Fisheries Research Makes Cover of Environmental Science & Technology

Marisol Sepúlveda, Purdue University professor of ecology and natural systems and associate head for research, and Dave Coulter, postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences at Southern Illinois University, had their work featured on the cover and inside Environmental Science & Technology Magazine’s Oct. 1, 2019 issue.

Sepulveda was co-author of the piece entitled “Lifelong Exposure to Dixin-Like PCBs Alters Paternal Offspring Care Behavior and Reduces Male Fish Reproductive Success,” while Coulter, a former PhD student under Sepúlveda and Tomas Höök, professor of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, at Purdue, was the lead author.

The paper details a laboratory experiment designed to identify the mechanisms by which polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) contamination affects male reproductive contribution from individuals to populations. The experiment saw male fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) dosed with one of two PCB mixtures throughout their lives. Once mature, the minnows were bred with uncontaminated females and evaluated the effects on:
  • Expression of genes from brain tissue involved in reproductive endocrine pathways
  • Testicular cellular development
  • Secondary sexual characteristics
  • Courtship and reproductive behavior
  • Offspring survival
  • Long-term offspring performance
To read the full summary of the experiment view Lifelong Exposure to Dioxin-Like PCBs Alters Paternal Offspring Care Behavior and Reduces Male Fish Reproductive Success.

Featured Stories

Andrew DeWoody stands in front of test equipment in his lab in West Lafayette, Ind.
Department of Forestry and Natural Resources appoints its first Conservation Scholar

Andrew DeWoody, professor in the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR), has been...

Read More
A close-up of a four-leaf clover in a lawn.
The luck of the Irish in your lawn

St. Patrick’s Day gets us thinking about all things green — from shamrock decorations...

Read More
Two grain towers
Grain dust explosion incidents decrease, fatalities increase

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Seven U.S. grain dust explosions in 2025 caused 10 injuries and four...

Read More
Emma Johnson receives her Fenske Award at the Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference; Johnson stands next to the Sky Arrow plane her team uses for research.
Emma Johnson Named Fenske Award for Wildlife Recipient

Master’s student Emma Johnson (BS 2025) received the Janice Lee Fenske Memorial Award for...

Read More
Mary Kay Thatcher to speak at 51st James C. Snyder Memorial Lecture.
Farm policy expert Mary Kay Thatcher to discuss evolving ag policy landscape at James C. Snyder Memorial Lecture

The Purdue University Department of Agricultural Economics will host Mary Kay Thatcher,...

Read More
Caroline Rose Alukkal
Caroline Rose Alukkal - Postdoctoral Scholar Feature

At an age when most kids are still learning long division, Caroline Rose Alukkal was already...

Read More