Research Events
United States Environmental
Protection Agency
• Office of Research and
Development
• National Health and
Environmental Effects
. Research Laboratory
• Mid-Continent Ecology
Division, Duluth,
Minnesota
In this Issue:
Research Events
Featured Research
Current Events
: Upcoming Events
Awards
New Publications
MED Seminars
People
MED Staff Attend North American Benthological Society Annual Meeting
The final annual meeting of the North American Benthological Society (NABS) was held May
22-26 in Providence, RI. After more than 50 years the venerable organization dedicated to life
on the bottom conceded that it need to start looking up from the mud. To show that NABS
was serious about taking a holistic view of freshwater, a significant outcome of the conference
was to change NABS to "Society for Freshwater Sciences" (or SFS). Those finding it difficult
to let go of the bottom and drift up towards the light were placated with modest changes to the
logo (figure). The meeting dominated the heart of the city at the confluence of rivers and Irish
bars. To exercise its new emphasis the SFS used "Responding to the Global Water Crisis" as
the theme of the six-day meeting. Numerous concurrent sessions spanned minutia (e.g.,
exuviae as a research tool) to the massive (e.g., global bioassement methods).
MED researchers presented five papers and
organized a special session. Deb Taylor
contrasted the hydrologic conditions of the Ohio
and Upper Mississippi Rivers and concluded that
great river obligate fish prefer the flow-through
pools of the former rather than the chain of lakes
of the latter. David Bolgrien described MED's
ecosystem services research on the St. Louis
River and other Areas of Concern in the Great
Lakes. Dave, Ted Angradi, and Brent Bellinger
are relating the value people have for wetlands with the distribution of vegetation and nutrient
dynamics. It is assumed that people will protect, conserve, or restore conditions and processes
that they value. Brian Hill put a dollar value on the carbon and nitrogen flowing through low
order streams across the country. Again, measure for measure is the rule. People want a
measure of the service or benefit so they can estimate their measure of value. Brent discussed
how ecosystem services of a eutrophic wetland can be enhanced (e.g., get lots of fish and
birds) after burning up cattail in the Everglades. Marisa Mazzotta discussed application of a
technique for assessing ecological and economic services derived from restored wetlands. The
latter four presentations were a part of a special session, "Ecosystem Service Concepts in the
Management of Freshwater Habitats," organized by Bolgrien and Angradi, with help from
Bellinger. The talks were diverse and informative and, despite being in the afternoon of the
last day the session, well attended. Contact: Dave Bolgrien (218) 529-5216.
: MED in Review Editor
Mary Ann Starus
(218) 529-5075 :
starus. marvann@epa.aov
MED in Review Design
SES3 Contract
GS-35F-4594G
Task Order 1524
MED Acknowleged for '
SAP Participation
'Integrated Approaches to Testing and Assessment"
Drs. Daniel Villeneuve and Patricia Schmieder were acknowledged by EPA's Office of
Pesticide Programs (OPP) Antimicrobial and Health Effects Division for their contribution as
part of an ORD team to the May 24-26 Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) on the "Integrated
Approaches to Testing and Assessment (IATA) Strategy: Use of New Computational and
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SAP Participation - continued
Molecular Tools." The consultation sought SAP's guidance about OPP's vision, initial efforts, and plans to adopt an integrated
approach to testing and assessment with a focus on a paradigm shift from the current toxicity based risk assessment approach to a more
streamlined, efficient, and less costly one using the new genomic and bioinformatic tools of toxicity testing. The ORD team developed
and presented the scientific basis for the SAP consultation on OPP's vision. The scientific presentations and underlying research
projects were well received; the SAP panel was very complimentary regarding the high quality of science presented by the ORD
researchers. Dan and Pat were acknowledged for providing multiple valuable insights during the development of the SAP background
paper. They also gave excellent presentations which provided the panel with a detailed understanding of the science and the approach
envisioned by the Agency. The rest of the ORD team, Kevin Crofton, Woodrow Setzer, Tammy Stoker, Stephen Nesnow, and Jeffrey
Ross, performed the extensive research and data analysis that formed the basis for the two case studies on propiconazole and triclosan
that were presented to the SAP. These ORD scientists contributed greatly to the development of the case-study white papers for the
SAP, which were used to illustrate the principles of the IATA approach and its implementation, and they developed and gave excellent
presentations to the SAP. OPP thanked all these ORD scientists for the support they provided to making the SAP review a great
success, and acknowledged the importance of the high quality of the ORD research presented at the SAP review for providing the vital
foundation for OPP's vision. The ORD team received an award for their work on this project; see "Awards" section, page 9.
