Field sampling in the Hells Canyon Reservoir Complex, with Dr. M. Marvin-DiPasquale at the bow of the sediment collection boat. Photographer: D. Krabbenhoft.
Microbial Biogeochemistry Core Technology Team Active
Studies of contaminant biogeochemistry and microbial processes in surface sediments.
Ecosystem restoration research.
Studies of contaminant biogeochemistry and microbial processes in surface waters.
Laboratory approaches for quantifying microbial process rates and analyte concentrations.
Studies of contaminant biogeochemistry and microbial processes in wetland environments.
About the Research
The Microbial Biogeochemistry Laboratory Core Technology Team (CTT) as part of the Environmental Health Program focuses on environmental questions in aquatic systems (sediment and water) involving the linkages between major biogeochemical cycles (those involving carbon, sulfur, iron and nitrogen) and those associated with contaminants of concern.
The research interests and analytical capabilities of the Microbial Biogeochemistry Laboratory CTT bridge the intersection of fundamental microbial biogeochemistry and ecosystem contaminants science.
The mobility, transport, and chemical transformation of many contaminants in aquatic systems are ultimately mediated by microbial process, which are in turn mediated and defined by the availability of specific electron donors (such as various forms of organic carbon) and electron acceptors (such as oxygen, iron, manganese, nitrogen and sulfur).
The Microbial Biogeochemistry Laboratory has a long history of focusing on the intersection of microbial biogeochemistry and contaminants in mercury specific studies, in a wide range of aquatic systems (streams/rivers, wetlands, reservoirs, tidal estuaries and hypersaline salt ponds). In recent years their analytical capabilities have expanded to a much wider range of elements of concern (including Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, Se, U, and Zn) and energy production associated waste streams (oil and gas production wastewater, and coal mining regions).
Key Analytical Capabilities include:
- Measurement of microbial reaction rates using isotopic tracer methods
- Mercury speciation in a range of matrices
- Nutrients, anions/cations and trace elements
- Chemical speciation and quantification of major biogeochemical cycle constituents associated with carbon, sulfur, iron, and nitrogen
Key Instrumentation:
- Quadrupole Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS)
- Ion, liquid and gas chromatography
- Total mercury analyzer
- Methylmercury analyzer
- Nutrient analyzer
- Chlorophyll analyzer
- Field fluorometry and other in-situ sensor technology
- Total carbon analyzer (with 13C isotopes)
Science Team Collaborators
-
Energy Integrated Science Team
The Energy Lifecycle Integrated Science Team focuses on the potential for contaminant exposures in the environment that might originate from energy resource activities including, extraction, production, transportation, storage, extraction, waste management and restoration. Perceived health risks to humans and other organisms will be distinguished from actual risks, if any. If actual risks are...Ecologically-Driven Exposure Pathways Science Team
The Ecologically-Driven Exposure Pathways Integrated Science Team identifies how ecological pathways and physiological processes within a single organism can alter exposure and toxicity of contaminants and pathogens and seek to understand outcomes at different scales from individuals to populations and ecosystems.Proxies Project
The Proxies Project is a series of studies to improve our understanding of water contaminants and water quality hazards. These studies develop models and technical approaches for estimating concentrations and assessing risk associated with: - harmful algal blooms (HABs) - per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) - 12 elements of concern (EoC)
Data related to the Microbial Biogeochemistry Core Technology Team can be found below.
