PFAS in Invasive Freshwater Fish in SW Florida
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We are currently collecting fish muscle samples to test for PFAS all across the state of Florida. Collection has concluded, with results expected summer 2026.
Though this study focuses on invasive freshwater species, there is a future project interested in the non-invasive species around Florida. Project lead: PhD graduate student Isabella Cioffi |
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Species collected so far (and number): Blackchin tilapia - 5 Blue tilapia - 50 Brown hoplo catfish - 26 Jaguar guapote - 23 Jewelfish - 4 Mayan cichlid - 77 Oscar - 63 Pike killifish - 14 Sailfin catfish -16 Spotted tilapia - 15 Walking catfish - 20 Hybrid Tilapia - 20 |
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In the Lab
Sample Preparation
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We have 644 samples of freshwater invasive fish. Each day of sample preparation starts with laying out a subset of samples to thaw. |
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We are collecting data to find out the water content of each fish sample. This means we have to weigh the sample before and after freeze drying. If samples are too large, we will tear the tissue, by hand. |
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This is our lyophilizer (freeze drier). It is a HarvestRight Scientific with a five tray capacity. It is our work horse and favorite new addition to the lab. With the weigh boats, we can dry up to 60 samples at a time. It took just 10 days to dry all of our skinless samples (~310). |
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This is a small snapshot of the type of data we are collecting at this stage. This will give us a conversion factor from dry weight to wet weight. We are extracting with dry weight because not all fish have the same amount of water. If we normalize to tissue weight, not water, we can draw better comparisons. |
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Our dessicator. There are moisture absorbing beads at the bottom of the box to remove moisture. This ensures our dried samples stay that way. |