Contact: Pat Schmieder (218) 529-5161.
IAGLR Conference Highlights MED and Related Science
The 54th International Conference on Great Lakes Research - "Big Lakes - Big World" - was held in
Duluth May 30-June 3. The conference attracted almost 700 attendees and featured more than 35
scientific sessions exploring large-lakes research, management, policy, and education. The Division
was a co-host for this event, along with University of MN Duluth, MN Sea Grant Program, MN
Pollution Control Agency, and others. Division ecologist Dr. Anett Trebitz was the program co-chair
for the meeting. In addition, Division scientists were authors on over 15 oral and poster presentations,
and served as co-chairs for 5 different scientific sessions spanning topics from effects of toxic	_
chemicals to land-water connections. The Duluth News Tribune published several articles on Great	! r\ Cj L_ I \ 2,011
Lakes science in conjunction with the meeting - including one describing the Division's research into
more rapid detection of exotic species invasions, and another on Lake Superior food webs and their
role in nutrient cycling. Contact: Anett Trebitz (218) 529-5209, http://www.iaglr.org/conference/index.php.
Featured Research
Peatlands ecosystem services: Linking carbon and nitrogen dynamics with regional-scale air and water quality
protection

Figure 1. Boardwalk through Marcell
Experimental Forest reference (S-2) peat bog.
This study is part of a larger, multi-laboratory (NHEERL's Gulf Ecology, Mid
Continent Ecology, Western Ecology Divisions; and NERL's Ecological Exposure
Research Division) study of nitrogen (N) removal by wetlands and their effect on
ecosystems services. Similar studies will be conducted in coastal wetlands in Florida
(Tampa Bay watershed) and Oregon (YaquinaBay watershed), and in isolated wetlands
in Ohio, South Carolina, and Florida. Samples for ecoenzymes, nitrification, and
denitrification will be analyzed by our laboratory. There are four primary objectives of
this research project. First, as a part of a multi-laboratory research effort to quantify N
removal by various classes of wetlands, we will be measuring N uptake, storage, burial,
nitrification, and denitrification in peatlands (ombrotrophic bogs, minerotrophic fens), a
prominent landscape feature of the Great Lakes region (Figs. 1 and 2).
Continued on next page..
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Mid-Continent Ecology Division • Duluth, MN

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Peatlands ecosystem services - continued
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Our hypothesis is that, because of their distinct chemistries and hydrology,
bogs and fens will differ in their capacity to remove N from wetland waters.
Further, the extent of peatlands in the Great Lakes basin will account for a
significant amount of N removal from the basin. Second, we are
investigating the role of microbial metabolism, specifically ecoenzymes
produced by microbial assemblages in their acquisition of carbon (C), N,
and phosphorus (P), in peatland nitrogen removal. Our hypothesis is that C,
N, and P cycling in peatlands is constrained by nutrient availability and that
release of nutrients will be mediated by microbial ecoenzymes. This flush
of nutrients will result in increased primary productivity (wetland C
sequestration), but increased aerobic and anaerobic organic matter
decomposition, leading to increased greenhouse gas emissions. This tight
coupling of C, N, and P with microbial activity yields robust predictive
models of C, N, and P dynamics in peatlands.
Third, in collaboration with our US Forest Service partners, we hope to be
involved in a new developing study assessing the effects of soil warming
and elevated C02 on peatland C, N, and P dynamics (Fig. 3). When the
study is implemented, we anticipate assessing N removal (specifically
denitrification) and microbial exoenzyme activity. Our hypothesis is that
as soils warm and/or atmospheres are enriched with C02, there will be a
greater demand for available nutrients and a greater governance of C, N,
and P dynamics by microbial activity.