Geochemical data for water, sediment, and biota in Lake Combie, California, 2017-2021
Mercury concentration data for soil, surface water and rice grain from six commercial rice growing fields in the Sacramento Valley of California (USA)
Geochemistry Data for Wastewater Samples Collected at a Separator Tank and from an On-Site Storage Tank at the Marcellus Shale Energy and Environment Laboratory (MSEEL) 2015-2019, Morgantown Industrial Park (MIP), West Virginia (ver. 2.0, May 2023)
Geochemical data including mercury for subsamples of deep cores from the Cache Creek Settling Basin, Yolo County, California
The Geochemistry of Mercury and Other Constituents in Redox Manipulated Sediment cores from Clear Lake, Lake County, California
Shallow Sediment Geochemistry in a Mercury-Contaminated Multi-Habitat Floodplain: Cache Creek Settling Basin, Yolo County, California (version 2.0, August 2021)
Chemical characterization of water and suspended sediment of the Snake River and Hells Canyon Complex (Idaho, Oregon) (ver. 3.0, November 2023)
Sediment Biogeochemistry and Subsequent Mercury Biomagnification in Wetland Food Webs of the San Francisco Bay, CA (ver. 2.0, December 2023)
Biogeochemical Data for Mercury and other Constituents in Surface Sediment and Deep Cores from the Hells Canyon Reservoir Complex, Idaho and Oregon 2014-2018
Surface-Water Geochemistry of Mercury, Methylmercury, Nutrients, and other Constituents in Clear Lake, Lake County, California, July 2019
Mercury speciation and other constituent data from deep sediment cores in Alviso Slough, South San Francisco Bay, California, 2006-16
Data for Biogeochemical and Physical Processes Controlling Mercury Methylation and Bioaccumulation in Lake Powell, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Utah and Arizona
Multimedia items related to the Microbial Biogeochemistry Core Technology Team can be found below.
Field sampling in the Hells Canyon Reservoir Complex, with Dr. M. Marvin-DiPasquale at the bow of the sediment collection boat. Photographer: D. Krabbenhoft.
Left: USGS Employee L. Windham-Myers showing a surface water sample collected in acid-cleaned mason jar (deployed for 24 hours) for a mercury study conducted at the Cosumnes River Nature Preserve (CA). Photographer: M. Marvin-DiPasquale. Date: 10/29/2014.
Left: USGS Employee L. Windham-Myers showing a surface water sample collected in acid-cleaned mason jar (deployed for 24 hours) for a mercury study conducted at the Cosumnes River Nature Preserve (CA). Photographer: M. Marvin-DiPasquale. Date: 10/29/2014.
Left: Distillation rig used in the measurement of microbial sulfate reduction rates associated with a method based on the incubation of sediment samples with radioactively labeled sulfate. Photographer: M. Marvin-DiPasquale. Date: 3/5/2001.
Left: Distillation rig used in the measurement of microbial sulfate reduction rates associated with a method based on the incubation of sediment samples with radioactively labeled sulfate. Photographer: M. Marvin-DiPasquale. Date: 3/5/2001.
USGS researcher Jennifer Agee taking surface sediment oxidation-reduction and pH measurements at Crissy Marsh, a vegetated saltmarsh near the Golden Gate Bridge (background) in San Francisco, CA. Photographer: L. Windham-Myers.
USGS researcher Jennifer Agee taking surface sediment oxidation-reduction and pH measurements at Crissy Marsh, a vegetated saltmarsh near the Golden Gate Bridge (background) in San Francisco, CA. Photographer: L. Windham-Myers.
Left Image: Managed wetland at the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Preserve (California Central Valley) showing mixed flocks of foraging birds. Photographer: M. Marvin-DiPasquale.
Left Image: Managed wetland at the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Preserve (California Central Valley) showing mixed flocks of foraging birds. Photographer: M. Marvin-DiPasquale.
Left: USGS Employee Sherry Wren removing a square meter of surface sediment in pickleweed dominated marsh along the Petaluma River (California), for a study designed to investigate the role of marsh plant root zone on the cycling of mercury. Photographer: L. Windham-Myers. Date: 4/4/2006
Left: USGS Employee Sherry Wren removing a square meter of surface sediment in pickleweed dominated marsh along the Petaluma River (California), for a study designed to investigate the role of marsh plant root zone on the cycling of mercury. Photographer: L. Windham-Myers. Date: 4/4/2006
Hilltop view of the Ravenswood ponds (right side of levee) in South San Francisco Bay. These former salt-production ponds were subsequently slated for a major wetland restoration project.
