Vicki S. Blazer
Vicki started with the National Fish Health Research Laboratory, Leetown Science Center (now the Eastern Ecological Science Center - Leetown Research Laboratory), Kearneysville, WV in1992. She was previously employed as the Assistant Leader of the Georgia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. She was also on the graduate faculty in the School of Forest Resources, University of Georgia, teac
She is active in numerous research projects within the Northeast as well as nationally and internationally. She is active in the American Fisheries Society Fish Health Section and a member of other scientific societies. She is an adjunct faculty member at West Virginia University and Penn State and serves on graduate student committees. Research areas include development of microscopic and molecular markers for understanding changes in the health and populations of wild fishes. Areas of focus include endocrine disruption, emerging diseases, fish tumor pathology and assessment at Great Lakes Areas of Concern, land use influences on fish health, reproduction and immunomodulation.
Professional Experience
Postdoctoral Research Associate, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia
Assistant Leader, Georgia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, School of Forest Resources, University of Georgia
Research Fishery Biologist, Leetown Science Center
Education and Certifications
B.S. in Marine Science and Biology Southampton College, Long Island University.
PhD in Fisheries, Aquaculture and Pathology, Rhode Island University
Affiliations and Memberships*
Adjunct Professor, West Virginia University
Adjunct Professor, Penn State University
Science and Products
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Assessment of skin and liver neoplasms in white sucker (Catostomus commersonii) collected in the Sheboygan River Area of Concern, Wisconsin, in 2017 Assessment of skin and liver neoplasms in white sucker (Catostomus commersonii) collected in the Sheboygan River Area of Concern, Wisconsin, in 2017
Two hundred adult white sucker (Catostomus commersonii), age 3 years and older, were collected from the lower Sheboygan River Area of Concern in 2017, during the spring spawning run. Fish were euthanized, weighed, and measured, and any visible abnormalities were documented. Pieces of raised skin lesions as well as five to eight pieces of liver were removed and preserved for...
Authors
Vicki S. Blazer, Heather L. Walsh, Ryan P. Braham, Patricia M. Mazik
Movement dynamics of smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) in a large river-tributary system Movement dynamics of smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) in a large river-tributary system
Smallmouth bass, Micropterus dolomieu Lacepède, movement dynamics were investigated in a connected mainstem river-tributary system. Smallmouth bass moved large distances annually (n = 84 fish, average = 24.6 ± 25.9 km, range = 0.03 to 118 km) and had three peak movement periods (pre-spawn, post-spawn and overwintering). Movement into and out of tributaries was common, but the movement...
Authors
Tyler Wagner, Megan K. Schall, Timothy Wertz, Geoffrey D. Smith, Vicki S. Blazer
Necropsy-based wild fish health assessment Necropsy-based wild fish health assessment
Anthropogenic influences from increased nutrients and chemical contaminants, to habitat alterations and climate change, can have significant effects on fish populations. Adverse effects monitoring, utilizing biomarkers from the organismal to the molecular level, can be used to assess the cumulative effects on fishes and other organisms. Fish health has been used worldwide as an indicator...
Authors
Vicki S. Blazer, Heather L. Walsh, Ryan P. Braham, Cheyenne R. Smith
Indicators of exposure to estrogenic compounds at Great Lakes Areas of Concern: Species and site comparisons Indicators of exposure to estrogenic compounds at Great Lakes Areas of Concern: Species and site comparisons
Adverse effects resulting from potential exposure of wild fishes to estrogenic endocrine disruptors was assessed at seven United States Great Lakes Areas of Concern using biomarkers ranging from organismal (gonadosomatic indices) to tissue/plasma (histology, plasma vitellogenin) and molecular (hepatic gene transcripts) levels. Biomonitoring was conducted on pelagic, top predator species...
Authors
Vicki S. Blazer, Heather L. Walsh, Cassidy H. Shaw, Luke R. Iwanowicz, Ryan P. Braham, Patricia Mazik
Spatial and temporal variability of myxozoan parasite, Myxobolus inornatus, prevalence in young of the year smallmouth bass in the Susquehanna River Basin, Pennsylvania Spatial and temporal variability of myxozoan parasite, Myxobolus inornatus, prevalence in young of the year smallmouth bass in the Susquehanna River Basin, Pennsylvania
A myxozoan parasite, Myxobolus inornatus, is one disease agent identified in young of the year (YOY) smallmouth bass in the Susquehanna River Basin, Pennsylvania. We investigated spatial and temporal variability in M. Inornatus prevalence across the Susquehanna River Basin and at several out-of-basin sites. We examined potential land use drivers of M. Inornatus prevalence including...