Continued on next page...
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PEATLANDS ECOSYSTEM SERVICES - CONTINUED
Finally, we will link these peatland ecosystem processes to
cumulative ecosystem services derived from peatlands of the Great
Lakes basin, including water quality and climate regulation (Fig. 4).
Contact: Brian Hill (218) 529-5224, hill.brian@epa.gov.
DIRECT OHIVERS
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Pharmaceutical Concern and Prioritization Framework
As environmental analytical techniques have become more sensitive and widely deployed, and pharmaceutical production and sales
have increased, there has been elevated concern relative to human and veterinary drugs in the environment. Due to a lack of relevant
data for effects of many of these chemicals on non-target species, it is difficult to adequately determine the ecological risk of drugs
known or predicted to occur in the environment. This limits the development of effective monitoring programs and/or risk mitigation
strategies. The purpose of our work is to develop a framework for prioritizing pharmaceuticals based on their potential (estimated)
ecological risk. The intent is to use state-of-the-art techniques to predict possible effects in non-target species, based on existing data
regarding basic physico-chemical properties, conservation of biological pathways affected, and relative efficacy (or potency) in target
species. This effort is intended to support monitoring/diagnostic assessment of current-use pharmaceuticals (e.g., in the Great Lakes
and adjoining water bodies), and prospective assessments for new drugs yet to be released into the environment.
Available ecotoxicity data for many classes of drugs are inadequate for technically-rigorous risk assessments. A "brute force" fix to
this problem would be to require an extensive suite of chronic, sub-lethal tests with multiple species for pharmaceuticals routinely
detected in the environment, as well as for new pharmaceuticals that may be registered. This could then be accompanied by expanded
monitoring programs designed to measure as many pharmaceuticals as possible in environmental matrices. However, this increased
monitoring and testing would be set against an existing regulatory framework which provides for categorically excluding many
pharmaceuticals from environmental consideration, and a socioeconomic backdrop of limited resources for testing, including a desire
to decrease animal use for research. Fortunately, in the case of pharmaceuticals, there exists the potential to develop strategic
approaches for collection of toxicity data for chemicals of most concern, in a resource-efficient fashion. These strategic approaches
should serve as the basis for identifying and prioritizing needed testing with drugs and help focus both chemical-specific, effects-based
monitoring programs.
Unlike many other classes of chemicals, for
both human and veterinary drugs, insights as
to possible exposure and effects in the
environment can be gleaned from a priori
knowledge of the class of chemicals, including
targeted biological pathways, as well as data
routinely collected to determine drug efficacy
and safety. Given this, it should be possible to
focus pharmaceutical monitoring and testing in
two ways: (a) identification of chemicals with
the most potential to elicit adverse effects, and
(b) identification of which species/endpoints
should be used for this testing or monitoring.

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Continued on next page...
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Pharmaceutical Concern and Prioritization Framework - continued
This framework would guide the use of information from existing human and veterinary drug
databases to develop compound-specific scores for multiple categories which may be
predictive of effects in non-target species. The predictive categories consider: molecular target
conservation and potential non-target species sensitivity; absorption, distribution, metabolism
and elimination (ADME); MOAs; and potency. The Pharmaceutical Concern and Prioritization
Framework also employs an empirical scoring category derived from reported toxicity data for non-target species, including terrestrial
and aquatic organisms, where available. The scoring criteria within each category are based on parameter-specific frequency
distributions determined for a subset of pharmaceuticals. The culmination of this effort will result in the design of a web-based
computer program that utilizes the available pharmaceutical information to calculate a prioritization score for each pharmaceutical
allowing it to be ranked among others in order of their relative likelihood to produce adverse outcomes in aquatic species. This
approach will provide a means to guide researchers and inform regulators as to the potential environmental impact of an individual
drug. Predictions made using this "framework" would inform the design of in vivo laboratory experiments to test the strategy and the
assumptions underlying the Pharmaceutical Concern and Prioritization Framework. Contact: Carlie LaLone (218) 529-5038.