Hilltop view of the Ravenswood ponds (right side of levee) in South San Francisco Bay. These former salt-production ponds were subsequently slated for a major wetland restoration project.
USGS researchers Jennifer Agee and Le Kieu sampling surface sediment in a vegetated Louisiana saltmarsh. Photographer: M. Marvin-DiPasquale.
USGS researchers Jennifer Agee and Le Kieu sampling surface sediment in a vegetated Louisiana saltmarsh. Photographer: M. Marvin-DiPasquale.
Scientific publications related to the Microbial Biogeochemistry Core Technology Team can be found below.
South San Francisco Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project—A synthesis of Phase-1 mercury studies
Disentangling the effects of habitat biogeochemistry, food web structure, and diet composition on mercury bioaccumulation in a wetland bird
Wetland management strategy to reduce mercury export in water and bioaccumulation in fish
Biogeochemical and physical processes controlling mercury methylation and bioaccumulation in Lake Powell, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Utah and Arizona, 2014 and 2015
Slough evolution and legacy mercury remobilization induced by wetland restoration in South San Francisco Bay
Methylmercury dynamics in Upper Sacramento Valley rice fields with low background soil mercury levels
Mercury on a landscape scale—Balancing regional export with wildlife health
Long-term trends of surface-water mercury and methylmercury concentrations downstream of historic mining within the Carson River watershed
Mercury and methylmercury in aquatic sediment across western North America
Mercury cycling in the Hells Canyon Complex of the Snake River, Idaho and Oregon
Mercury in western North America: A synthesis of environmental contamination, fluxes, bioaccumulation, and risk to fish and wildlife
Web tools related to the Microbial Biogeochemistry Core Technology Team can be found below.
Catalog of Geospatial Datasets for the USGS Water Quality Program, Proxies Project
The Proxies Project is a series of studies to improve our understanding of water contaminants and water quality hazards. These studies develop models and technical approaches for estimating concentrations and assessing risk associated with:
- harmful algal blooms (HABs)
- per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)
-12 elements of concern (EoC) The Proxies Project is a series of studies to impro
Connect with members of the Microbial Biogeochemistry Core Technology Team below.
- Overview
About the Research
The Microbial Biogeochemistry Laboratory Core Technology Team (CTT) as part of the Environmental Health Program focuses on environmental questions in aquatic systems (sediment and water) involving the linkages between major biogeochemical cycles (those involving carbon, sulfur, iron and nitrogen) and those associated with contaminants of concern.
The research interests and analytical capabilities of the Microbial Biogeochemistry Laboratory CTT bridge the intersection of fundamental microbial biogeochemistry and ecosystem contaminants science.
The mobility, transport, and chemical transformation of many contaminants in aquatic systems are ultimately mediated by microbial process, which are in turn mediated and defined by the availability of specific electron donors (such as various forms of organic carbon) and electron acceptors (such as oxygen, iron, manganese, nitrogen and sulfur).
The Microbial Biogeochemistry Laboratory has a long history of focusing on the intersection of microbial biogeochemistry and contaminants in mercury specific studies, in a wide range of aquatic systems (streams/rivers, wetlands, reservoirs, tidal estuaries and hypersaline salt ponds). In recent years their analytical capabilities have expanded to a much wider range of elements of concern (including Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, Se, U, and Zn) and energy production associated waste streams (oil and gas production wastewater, and coal mining regions).
