U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES WITH INTERNET SITES / e-COMMUNICATIONS

USEPA (U. S. Environmental Protection Agency) Fish Advisories
See http://epa.gov/waterscience/fish/advisories/newsletter.htm for the links to the monthly "Fish Advisories" of the U.S. EPA, including an archive of monthly issues prior to the current year.

"This newsletter [Fish Advisories] is designed to gather and share news about the science, communication, and health issues related to fish advisories. Each month it will include new information about recent newspaper, magazine, and journal articles of interest to the fish advisory community. Where possible we have included a direct link to the articles discussed; however, most publications require that you register in order to view archived articles, and a link cannot be established directly to the article in those cases."

USFWS (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) "Open Access Journals and Newsletters"
http://library.fws.gov/ejournals.htm
While this project is in its beginning stages, over 70 journals and newsletters are archived for free, ready, electronic access on the Internet, including some that have information on fish health.

USFWS AADAP "Aquatic Animal Drug Approval Partnership Program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service"
"MISSION STATEMENT:  The Aquatic Animal Drug Approval Partnership (AADAP) Program is a broad, partnership-based program of national scope located in Bozeman, Montana. The mission of the AADAP Program is:

“Working with our partners to conserve, protect, and enhance the Nation’s fishery resources by coordinating activities to obtain U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for drugs, chemicals, and therapeutants needed in aquaculture and fisheries management programs.

"Public and private aquaculture in the United States has struggled for many years because of a severe shortage of FDA approved drugs and therapeutants for use in aquatic species. This situation has jeopardized the health and fitness of aquatic species held in captivity, many of which are key to restoration, recovery, and management activities by the FWS and its many partners. New aquatic animal drug approvals will benefit Federal, State, Tribal and private aquaculture programs alike throughout the United States."

AADAP's editor is
Thomas A. Bell, PhD
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Aquatic Animal Drug Approval Partnership
4050 Bridger Canyon Road
Bozeman, Montana 59715
Phone: 406-994-9911
Fax: 406-582-0242
Email: thomas_a_bell@fws.gov
Webpage: http://fisheries.fws.gov/aadap

USFWS Fish Health Centers
http://www.fws.gov/fisheries/nfhs/fhc/FHCcontact.htm
National Wild Fish Health Survey
http://www.fws.gov/wildfishsurvey/national%20path.htm

See http://www.fws.gov/aah/.for an extensive coverage of the USFWS program in aquatic animal health.  “The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services’ Aquatic Animal Health Program utilizes science and technology as the foundation for conserving our nation’’s fisheries and aquatic resources. Our Aquatic Animal Health Program consists of 9 National Fish Health Centers located across the continental United States. Our staffs are comprised of highly trained Fish Health Pathologists, Veterinary Officers, Molecular Biologists, Fishery Biologists, Microbiologists, and Biological Science Technicians.

National Fish Health Centers

Our expertise in aquatic animal health provides the scientific and technical leadership necessary for the National Fish Hatchery System to produce healthy, genetically diverse fish and aquatic organisms which are best adapted for recovery and restoration efforts, as well as providing fish for Tribal and public sport fishing opportunities. The Fish and Wildlife Service’’s science network consists of 9 Fish Health Centers and 7 Fish Technology Centers, whose accomplishments reach well beyond Federal hatcheries. Together, they provide assistance and support to our conservation partners who include internal, State, Tribal, and non-government organizations covering a broad range of fields including: biostatistics, population ecology, genetic analyses, nutrition, and internationally recognized research on fish diseases and pathogens of fish and other aquatic organisms. We are proud of our expertise and accomplishments and want to share them with all interested persons. We will continue to work hard on building and maintaining the strong support of all our partners towards the goal of promoting excellence in science for aquatic animal health.”
[Also see this web site http://www.fws.gov/aah/ for listing of literature on fish health and other information on USFWS’s program.]