Contaminants of Emerging Concern - Research Expands to Great Lakes Ports
Effects based monitoring studies were conducted in the St. Louis Harbor in the summer of 2010 in support of the Great Lakes
Restoration Initiative (GLRI). Development and validation of test methods using caged fish exposures to detect and monitor
contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) were the objectives for the test program and the intended expansion in 2011 to Great Lakes
ports on Lake Michigan and Lake Erie.
Study Objectives: The goals of the research are directed at the development and validation of methods used to detect and monitor
different classes of contaminants in the Great Lakes:
•	Develop and document robust effect-based monitoring assays and approaches
•	Identify and characterize suites of supporting morphological, histological,
biochemical, and molecular endpoints/assays that can help define and
establish adverse outcome pathways (AOP)
•	Conduct field studies to evaluate performance of the test
system(s)/endpoints/approaches
•	"Exploratory"genomic tools (microarrays, NMR-based
metabolomics) used in conjunction with caged fish samples.
Site Identification: Four sites were chosen for 2010 exposures with caged
fathead minnows:
° FDL-Fond du Lac, WLSSD-Western Lake Superior Sanitary District
discharge (proximal and distal locations), and SMTP-Superior Municipal
Treatment Plant discharge.
Preliminary exposures near the WLSSD discharge detected changes in vitellogenin and estrogen receptor alpha transcription results,
suggesting the known estrogenic activity of the effluent is detectable via effects based monitoring, even after dilution following
discharge to the harbor.
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Continued on next page...
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Contaminants of Emerging Concern - continued
The study conducted in September 2010 with caged fish exposures were sampled at two to eight days of exposure. Live fish were
transported back to MED-Duluth where tissues and biofluids were collected for analysis. Lead laboratories for tissue processing are
shown in Table 1.
Table 1. Overview of tissue/biofluid samples to be collected and analyzed at part of summer 2010 in situ exposures in
the Duluth/Superior Harbor.
Tissue/biofluid a
Analysis/Endpoint
Lead laboratory
Urine (optional)
NMR - Metabolomics
USEPA-ERD, Athens
Blood
Vitellogenin, 17P-estradiol,
testosterone
US EPA - MED, Duluth
Gonad (1)
Ex vivo steroid production
US EPA - MED, Duluth
Gonad (2)
Microarray &/or QPCR
Jackson State University, US Army
ERDC, US EPA - MED, Duluth
Gonad (3)
NMR - Metabolomics
US EPA- ERD, Athens
Gonad (4)
Histology
US EPA - MED, Duluth
Liver (1)
NMR - Metabolomics
USEPA-ERD, Athens
Liver (2)
QPCR &/or Microarray
US EPA - MED, Duluth, Jackson
State University, US Army ERDC
Brain
QPCR
US EPA-MED, Duluth
a Numbers in parentheses indicates subsamples of the specified tissue will be collected.
Through a key collaboration, the chemical analysis for a large suite of organic and pharmaceutical compounds was conducted on water
and effluent samples by USFWS with the assistance of USGS. USFWS has received GLRI funding to work at the same Great Lakes
AOCs (areas of concern) where we are focusing our efforts during the 2011 field studies.
The scope of the research expanded in 2011 to include several additional Great Lakes
cities which include AOCs. In Late April, reproductively mature fathead minnows
cultured at MED-Duluth were shipped to the MED-Grosse lie, MI, lab for deployment
in the Detroit River, Detroit, MI and Maumee Bay, Toledo, OH. Four sites were
selected at each of these two locations for caged fish placement. In May and June, the
Green Bay Metropolitan Sewage District (GBMSD), Green Bay, and the Great Lakes
Water Institute (GLWI) in Milwaukee each received fish shipments for use in the
caged fish exposure studies. Four sites in the Fox River in Green Bay and four in the
Kinnickinnic, Menominee, and Milwaukee Rivers in Milwaukee were chosen for
exposure studies.
