King
Completes Mosquitofish Research
May
30, 2007
Derek King, a 2003 graduate of Fontainebleau
High School, has completed scientific research as part of the
Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, established by
Louisiana Sea Grant.
King’s research project was titled “Assessing
the Use of Muscle and Scale RNA/DNA Ratios for an Estuarine
Resident, Gambusia affinis, as a Means to Evaluate the Effects
of Estuarine Restoration on Habitat Quality.” Under the
mentorship of Dr. Megan LaPeyre, School of Renewable Natural
Resources at Louisiana State University, King evaluated the
short-term growth of mosquitofish to determine the effects of
natural or human- created habitat alterations.
His experiments showed that it is possible
to extract and purify both RNA (ribonucleic acid) and DNA (deoxyribonucleic
acid) from the scales of mosquitofish, only the second study
to do so, and that RNA/DNA ratios may be a viable means of assessing
growth of wild fish. His research may aid with fisheries management.
He is the son of Anita King of Mandeville and
Tim King of Hernando Beach, Fla., and the grandson of Bill and
Elizabeth Crowe.
UROP provides talented undergraduate students
interested in advanced studies in marine-related disciplines
with hands-on research experience. The program is designed to
increase the student’s competitiveness as a graduate student,
help them make career-related decisions, and establish working
relationships with university faculty.
Since its establishment in 1968, Louisiana
Sea Grant has worked to promote stewardship of the state’s
coastal resources through a combination of research, education
and outreach programs critical to the cultural, economic and
environmental health of Louisiana’s coastal zone. Louisiana
Sea Grant, based at LSU, is part of the National Sea Grant Program,
a network of 32 university-based programs in each of the U.S.
coastal and Great Lakes states and Puerto Rico.
