READ ME File For 'Dataset for: A mechanical approach to understanding the impact of the nematode Anguillicoloides crassus on the European eel swimbladder'

Dataset DOI: 10.5258/SOTON/D1184

ReadMe Author: Helen A. L. Currie, University of Southampton ORCID iD: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5792-3488 


DESCRIPTION OF THE DATA
This dataset contains: The invasive nematode Anguillicoides crassus infects the critically endangered European eel (Anguilla anguilla) swimbladder, a buoyancy
aiding organ used to control an individuals depth in the water.  Reduction in swimbladder function may be fatal for eel undergoing their spawning migration to the
Sargasso Sea.  A journey of over 5000 km.  While the physiological damage induced by this parasite is well-studied through the use of gross pathological indices,
they do not separate the role of mechanical and morphological damage.  This study resolves previous incongruity of results when gauging swimbladder response to 
infection.  We investigated the relationship between mechanical response (rupture strength and elasticity) and morphological damage indices (swimbladder wall
thickness, LRI, and parasite load) and show that an increase in wall thickness raises the pressure required for organ rupture, but decreases strength.  Mechanical 
data was collected by performing uniaxial tensile tests on specimens obtained from an infected eel population and can be viewed along with histological data as
an excel file.

Date of data collection: November-December 2016 & October 2017

Information about geographic location of data collection: International Centre for Ecohydraulics Research (ICER), Chilworth Laboratories (Building 89), 
University of Southampton Science Park, Venture Road, Chilworth, Southampton, SO16 7NP & Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences, Biolab, Building 7, Room 1001,
Highfield Campus, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ.

Related projects/Funders:
EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Sustainable Infrastructure Systems and Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowship.

Related publication:
Currie, H.A.L., Flores Martin, N., Espindola Garcia, G., Davis, F.M., & Kemp, P.S. (2020). A mechanical approach to understanding the impact of the nematode
Anguillicoloides crassus on the European eel swimbladder. J. Exp. Biol.

Date that the file was created: July 2020