The Grosse lie facility, the GBMSD, and the GLWI served as staging areas and lab
space for fish collections post exposure. Exposure sites for these studies were selected
as reference sites, or AOCs targeting municipal or industrial discharges. As in 2010,
water and effluent samples were sent to USFWS/USGS for chemical analysis.
The projected Duluth Harbor studies will be conducted in August 2011. This year the
Harbor sites will be limited to the proximal and distal WLSSD sites with the addition
of a far distal location. This should provide a gradient of exposure of WLSSD effluent
to the caged fish. Caged fish will be deployed for 4, 7, and 14 days. Concurrently a
flow-through test of diluted WLSSD effluent will be conducted at MED-Duluth.
Contact: Michael Kahl (218) 529-5179.
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Current Events
MED Scientist Leads Lake Superior Science Workshop
Joel Hoffman, a research biologist in the Ecosystem Assessment Research Branch, served as the principal investigator for the 2011
Lake Superior Shipboard and Shoreline Science Workshop aboard theEPA's 180-foot research vessel R/V Lake Guardian. Fifteen
fourth- through-tenth-grade teachers and nonformal educators from around the Great Lakes participated in the week-long workshop,
from July 20-27, beginning and ending in Duluth. The workshop goal was to provide educators an opportunity to work side-by-side
with Great Lakes scientists, supporting ongoing EPA research that examines the connections between human-caused changes to Lake
Superior watersheds and resulting changes to lake water quality. Workshop members came from EPA, the University of MN Duluth,
the University of WI Extension, the MI Technological University, Lake Superior State University, and the State University of NY
College of Environmental Science and Forestry. The workshop was supported by Sea Grant as part of the Centers for Ocean Sciences
Education Excellence (COSEE) Great Lakes. EPA Region 5, Great Lakes National Program Office, a COSEE research collaborator,
provided use of the vessel and staff and logistical support. This year, planned special events
included an interactive "floating classroom" presentation shared live with educators who
participated from Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry, as well as a collaboration with a
National Science Foundation media team, featuring efforts by Dr. Hoffman and COSEE to
achieve broader impacts for EPA's research through education and outreach programs. Contact:
Joel Hoffman (218) 529-5420, hoffman.ioel@epa.gov.
http://coseegreatlakes.net/events/shipboardl 1. http://www.cosee.net/engaging scientists/.
C SEE
CENTERS FOR OCEAN SCIENCES
EDUCAT ION EXCELLENCE
Great Lakes
MED Toxicology Expert at Pellston Workshop
The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry periodically sponsors Pellston Workshops to address
high-priority issues and challenges in human and ecological risk assessment. The workshops typically consist of 30-40
international invited experts who work together in a cloistered setting to synthesize existing knowledge and produce one
CCTAp f ' or more strategy documents in focus areas of concern. A Pellston Workshop titled "Influence of Global Climate Change
on the Scientific Foundation and Application of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry" was held July 16-22 in
.==, Racine, WI at the Wingspread Conference Facility. Dr. Gerald Ankley of MED's Toxic Effects Characterization
Research Branch participated as an expert in mechanistic toxicology. Contact: Gerald Ankley (218) 529-5147.
Upcoming Events
Division To Assist Region 9 Lake Tahoe Nearshore Assessment
Sv*
4

From August 8-16, Division staff will conduct field research using a
towed in situ sensor/GIS system developed for Great Lakes coastal
assessments, in partnership with Region 9 and UC-Davis scientists from
the Lake Tahoe Research Center. A spatially comprehensive water
quality/plankton assessment will be conducted by a -100 km
near-shoreline circumnavigation of Lake Tahoe; subsequent data analysis
will focus on relationships between regional watershed character and
adjacent nearshore conditions, thereby informing implementation of the
lake's TMDL for fine sediment and nutrients. (TMDL is the total
maximum daily load, the calculation of the maximum amount of a
pollutant a waterbody can receive and still safely meet water quality
standards.) Lake Tahoe is a veiy large, high-altitude lake in the Sierra
Nevada range, on the border of California and Nevada; it is treasured for it
clear waters, and threatened by basin/watershed activities.