USFWS Bozeman Fish Health Center
Crystal Hudson, Center Director
920 Technology Blvd., Suite G
Bozeman, MT 59718
Tel: 406_582_8656
Fax 406_586_3998
E_Mail:  R6ffa_fhc@fws.gov

USFWS Pacific Region California _ Nevada Fish Health Center
Scott Foott, Project Leader
24411 Coleman Fish Hatchery Road
Anderson, CA 96007
Tel: 530_365_4271, Fax:530_365_7150
E_Mail: Scott_Foott@fws.gov
http://www.fws.gov/canvfhc/

USFWS Idaho Fish Health Center
Kathy Clemens, Project Leader
P.O. Box 272
Orofino, ID  83544
Tel: 208_476_9500, Fax:208_476_9741
E_Mail:  Kathy_Clemens@fws.gov

USFWS LaCrosse Fish Health Center
Richard Nelson, Project Biologist
555 Lester Avenue 
Onalaska, WI 54650
Tel: 608_783_8441, Fax:608_783_8450
TTY: 1_800_877_8339
E_Mail:  Rick_Nelson@fws.gov

USFWS Lower Columbia Fish Health Center
Susan Gutenberger, Manager
Lower Columbia Fish Health Center
201 Oklahoma Road
Willard, WA 98605
Tel: 509_538_2400
E_Mail: Susan_Gutenberger@fws.gov
Lamar FTC    

USFWS Region 5 Northeast Region Fish Health Center
Northeast Fishery Center
John Coll, Project Leader
Lamar Fish Health Center
400 Washington Avenue
P.O. Box 155
Lamar, PA 16848
Tel: 570_726_6611, Fax: 570_726_7379
E_Mail: John_Coll@fws.gov
http://www.fws.gov/northeast/fisherycenter/fishhealth/fishhealth.htm

USFWS Olympia Fish Health Center
Ray Brunson, Center Director
Olympia Fish Health Center
3859 Martin Way E., Suite 101
Olympia, WA 98506
Tel: 360_753_9046
E_Mail:   Ray_Brunson@fws.gov

USFWS Region 2 Fish Health Unit
John Thoeson, Unit Leader
Dexter Fish Health Unit
P.O Box 219, 7116 Hatchery Road
Dexter, New Mexico 88230
Tel: 505_734_5910m Fax:505_734_6130

E_Mail: John_Thoeson@fws.gov

USFWS Warm Springs Fish Health Center
Norm Heil, Project Leader
5308 Spring Street Warm Springs, GA 31830
Tel: 706_655_3382, Fax:706_655_3389
E_Mail: warmsprings@fws.gov

USFWS Washington D.C. HQ Office
Arthur J. Coppola, Fishery Biologist
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
4401 N. Fairfax Drive  Room 820D
Arlington, VA 22203
Tel: 703_358_1974, Fax: 703_358_2487
E_Mail: Art_Coppola@fws.gov

USFWS Region 3 Midwest Minnesotta Iowa Wisconsin Illinois Indiana Michigan Ohio
55 Lester Avenue
Onalaska, WI 54650
Phone: 608_783_8441
Fax: 608_783_8450
TTY: 1_800_877_8339 (Federal Relay)
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/LaCrosseFishHealthCenter/

Go to the web site http://www.fws.gov/aah/lr_Inspection.html the USFWS lists the following.  To to the web site for hyperlinks:

USFDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) and the MUMS Act
The MUMS (Minor Use Minor Species) Act includes the federal regulation by the USFDA of drugs used on fishes and other aquatic animals.  Therefore, those involved in fish health are affected by what is happening in this matter.  See its home page on the Internet http://www.fda.gov/cvm/CVM_Updates/MUMSOffice.htm, which provides the announcement:
"November 9, 2004  FDA Announces Establishment of MUMS Office and Requests Comment on MUMS Implementation

"FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine is announcing the establishment of a new Office of Minor Use and Minor Species (MUMS) Animal Drug Development and is requesting comment on the implementation of the newly enacted MUMS Animal Health Act.

