WQIO Ohio's Super Station
A Mount Vernon Nazarene University faculty member and undergraduate researcher have earned national recognition with the publication of a second peer-reviewed journal article produced through the university’s Summer Program for Undergraduate Research, known as SPUR.
The study, “Small-Scale Habitat Relationships of Corydalus cornutus Hellgrammites in Central Ohio Riffles,” was authored by Dr. Jon P. Bossley, professor in MVNU’s Division of Health and Life Science, undergraduate researcher Hanna E. Humphrey, and Dr. Peter C. Smiley Jr. of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service. The paper was published April 10 in the scientific journal Insects.
The four-year study focused on hellgrammites—the aquatic larvae of the eastern dobsonfly—and examined the environmental conditions that influence where they live in streams, including the Kokosing River.
Researchers found that hellgrammites were more likely to thrive in areas with faster-moving water, larger rocks and greater diversity of streambed materials. Because the insects are highly sensitive to pollution, researchers say they serve as an important indicator of stream health.
“Hellgrammites may seem like obscure, unimportant bugs in the water, but they serve many important roles in the aquatic food web,” said Dr. Bossley. “Because of their sensitivity to pollutants, hellgrammites indicate water quality, just like a canary in a coal mine.”
The findings suggest that restoring water flow and improving stream habitat in agricultural waterways could help strengthen aquatic ecosystems throughout the Midwest.
The project involved six MVNU undergraduate researchers over four years, along with students from The Ohio State University and North Carolina A&T State University through a research exchange program established by Bossley.
University leaders say the publication demonstrates the growing impact of undergraduate research at MVNU.
“The second publication from a different SPUR research group at MVNU signifies the strength of the program and the quality of the research work MVNU undergraduate students are capable of doing,” said Dr. Binyang Hou, professor of physics and director of the SPUR program.
The Summer Program for Undergraduate Research provides students with eight weeks of paid, faculty-mentored research each summer, giving participants opportunities to contribute to published scientific studies while gaining valuable professional experience.
Humphrey’s paper is expected to be the first in a series of publications generated from the team’s four years of environmental research.