(Coincidentally, the survey ends on the day of an annual Lake Tahoe
meeting organized by California/Nevada/EPA Region 9.) Contact: John (Jack) Kelly (218) 529-5119, Kelly.iohnr@epa.gov.
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Two MED Researchers Invited To Present at International Conference
Drs. Gerald Ankley and Daniel Villeneuve, toxicologists with the Toxic Effects Characterization Research
world Congress Branch, will attend in the 8th World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences, in
on Alternatives and Animal use Montreal, from August 22-25. They will participate in scientific sessions on advancing the three "R"s
m tiio tifo sciences (replacement, reduction, and refinement), and Tox 21 (a National Institute of Health/EPA collaboration to
identify mechanisms of chemically-induced biological activity, prioritize chemicals for more extensive
evaluation, and develop more predictive models of in vivo biological response). Gary will present an invited talk titled "Harmonizing
and Optimizing Fish Testing Methods: The OECD Framework Project" in which he will provide an overview of the outcome of an
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development workshop on fish testing that he chaired last year in London. Dan's invited
presentation is entitled "Adverse Outcome Pathways and Extrapolation Tools to Advance the Three Rs in Ecotoxicology."
Contact: Daniel Villeneuve (218) 529-5217.
Awards
2010 Scientific and Technological Achievement Awards (STAA)
These awards are sponsored by EPA's Office of Research and Development to recognize publications that demonstrate scientific
excellence in support of the Agency's mission. EPA's Science Advisory Board, a panel of non-EPA experts, reviews and selects these
publications annually. STAA winners represent some of our finest accomplishments and our best products.
Level I
Trebitz, A.S., J.C. Brazner, N. Danz, M.S. Pearson, G.S. Peterson, D. Tanner, D.L. Taylor, C.W. West, and T. Holienhorst. 2009.
Geographic, anthropogenic, and habitat influences on Great Lakes coastal wetland fish assemblages. Canadian Journal of Fisheries
and Aquatic Sciences 66:1328-1342.
Trebitz, A.S., J.C. Brazner, M.S. Pearson, G.S. Peterson, D. Tanner, and D.L. Taylor. 2009. Patterns in habitat and fish assemblages
within Great Lakes coastal wetlands and implications for sampling design. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
66:1343-1354.
Level III
Angradi, T.R., D.W. Bolgrien, T.M. Jicha, M.S. Pearson, D.L. Taylor, and B.H. Hill. 2009. Multispatial-scale variation in benthic and
snag-surface macroinvertebrate assemblages in mid-continent US great rivers. Journal of the North American Benthologiccil Society
28:122-141.
Angradi, T.R., M.S. Pearson, D.W. Bolgrien, T.M. Jicha, D.L. Taylor, and B.H. Hill. 2009. Multimetric macroinvertebrate indices for
mid-continent US great rivers. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 28:785-804.
Ankley, G.T., D.C. Bencic, M.S. Breen, T.W. Collette, R.B. Conolly, N.D. Denslow, S.W. Edwards, D.R. Ekman, N. Garcia-Reyero,
K.M. Jensen, J.M. Lazorchak, D. Martinovic, D.H. Miller, E.J. Perkins, E.F. Orlando, D.L. Villeneuve, R.-L. Wang, and K.H.
Watanabe. 2009. Endocrine disrupting chemicals in fish: Developing exposure indicators and predictive models of effects based on
mechanism of action. Aquatic Toxicology 92:168-178.
Ankley, G.T., D. Bencic, J.E. Cavallin, K.M. Jensen, M.D. Kahl, E.A. Makynen, D. Martinovic, N. Mueller, L.C. Wehmas, and D.L.
Villeneuve. 2009. Dynamic nature of alterations in the endocrine system of fathead minnows exposed to the fungicide prochloraz.
Toxicological Sciences 112:344-353.
