Omnibus Research Projects: 2024-2027

Research Projects for 2024-2027 Funding Cycle Announced

Louisiana Sea Grant (LSG) is continuing to fund relevant research projects that address information gaps for coastal Louisiana communities and deal with the state’s connection to water — from the Mississippi River to the coastal estuaries. For the 2024-2027 omnibus cycle, LSG will fund seven projects.

These projects were scheduled to begin Feb. 1, 2024, subject to the availability of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) funding support. Below is a synopsis of the projects, along with a list of the investigators and their affiliations.

White Spot Syndrome Virus Persistence and Response to Herbicide Exposure in Louisiana Crawfish
Principal Investigator (PI): Justin Anderson, Southeastern University, Department of Biological Sciences

 The Louisiana crawfish industry generates more than $300 million in economic value annually. Since 2007, several local crawfish farms have reported significant mortality rates in their crop due to White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV). WSSV causes significant problems in crawfish such as lethargy, unwillingness to defend themselves against predators and ultimately succumbing to the infection. Anderson and his team will study the persistence of WSSV in crawfish by determining when and how juvenile crawfish become infected and whether herbicides or other contaminants increase the likelihood of WSSV infections. They plan to identify burrows containing predominantly female crawfish to increase the sample size of egg/hatchling exposure to WSSV. By utilizing borescopes and 3D printed sampling devices, they will collect biological material from the water in crawfish ponds before analyzing DNA and RNA from the samples. They also intend to collect eggs and hatchlings and analyze their DNA – all to determine the rate of infection in farmed crawfish.

Mature crawfish collected will be dissected by students at North Vermilion High School where these students will gather tissue samples to determine which organs might be infected by WSSV. Anderson also intends to test which common herbicides used for rice crops affect the replication of WSSV in crawfish that share the pond. It is hoped that this testing will result in sufficient evidence to use chemicals that have a lower or zero effect on WSSV’s spread.

Sponges as Passive Samplers for Heavy Metals in Freshwater and Brackish Systems
PI: Stephanie Archer, Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON)
Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI) Mary Miller, Baton Rouge Community College, Department of Biology
Co-PI: Phoebe Zito, University of New Orleans, Department of Environmental Chemistry

Heavy metals are widespread contaminants in aquatic systems. However, their prevalence and the threats they pose to those ecosystems are not easy to monitor. Freshwater sponges are widespread filter feeders that remove up to 90 percent of bacteria and viruses from the water they inhabit. Researchers predict that metal concentrations in freshwater sponges will be correlated with concentrations of heavy metals found in the water and sediment where they inhabit. Undergraduate and graduate students will sample 75 sites, collecting substrate materials and sponge tissue to test in the lab. Researchers hope to determine the efficacy of sponges as water quality monitors for heavy metals.

Microplastic Ingestion by Waterfowl in Louisiana
PI: Terri Maness, Louisiana Tech University, School of Biological Sciences

Globally, some of the highest concentrations of microplastics have been reported in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. Microplastics ingested by native and migratory waterfowl may have adverse ecological impacts, as well as pose risks to human health when the birds are consumed. Toxic accumulation of these contaminants may compromise the well-being of waterfowl populations and affect species’ survival. Waterfowl are an important bioindicator. The research team intends to study the consumption of microplastics by waterfowl, utilizing specimens donated from local hunters. This is to determine the presence of pollution sources and compromised ecosystems. By monitoring these birds, it will enable scientists to assess the overall health of aquatic ecosystems and identify areas for conservation or restoration.

Using around 2,000 donated ducks, Maness’ team will measure the frequency and quantity of microplastics ingested by dissecting and examining the birds’ intestinal tract.

Development of Multi-scale Model for Predicting Flood Loss to Buildings Vulnerable to Sea Level Rise
PI: Elizabeth Matthews, Louisiana Tech University, Department of Civil Engineering
Co-PI: Mary Fendley, Louisiana Tech University, Department of Industrial Engineering

Billions of dollars in flood damage occur in communities every year. To create hazard-resistant communities, variations in flood damage need to be considered when modeling potential flood loss. Variation in damage over a building’s lifespan in coastal areas of Louisiana can be tied to multiple factors, including the types of building materials used, flood conditions present and the potential severity of future sea level rise (SLR). Matthews and Fendley intend to create a flood loss prediction model for buildings in coastal Louisiana that accounts for these factors. The model will be able to provide a detailed analysis for individual residential and small commercial buildings that are threatened by sea level rise (SLR), which can also be translated effectively to estimate flood losses. They plan to develop a website communities can use to evaluate potential flood losses under different SLR scenarios.

Fish Production in Louisiana Waters: What Drive Long-Term Species Declines and Community Changes?
PI: Steven Midway, Louisiana State University (LSU), Department of Oceanography
Co-PI: Paul Miller, LSU, Department of Oceanography

Louisiana waters have always had high fish diversity and fisheries productivity. Over the past several years, Louisiana has seen changes in the diversity and production of fish communities. Midway and Miller propose to evaluate changes in the fisheries of coastal Louisiana, documenting declines in commercial and recreational species. As an add-on, they plan to develop a user-friendly, interactive web tool for exploring fish abundance and diversity. Due to the long-term scale of this study, the team intends to utilize Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries long-term datasets to calculate catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) and determine the extent of change in Louisiana commercial and recreational fisheries, with a hope to provide accurate documentation of the declines. Results of this work will be relevant to both fisheries managers, who are seeking science to inform regulations, and to the broader scientific community that has spent decades addressing questions about the relationship between fish and estuaries.

Multiscale Modeling for Ecohydrological Sustainability of the Atchafalaya Basin Continuum
PI: Robert Miller, University of Louisiana at Lafayette (ULL), Department of Civil Engineering
Co-PI: Emad Habib, ULL, Department of Civil Engineering

The Atchafalaya Basin Continuum (ABC) is a historically significant sub-estuary of the lower Mississippi River delta that includes the largest freshwater river swamp in the U.S. Unfortunately, issues have arisen that affect the hydrology, ecology and morphology of the ABC. The goal of this research is to create a regional ecohydrological model to improve understanding of the hydrology, habitat sustainability and water quality across the Atchafalaya. The multi-faceted model will consist of: a) a regional model of the hydrology and hydrodynamics, b) a local sub-model of a managed open channel hydraulic network and c) a reduced-complexity model focused on water quality in a large tidal wetland subsystem. It will also incorporate existing water control strategies as well as other mitigation methods. Miller and Habib hope this model will help to educate students as well as stakeholders and other end-users.

Population Dynamics and Trophic Interactions of Invasive Apples Snails (Pomacea maculate) in Crawfish Production Systems
PI: Blake Wilson, LSU AgCenter, Sugar Research Station
Co-PI: Michael Polito, LSU, Department of Oceanography

Invasive apple snails are a species that have emerged as a threat to the Louisiana crawfish industry and freshwater ecosystems. Wilson and Polito intend to identify what environmental factors allow the establishment and spread of apple snails in crawfish ponds, quantify the food resource competition between snail and crawfish and address the potential solutions to manage snail infestation. They plan to use on-farm surveys, field trials and laboratory analyses to collect this data. The objective is to create an apple snail management guide to reduce the impact of apple snails to the crawfish industry.