Poster Details
ASSESSING CHIRONOMID LONGEVITY IN THERMALLY VARIABLE ICELANDIC STREAMS
Chironomids spend their immature life stages in water and emerge as adults into the terrestrial environment. Once out of the water, they are exposed to air temperatures. It is probable that their ability to adapt to variable air temperatures is a result of their exposure to specific water temperatures as immatures. Research conducted in Minnesota indicates that chironomids emerging from trout streams in winter are cold adapted and long-lived when exposed to cold air temperatures. However, a comparison between chironomids emerging from cold and warm streams still warrants investigation. Results from my study at the alpine Hengill geothermal area in southwestern Iceland shows that 80% of female Diamesa (Diptera: Chironimidae) emerging from cold springs during the summer survived up to 28 days when incubated at 6°C in the lab. Eighty percent of males survived up to 17 days at the same temperature. In contrast, 0% of both males and females survived past day 7 when incubated at 20°C. Other chironomid taxa collected from cold springs followed a similar trend. Results from this project support our Minnesota research with Diamesa adults indicating that they are adapted to cold air temperatures.
Corrie Nyquist (Primary Presenter/Author), Lund University, Sweden, nyqui095@alumni.umn.edu;
Dr. Corrie Nyquist (They/Them) received their PhD from the Department of Entomology at the University of Minnesota in 2022. Corrie was a graduate student under the late Dr. Leonard Ferrington, Jr. and investigated effects of environmental temperature on the biology, longevity, and emergence patterns of winter adapted Chironomidae in Minnesota and Iceland. Corrie completed postdoctoral research with the Department of Agricultural Education, Communication and Marketing at the University of Minnesota, co-leading the development of a community science program for winter stream monitoring and helped develop public education and science communication materials as well as investigated barriers to public participation in freshwater science. Corrie is currently a postdoctoral researcher at Lund University, Sweden, investigating environmental drivers of toxin production in cyanobacteria and effects of temperature on pollinator behavior and toxic cyanobacteria exposure from freshwater sources. Corrie’s research interests continue to lie in the areas of aquatic-terrestrial interactions, water quality, chironomid taxonomy, and invertebrate adaptation to climate change.
Leonard C. Ferrington, Jr. (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Minnesota, ferri016@umn.edu;
Gisli Mar Gislason (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Iceland, gmg@ghi.is;
Sigrun Oddgeirsdottir (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Iceland, sio56@hi.is;