Ekman, D.R., Q. Teng, D.L. Villeneuve, M.D. Kahl, K.M. Jensen, E.J. Durhan, G.T. Ankley, and T.W. Collette. 2009. Profiling lipid
metabolites yields unique information on sex- and time-dependent responses of fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) exposed to
17 a-ethynylestradiol. Metabolomics 5:22-32.
Villeneuve, D.L., N.D. Mueller, D. Martinovic, E.A. Makynen, M.D. Kahl, K.M. Jensen,
E.J. Durhan, J.E. Cavallin, D. Bencic, and G.T. Ankley. 2009. Direct effects, compensation, and recovery in female fathead minnows
exposed to a model aromatase inhibitor. Environmental Health Perspectives 117:624-631.
j	MED in Review
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Office of Research and Development Awards
In recognition of dedication and service in support of the Nation's response to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, 2010:
•	Theodore Angradi
0 David Bolgrien
Anne Cotter
Patrick Fitzsimmons
•	Dale Hoff
Janet Keough
•	David Mount
•	Barb Sheedy
Superior Accomplishment Recognition Award from the Office of Pesticide Programs '
OPP's Antimicrobial and Health Effects Division recommended Drs. Patricia Schmieder and Daniel Villeneuve for this award, in
recognition of their support as members of an ORD team, for a review by the Scientific Advisory Panel for "Integrated Approaches to
Testing and Assessment strategies (IATA): Use of new computational and molecular tools." (See article in "Research" section,
page 1.)
New Publications since April 2011
Angradi, T.R., D.W. Bolgrien, T.M. Jicha, M.S. Pearson,
D.L. Taylor, M.F. Moffett, K.A. Blocksom, D.M. Walters,
C.M. Elonen, L.E. Anderson, J.M. Lazorchak, E.D. Reavie,
A.R. Kireta, and B.H. Hill. 2011. An assessment of stressor
extent and biological condition in the North American
mid-continent great rivers (USA). River Systems 19:143-163.
Ankley, G.T., J.R. Hockett, D.I. Mount, and D.R. Mount. 2011.
Early evolution of the toxicity identification evaluation process:
Contributions from the USEPA effluent testing program. The
Handbook of Environmental Chemistry, Vol. 15,
Effect-Directed Analysis of Complex Environmental
Contamination, W. Brack, Ed., Springer-Verlag, Berlin
Heidelberg, pp. 1-18
Aust, A.E., P.M. Cook, and R.F. Dodson. 2011. Morphological
and chemical mechanisms of elongated mineral particle
toxicities. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health,
Part B: Critical Reviews 14:40-75.
Erickson, R.J., D.R. Mount, T.L. Highland, J.R. Hockett, and
C.T. Jenson. 2011. The relative importance ofwaterborne and
dietborne arsenic exposure on survival and growth of juvenile
rainbow trout. Aquatic Toxicology 104:108-115. 5412
Jayaraman, S., M.L. Knuth, M. Cantwell, and A. Santos. 2011.
High performance liquid chromatographic analysis of
phytoplankton pigments using a C16 -Amide column. Journal
of Chromatography A 1218:3432-3438.
Korte, J. J., R.M. Sternberg, J.A. Serrano, K.R. Thoemke,
S.M. Moen, K.E. Lillegard, M.W. Hornung, J.E. Tietge, and
S.J. Degitz. 2011. Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH):
Measurement of intracellular, secreted, and circulating
hormone in Xenopus laevis and Xenopus tropicalis. General
and Comparative Endocrinology 171:319-325.
Li, Z., K.J. Kroll, K.M. Jensen, D.L. Villeneuve,
G.T. Ankley, J.V. Brian, M.S. Sepulveda, E.F. Orlando,
J.M. Lazorchak, M. Kostich, B. Armstrong, N.D. Denslow,
and K.H. Watanabe. 2011. A computational model of the
hypothalamic - pituitary - gonadal axis in female fathead
minnows (Pimephalespromelas) exposed to 17
alpha-ethynylestradioi and 17 beta-trenbolone. BMC Systems
Biology 5(63),
http://www.biomedcentral.eom/1752-0509/5/63.
