Location: Warmwater Aquaculture Research Unit
Project Number: 6066-31000-016-041-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Apr 1, 2024
End Date: Mar 31, 2026
Objective:
1. Evaluate parasite infection status of Apple Snails within the rice-crawfish industry and surrounding areas.
2. Quantify parasite diversity present in Apple Snails and crawfish from the rice-crawfish industry.
Approach:
Apple snails will be collected throughout the year, frozen and dissected at the Aquatic Parasitology Lab at Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Samples will be provided through donations from cooperating scientists in Louisiana, Mississippi, and other surrounding states. Samples will be thawed and the foot, intestines, and other major organs will be necropsied using standard protocols. Recovered organisms will be relaxed in hot saline solution in preparation for mounting on microscope slides. Parasites recovered will be morphologically identified and then further characterized using molecular methods established in house or through consulting other works in the literature. Evaluation of parasite prevalence, distribution, and community diversity will be quantified using appropriate methods.
