dysregulated stress response. Larvae were exposed to 0, 50, 100, 200 μg/L atrazine with 5 replicates per treatment for 14 days. We will validate water-borne corticosterone collection in this species via a standard agitation test. We will be analyzing the water samples for corticosterone levels using an enzyme-immunoassay kit in spring 2021. Examining the impacts of atrazine on stress levels of northern two-lined salamander larvae will provide insight into how to mitigate amphibian population decline.
Presenter: Darlene Slavick
Institution: Susquehanna University
Type: Poster
Subject: Ecology
Status: Approved