Porter, K.L., A.W. Olmstead, D.M. Kumsher, W.E. Dennis,
R.L. Sprando, G.W. Holcombe, J.J. Korte,
A. Lindberg-Livingston, and S.J. Degitz. 2011. Effects of
4-ferf-octylphenol on Xenopus tropicalis in a long term
exposure. Aquatic Toxicology 103:159-169.
Skolness, S.Y., E.J. Durhan, N. Garcia-Reyero, K.M. Jensen,
M.D. Kahl, E.A. Makynen, D. Martinovic, E. Perkins,
D.L. Villeneuve, and G.T. Ankley. 2011. Effects of a
short-term exposure to the fungicide prochloraz on endocrine
function and gene expression in female fathead minnows
{Pimephalespromelas). Aquatic Toxicology 103:170-178.
Wainger, L. and M.J. Mazzotta. Realizing the potential of
ecosystem services: A framework for relating ecological
changes to economic benefits. Environmental Management.,
online at
http://www.springerlink.com/openurl.asD?genre=article&id=d
oi: 10.1007/s00267-011 -9726-0.
Walters, D., M. Mills, B. Cade, and L.P. Burkhard. 2011.
Trophic magnification of PCBs and its relationship to the
octanol-water partition coefficient. Environmental Science &
Technology 45:3917-3924.
J| MED in Review
H Mid-Continent Ecology Division • Duluth, MN
9

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MED Seminars
May 4: Don Schreiner, MN Department of Natural Resources
•	Update on Lake Superior fisheries management
May 11: Dr. Gary Ankley, MED
•	Diagnostic assessment of the ecological risk of endocrine disrupting chemicals in complex mixtures
May 18: MED Research Forum,
Dr. David Bolgrien
° Ecosystem services for Great Lakes communities
Dr. Sig Degitz
° Development of the amphibian growth, development, and reproduction assay
May 18: Special Remote seminar from MED/Grosse lie: Shu Tao, University of Beijing
•	Emission, fate, and respiration exposure risk of PAHs in China
May 25: Nathan Johnson, UM Duluth Water Resources, Dept. of Civil Engineering
•	Contaminant bioavailability in the St. Louis River estuary: ongoing initiatives at UMD Civil Engineering
June 8: Dr. John Nichols, MED
0 In vitro—in vivo extrapolation of hepatic metabolism data for fish as a means of predicting metabolism impacts on chemical
bioaccumulation
July 20: Will Backe, PhD Candidate, Oregon State Corvallis, Dept. of Chemistry
<• Large-volume injection: Eliminating chemical redundancy in environmental analysis
August 11: Nathan Mueller, Graduate Research Fellow, Institute on the Environment;
PhD Student, Natural Resources Science and Management,. UM
» Opportunities and tradeoffs for global agricultural intensification
September 21: MED Research Forum,
Drs. John Morrice and Anett Trebitz
o Coastal nutrient criteria and condition gradients
Dr. Lawrence Burkhard
° Research in support of EPA Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response
October 6: Dr. Nancy Langston, UW, Dept. of Forestry
•	Historical perspective on pollution in Lake Superior
People
Effective July 31, our Purchasing Agent, Mark Horngren,
will become an employee of the new OARS-Extramural
Management Division. He will
continue providing contracting support
to MED. Gradually, as OARS-EM
becomes fully staffed, there will be
changes that will affect the way we do
business. Congratulations to Mark on
his promotion and "new"
responsibilities; we appreciate the
excellent work he has provided to
MED over the past nine years.
I
The Division's new Administrative
Officer, Jodi Stauber, started July 18.
She is taking over a number of duties
including timekeeping, administrative
support for Grosse lie, office
management, and logistical support for
the directorate, among many others.
Jodi retired after 23+ years of active
duty with the 148th Fighter Wing
where she served as the Force Support
Squadron Superintendent (civilian
equivalent to an HR supervisor) while also serving as the
Command Chief Master Sergeant for the Wing. She is married to
Pete and they have four children. Jodi is located in Room 142,
x5050.
MED in Review
I	Mid-Continent Ecology Division • Duluth, MN
10

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