"The MUMS Animal Health Act became law on August 2, 2004. Several elements of the law became immediately effective on that date including the provisions for designation of MUMS drugs and for conditional approval of MUMS drugs. Implementing regulations for drug designation will be the first to be developed by the new Office, with proposed regulations due by August 2, 2005, as mandated by the MUMS Act. The indexing provisions of the law will only become effective upon publication of final implementing regulations.

"Written or electronic comments on any aspect of implementation of the MUMS legislation may be submitted to the Division of Dockets Management (HFA-305), Food and Drug Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, Room 1061, Rockville, MD 20852 . Electronic comments may be submitted. Comments should be submitted by January 10, 2005, and should include Docket No. 2004N-0480.

"Additional information on MUMS is available on the CVM Home Page. Questions on MUMS may be directed to Dr. Andrew Beaulieu, Office of Minor Use and Minor Species Animal Drug Development, Center for Veterinary Medicine, 7519 Standish Place, Rockville, MD 20855, 301-827-2945, mailto:abeaulie@cvm.fda.govor Dr. Meg Oeller, Office of Minor Use and Minor Species Animal Drug Development, Center for Veterinary Medicine, 7519 Standish Place, Rockville, MD 20855, 301-827-3067, mailto:moeller@cvm.fda.gov."

Also see the AVMA's explanatory article on the MUMS Act http://www.avma.org/issues/drugs/mums/default.asp. For those organizations supporting the MUMS Act see the web site of the MUMS Coalition http://www.nrsp-7.org/MumsDefined.htm.

USDA  U.S. Department of Agriculture
This agency of the U.S. Government appropriately has the most extensive coverage of aquaculture of all the
government agencies, with extensive involvement in aquatic animal health though the following departments.
 
USDA ARS U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service, "Healthy Animals"
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/np/ha/hanabout.htm#topa
"Healthy Animals," is "an online compilation of animal health-related research news put out each quarter by the Information Staff of the Agricultural Research Service. ARS is the chief scientific agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  Each issue profiles one aspect of ARS research. Links take readers to detailed stories on new findings important to the health of livestock, poultry and fish."   Issue 4 April 2004 http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/np/ha/han4.htm is "Meeting the challenges of keeping Aquatic Animals Healthy."  On the website is a list of all ARS research laboratories that work to improve animal health, including five laboratories for fish:  Auburn, Beltsville, Pine Bluff , Stoneville, and Stuttgart.

Aquatic Animal Health Research Unit
990 Wire Road
P.O. Box 952
Auburn, AL 36831-0952
Phone: (334) 887-3741
Fax: (334) 887-2983
Research Leader: Phillip Klesius
www.ars.usda.gov/main/site_main.htm?modecode=64-20-15-00

Animal and Natural Resource Institute
Beltsville Agricultural Research Center - East
10300 Baltimore Blvd
Beltsville, MD 20705
Phone: (301) 504-8431
Fax: (301) 504-8553
Director: Thomas Sexton
 ANRI - Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory
Phone: (301) 504-8300
Fax: (301) 504-6273
Research Leader: Mark C. Jenkins
National Parasite Collection
Phone: (301) 504-8588
Fax: (301) 504-8979
Curator: Eric Hoberg
Beltsville, Maryland

Aquaculture Systems Research Unit
Box 4912
1200 N. University
Pine Bluff, AR 71611
Phone: (870) 543-8128
Fax: (870) 543-8116
Research Leader: Bart Green

Catfish Genetics Research Unit
Experiment Station Road
Stoneville, MS 38776
Phone: (662) 686-3597
Fax: (662) 686-3567
Research Leader: Geoffrey Waldbieser

Harry K. Dupree Stuttgart National Aquaculture Research Center
P.O. Box 860
Stuttgart, AR 72160-0860
Phone: (870) 673-4483
Fax: (870) 673-7710
Center Director: Donald Freeman

USDA REGIONAL AQUACULTURE CENTERS
http://www.csrees.usda.gov/nea/animals/part/aquaculture_part_regional.html
"Regional Aquaculture Centers (RACs)
"(Regional Aquaculture Centers RACs). The mission of the RACs is to support aquaculture research, development, demonstration, and extension education to enhance viable and profitable U.S. aquaculture production to benefit consumers, producers, service industries, and the American economy.

