Fish Health Externship

Hello! My name is Charlie and I am a senior veterinary student at Mississippi State University. I had the opportunity to spend one week at the Idaho Fish Health Center, as part of a month long externship devoted to fish health. The majority of my time in Orofino was dealing with fish health monitoring for the neighboring Nez Perce Tribe. I was able to visit and collect fish from acclimation points along the Snake River. The acclimation points are called Fall Chinook Acclimation Facilities.

The fish that are being held at these facilities are being monitored and acclimated until they are ready to be released.  Our health monitoring involved taking samples from a small group and performing special tests to determine the health status of the entire group. This testing is very important in that it will reduce the risk of introducing diseased fish into the wild. My time at the Idaho Fish Health Center was very rewarding and gave me a chance to understand what happens behind the scenes at a National Fish Health Center. Everyone at the lab was eager to teach and allowed me a great deal of hands-on experience. I had a wonderful time at the Idaho Fish Health Center and hope to visit again!

by Charlie Tucker