Authors
Megan K. Schall, Vicki S. Blazer, Heather L. Walsh, Geoffrey D. Smith, Timothy Wertz, Tyler Wagner
Quantifying population-level effects of water temperature, flow velocity and chemical-induced reproduction depression: A simulation study with smallmouth bass Quantifying population-level effects of water temperature, flow velocity and chemical-induced reproduction depression: A simulation study with smallmouth bass
Evaluating stochastic abiotic factors and their combined effects on fish and wildlife populations have been challenging in environmental sciences. Contributing to this challenge is the paucity of data describing how observations made on individuals related to exposure to chemical compounds ultimately effect population vital rates, and how this exposure interacts with other abiotic...
Authors
Tyler Wagner, Vicki S. Blazer, Yan Li
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 21
Filter Total Items: 18
No Result Found
Filter Total Items: 192
Assessment of skin and liver neoplasms in white sucker (Catostomus commersonii) collected in the Sheboygan River Area of Concern, Wisconsin, in 2017 Assessment of skin and liver neoplasms in white sucker (Catostomus commersonii) collected in the Sheboygan River Area of Concern, Wisconsin, in 2017
Two hundred adult white sucker (Catostomus commersonii), age 3 years and older, were collected from the lower Sheboygan River Area of Concern in 2017, during the spring spawning run. Fish were euthanized, weighed, and measured, and any visible abnormalities were documented. Pieces of raised skin lesions as well as five to eight pieces of liver were removed and preserved for...
Authors
Vicki S. Blazer, Heather L. Walsh, Ryan P. Braham, Patricia M. Mazik
Movement dynamics of smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) in a large river-tributary system Movement dynamics of smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) in a large river-tributary system
Smallmouth bass, Micropterus dolomieu Lacepède, movement dynamics were investigated in a connected mainstem river-tributary system. Smallmouth bass moved large distances annually (n = 84 fish, average = 24.6 ± 25.9 km, range = 0.03 to 118 km) and had three peak movement periods (pre-spawn, post-spawn and overwintering). Movement into and out of tributaries was common, but the movement...
Authors
Tyler Wagner, Megan K. Schall, Timothy Wertz, Geoffrey D. Smith, Vicki S. Blazer
Necropsy-based wild fish health assessment Necropsy-based wild fish health assessment
Anthropogenic influences from increased nutrients and chemical contaminants, to habitat alterations and climate change, can have significant effects on fish populations. Adverse effects monitoring, utilizing biomarkers from the organismal to the molecular level, can be used to assess the cumulative effects on fishes and other organisms. Fish health has been used worldwide as an indicator...
Authors
Vicki S. Blazer, Heather L. Walsh, Ryan P. Braham, Cheyenne R. Smith
Indicators of exposure to estrogenic compounds at Great Lakes Areas of Concern: Species and site comparisons Indicators of exposure to estrogenic compounds at Great Lakes Areas of Concern: Species and site comparisons
Adverse effects resulting from potential exposure of wild fishes to estrogenic endocrine disruptors was assessed at seven United States Great Lakes Areas of Concern using biomarkers ranging from organismal (gonadosomatic indices) to tissue/plasma (histology, plasma vitellogenin) and molecular (hepatic gene transcripts) levels. Biomonitoring was conducted on pelagic, top predator species...
Authors
Vicki S. Blazer, Heather L. Walsh, Cassidy H. Shaw, Luke R. Iwanowicz, Ryan P. Braham, Patricia Mazik
Spatial and temporal variability of myxozoan parasite, Myxobolus inornatus, prevalence in young of the year smallmouth bass in the Susquehanna River Basin, Pennsylvania Spatial and temporal variability of myxozoan parasite, Myxobolus inornatus, prevalence in young of the year smallmouth bass in the Susquehanna River Basin, Pennsylvania
A myxozoan parasite, Myxobolus inornatus, is one disease agent identified in young of the year (YOY) smallmouth bass in the Susquehanna River Basin, Pennsylvania. We investigated spatial and temporal variability in M. Inornatus prevalence across the Susquehanna River Basin and at several out-of-basin sites. We examined potential land use drivers of M. Inornatus prevalence including...
Authors
Megan K. Schall, Vicki S. Blazer, Heather L. Walsh, Geoffrey D. Smith, Timothy Wertz, Tyler Wagner
Quantifying population-level effects of water temperature, flow velocity and chemical-induced reproduction depression: A simulation study with smallmouth bass Quantifying population-level effects of water temperature, flow velocity and chemical-induced reproduction depression: A simulation study with smallmouth bass
Evaluating stochastic abiotic factors and their combined effects on fish and wildlife populations have been challenging in environmental sciences. Contributing to this challenge is the paucity of data describing how observations made on individuals related to exposure to chemical compounds ultimately effect population vital rates, and how this exposure interacts with other abiotic...
Authors
Tyler Wagner, Vicki S. Blazer, Yan Li
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government