"The RACs encourage collaborative research and extension education aquaculture programs with regional or national application. RACs programs complement and strengthen existing aquaculture research and extension programs supported by USDA, the National Sea Grant Program, and other public institutions. Projects developed and funded by the RACs are based on aquaculture industry needs and are designed to affect commercial aquaculture development directly in all U.S. states and territories. In these activities, interagency cooperation and shared funding of priority projects are strongly encouraged."

WRAC Western Regional Aquaculture Center http://www.fish.washington.edu/wrac/newsletter.html
NCRAC North Central Regional Aquaculture Center http://www.ag.iastate.edu/departments/aecl/ncrac.htm
NERAC Northeastern Regional Aquaculture Center http://www.nrac.umd.edu/
SRAC Southern Regional Aquaculture Center http://www.msstate.edu/dept/srac/
CTSA Center for Tropical and Subtropical Aquaculture http://www.ctsa.org

The regional aquaculture centers of the USDA are active, important sources of information, including aquatic health.  They have e-newsletters, including regional coverage of aquatic health, as well as other publications.  See the site for each center for further information.

USDA APHIS Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
USDA-APHIS The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s Veterinary Services program

USDA AFSIC U.S. Department of Agriculture Alternative Farming Systems Information Center
For an extensive index to web sites on aquaculture resources see http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/afsaqua.htm.

USDA CRIS U.S. Department of Agriculture Current Research Information System
This search service of the Cooperative State Research Education and Extension Service of the USDA is a useful source of aquaculture information.  See http://cris.csrees.usda.gov/menu.html.

USDA NAL AGRICOLA
NAL National Agricultural Library has one of the most extensive global coverages of aquaculture and aquatic animal health in the United States www.nal.usda.gov/
 
About the NAL Catalog (AGRICOLA)
"AGRICOLA (AGRICultural OnLine Access) serves as the catalog and index to the collections of the National Agricultural Library, as well as a primary public source for world-wide access to agricultural information. The database covers materials in all formats and periods, including printed works from as far back as the 15th century.

"The records describe publications and resources encompassing all aspects of agriculture and allied disciplines, including animal and veterinary sciences, entomology, plant sciences, forestry, aquaculture and fisheries, farming and farming systems, agricultural economics, extension and education, food and human nutrition, and earth and environmental sciences.

"Although the NAL Catalog (AGRICOLA) does not contain the text of the materials it cites, thousands of its records are linked to full-text documents online, with new links added daily. For information on how to obtain library materials not provided via such a link, see the Help text on Requesting Materials.

"The NAL Catalog (AGRICOLA) is organized into two bibliographic data sets:
The NAL Online Public Access Catalog contains citations to books, audiovisuals, serials, and other materials, most of which are in the Library's collection. (The Catalog does contain some records for items not held at NAL.)
The Article Citation Database includes citations, many with abstracts, to journal articles (see Journals Indexed in AGRICOLA), book chapters, reports, and reprints, selected primarily from the materials found in the NAL Catalog.
"Both data sets are updated daily with newly cataloged and indexed materials. Each may be searched separately, or the two may be searched together. The NAL Catalog (AGRICOLA) may also be accessed on a fee basis through several commercial vendors, either online or on CD-ROM, or its data file may be leased from the National Technical Information Service.

"To learn more about the NAL Catalog (AGRICOLA), see the Common Questions page, along with the AGRICOLA Specifications for Cataloging and Indexing Records.

