Current Research

Nutrition and water quality interact to impact the growth, survival, and condition of fish raised in hatcheries, either for food production or conservation. We investigate the impacts of rearing conditions on energy dynamics and physiology of aquacultured fishes. There are several ongoing projects with this focus:

1. At the National Institute of Amazonian Research (Manaus, Brazil), our lab investigated the impacts of heavy metal pollution in natural blackwater systems, and is applying the knowledge gained to inform policy for the blackwater rivers in south Georgia.

2. The U.S. Scholar Fulbright program in Egypt allowed Dr. Genz the opportunity to examine how functional feeds may improve cold tolerance of Nile tilapia, one of the world's most important aquaculture species.

3. How nutrition and water quality influence stocking survival are being investigated in a threatened species, the lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens). This project is a collaboration with the Warm Springs National Fish Hatchery (USFWS), who is the agency leading the efforts to repopulate this species in the Coosa River. Environmental parameters and composition of the available diet are instrumental in optimizing the health of this protected species in an hatchery setting. 

Environmental stressors such as low dissolved oxygen and temperature can impact the population health of sport fishes such as Black Bass, Striped Bass, and Rainbow Trout. Additionally, anthropogenic stressors such as handling stress and increased energy demands of fingerlings must also be minimized to ensure stocking success.

This project is a collaboration with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division.

Sea slugs in the family Sacoglossa are capable of incorporating ingested chloroplasts into their tissues to varying degrees. Moreover, the chloroplasts remain intact and functional, allowing the slug to derive its' nutrition solely from the photosynthate. In some species, including several in the genus Elysia, the choloroplasts are capable of sustaining the animal's nutritional needs for several months.

In our lab we are investigating the mechanism by which the chloroplasts are transferred from the intestinal diverticula to the body tissues without any apparent damage incurred to the chloroplasts. Similarly, the rate of degradation of plastids is a question of interest. We also are investigating the nutritional value of different algal chloroplast sources.