"Note: Data from the NAL Catalog (AGRICOLA) are for personal use only. Users are responsible for complying with all associated copyright and licensing restrictions.  Last Modified: Nov 03, 2006

AGRICOLA "Contact:
Sherry Davids (301) 504-5729
E-mail Sherry Davids
"AGRICOLA Has Been Re-scoped
New Indexing Policy in Effect as of January 1, 2007

"The National Agricultural Library has completed the process of re-scoping the AGRICOLA Index and has published its list of titles recommended for indexing in 2007. The decision to re-scope was necessary because our appropriated resources were not sufficient to keep the AGRICOLA Index current and permit us to increase the number of items indexed.

"The over-arching goal of the re-scoping of AGRICOLA was to create a sustainable index that filled a unique niche. Specifically, the re-scoped Index will better serve NAL’s current customers by offering more links to full-text articles and by avoiding duplication with other abstracting and indexing services.

"In order to achieve these goals, it was determined that publications indexed in AGRICOLA must meet at least one of the following criteria:
be a U.S. Department of Agriculture publication or contain articles or chapters authored by USDA personnel;
support NAL’s Information Centers;
contain articles or chapters on core agricultural topics, written in the English language;
not be indexed by any other abstracting and indexing service.
"Indexing requests should be submitted here via e-mail."

USFDA AQUACULTURE NADA New Animal Drug Applications
Dr. Rosalie (Roz) Schnick
National Coordinator for Aquaculture New Animal Drug Applications
Michigan State University
3039 Edgewater Lane, La Crosse, WI 54603
Tel: 608-781-2205, Fax: 608-783-3507
Website: http://ag.ansc.purdue.edu/aquanic/jsa/aquadrugs/index.htm
E-mail: RozSchnick@centurytel.net

USDA WQIC WATER QUALITY INFORMATION CENTER
"Water Quality Information Center (WQIC) provides electronic access to information on water quality and agriculture. The center collects, organizes, and communicates the scientific findings, educational methodologies, and public policy issues related to water quality and agriculture."

The resources of this center are worth knowing about, because aquaculture and aquatic animal health depend upon water quality.  See http://www.nal.usda.gov/wqic/ for further information. 

Electronic Publications Database
The center's database of online documents covering water and agriculture. You can now access more than 1,800 documents.
Dynamic Bibliographies
Real-time searches in the NAL catalog (AGRICOLA) for up-to-date, librarian-built queries.
CEAP Bibliographies
A four-volume bibliography, offering more than 2,700 citations, in support of the Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) which is studying the environmental effects of conservation practices implemented through various USDA conservation programs.
Wetlands
A resource guide covering various aspects of wetlands, including aquatic plants, constructed wetlands, riparian areas, hydric soils, and pollution control.

USDC NOAA U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration Aquaculture Information Center
In the NOAA Central Library is the Aquaculture Information Center http://www.lib.noaa.gov/docaqua/frontpage.htm which covers extensively the following:

Basic Aquaculture Information
Financial Resources
Statistics
Laws and Regulatory Information
NOAA Funded Research & Workshops - Results and Summaries
NOAA Aquaculture Meetings - Results
Issues Bibliographies & Links
Libraries' Catalogs - Public Databases
Miscellaneous Full Text Reports
Selected Electronic Newsletters
Educational Undergraduate and Graduate Resources
Educational Resources - Aquaculture for K-12

USGS U.S. Geological Survey
The USGS has more involvement in fish health than may be expected. 

USGS U.S. Geological Survey Fish Health Branch
For an insight into what the USGS is doing in fish health see http://www.lsc.usgs.gov/FHBindex.asp for the description of its Fish Health Branch:
"Scientific Focus.  Introduction:
"The Fish Health Branch investigates persistent and emergent health issues associated with genetics, pathogens and environmental stressors that undermine conservation and restoration of interjurisdictional populations including depleted, threatened, or endangered fishes and aquatic organisms.
"Vision Statement
The Fish Health Branch conducts integrated research to understand and solve emerging and known disease problems, both infectious and non-infectious, affecting fish and other aquatic resources. Resolution of these health problems is accomplished through research utilizing a variety of disciplines including microbiology, parasitology, virology, immunology, histopathology, molecular biology, and aquatic toxicology for the purpose of providing science support for the Department of the Interior’s wise stewardship of natural resources.
"Research
Core Research Capabilities
• Infectious diseases of fishes and other aquatic organisms
Characterize infection, molecular pathogenesis and diseases processes in aquatic organisms as these factors relate to the host, pathogen, and environment.
• Non-Infectious Diseases
Investigate the role of contaminants and natural toxins in the etiology of immune and reproductive disorders, cancer, and endocrine disruption.
• Microbial ecology
Analyze the distribution, prevalence, and population dynamics of the microbial flora in aquatic ecosystems to monitor relationships of pathogenic and non-pathogenic organisms with biotic and abiotic factors of the environment.
• Health assessment
Conduct health assessments of fish and aquatic organisms to indicate population and ecosystem condition and/or change based on analysis of biological indicators of stress, epidemiology, development of indices, and predictive models.
• Restoration and mitigation
Develop and adapt genetic management and disease control strategies to enhance survival in the natural environment of depleted, threatened, and endangered populations of fishes and other aquatic organisms.
• Emergency response
Identify and evaluate significant contaminant and invasive microbial threats to aquatic resources and provide advice and direction or conduct containment and control."
[See http://www.lsc.usgs.gov/FHB/leaflets/index.asp  for "Fish Health Laboratory Leaflets" including overviews and bibliographies of fish diseases and parasites, furunculosis, vibriosis, bacterial kidney disease, viral hemorrhagic septicemia, etc.]

Fish Health Branch
USGS/Leetown Science Center
Fish Health Branch
11649 Leetown Road
Kearneysville, WV 25430
PHONE: (304) 724-4430
FAX: (304) 724-4435
Branch Chief: Frank Panek

USGS U.S. Geological Survey Access-BEST-LRMN Data
http://www.cerc.usgs.gov/data/best/search/index.htm

Biomonitoring of Environmental Status and Trends (BEST)
Large Rivers Monitoring Network (LRMN)

  "The Biomonitoring of Environmental Status and Trends (BEST) Program's Large River Monitoring Network (LRMN) has examined fish health in multiple river basins by using a suite of organismal and suborganismal endpoints, which monitor and assess the effects of environmental contaminants in fish. As a national monitoring program, BEST-LRMN is unique in that it utilizes biomarkers to evaluate less persistent chemicals in the environment and to detect molecular-level changes before population effects may be evident.
"Utilizing a map of the United States and locations to click on its website, a searchable dataset is provided that contains the following information:
            Contaminant concentrations (elemental and organochlorines)
            Fish health indicators (condition factor, somatic indices, health assessment index, macrophage aggregate parameters)
            Reproductive biomarkers (steroid hormones, vitellogenin, gonadal histology)
"Biochemical, physiological, morphological, and histopathological endpoints were chosen to integrate responses at multiple levels of biological organization. These data have been compared spatially and temporally by examining trends of various persistent contaminants and incorporating existing information from other monitoring efforts." 

Also the USGS has a NCBP National Contaminant Biomonitoring Program, which has a fish database http://www.cerc.usgs.gov/data/ncbp/fish.htm with:
Results of Chemical Analysis
Species List
Statistics
Station Information
NCBP Station Map
NCBP Metadata
USGS Leetown Science Center - Fish Health Branch:  Investigating Health Issues That Can Deplete, Threaten or Endanger Fishes and Aquatic Organisms
U.S. Geological Survey. Biological Resources Division. Leetown Science Center
  "The Fish Health Branch conducts integrated research to understand and solve emerging and known disease problems, both infectious and non-infectious, affecting fish and other aquatic species. Available resources include fact sheets, bibliographies and a list of the Center's research projects."