Key Analytical Capabilities include:
- Measurement of microbial reaction rates using isotopic tracer methods
- Mercury speciation in a range of matrices
- Nutrients, anions/cations and trace elements
- Chemical speciation and quantification of major biogeochemical cycle constituents associated with carbon, sulfur, iron, and nitrogen
Key Instrumentation:
- Quadrupole Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS)
- Ion, liquid and gas chromatography
- Total mercury analyzer
- Methylmercury analyzer
- Nutrient analyzer
- Chlorophyll analyzer
- Field fluorometry and other in-situ sensor technology
- Total carbon analyzer (with 13C isotopes)
Science Team Collaborators-
Energy Integrated Science Team
The Energy Lifecycle Integrated Science Team focuses on the potential for contaminant exposures in the environment that might originate from energy resource activities including, extraction, production, transportation, storage, extraction, waste management and restoration. Perceived health risks to humans and other organisms will be distinguished from actual risks, if any. If actual risks are...Ecologically-Driven Exposure Pathways Science Team
The Ecologically-Driven Exposure Pathways Integrated Science Team identifies how ecological pathways and physiological processes within a single organism can alter exposure and toxicity of contaminants and pathogens and seek to understand outcomes at different scales from individuals to populations and ecosystems.Proxies Project
The Proxies Project is a series of studies to improve our understanding of water contaminants and water quality hazards. These studies develop models and technical approaches for estimating concentrations and assessing risk associated with: - harmful algal blooms (HABs) - per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) - 12 elements of concern (EoC)
- Data
Data related to the Microbial Biogeochemistry Core Technology Team can be found below.
Geochemical data for water, sediment, and biota in Lake Combie, California, 2017-2021
This dataset includes field measurements and laboratory analyses of surface water, bottom water (sediment-water interface), surficial (0-2 cm) sediment, pore water (0-2 cm), and biota collected in Lake Combie, California, from September 2017 through August 2021. The study area includes six sites within the reservoir where discrete samples of surface water, bottom water, sediment, and pore water weMercury concentration data for soil, surface water and rice grain from six commercial rice growing fields in the Sacramento Valley of California (USA)
Mercury (Hg) is a well-known toxic element and environmental contaminant. The central valley of California has long been identified as a hotspot for Hg contamination due to the historic mining of Hg in the California coast range, and its use in the mining of gold in the Sierra Nevada, with these mountainous regions bordering the east and the west of the valley, respectively. While the whole centraGeochemistry Data for Wastewater Samples Collected at a Separator Tank and from an On-Site Storage Tank at the Marcellus Shale Energy and Environment Laboratory (MSEEL) 2015-2019, Morgantown Industrial Park (MIP), West Virginia (ver. 2.0, May 2023)
This U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Data Release is focused on the geochemistry of wastewater (including flowback and produced water) samples, co-produced with natural gas, collected from the Marcellus Shale Energy and Environment Laboratory (MSEEL) site. MSEEL is a long-term field site and laboratory at the Northeast Natural Energy LLC (NNE) production facility, adjacent to the Monongahela River,Geochemical data including mercury for subsamples of deep cores from the Cache Creek Settling Basin, Yolo County, California
Sediment cores were collected in the Cache Creek Settling Basin (CCSB), Yolo County, California, during October 2011 at 10 locations (borehole sites) and during August 2012 at 5 other locations. Total core depths ranged from approximately 4.6 to 13.7 meters (15 to 45 feet), with penetration to about 9.1 meters (30 feet) at most locations. Detailed subsampling (3-centimeter intervals) was done at tThe Geochemistry of Mercury and Other Constituents in Redox Manipulated Sediment cores from Clear Lake, Lake County, California
Clear Lake, located within the Coast Range west of California's Central Valley, is the largest natural freshwater lake contained fully within the state and geologically is considered to be the oldest lake in North America. Clear Lake is popular for recreation and provides critical habitat to a wide variety of fish and bird species. Water quality in Clear Lake is degraded by both by mercury contamiShallow Sediment Geochemistry in a Mercury-Contaminated Multi-Habitat Floodplain: Cache Creek Settling Basin, Yolo County, California (version 2.0, August 2021)
The Cache Creek Settling Basin (CCSB) is a 13.3 km2 leveed basin located at the terminal drainage of the Cache Creek watershed, immediately NE of the town of Woodland (Yolo County), California and approximately 18 km NW of Sacramento, California. The basin was constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (completed in 1937 and modified in 1993) for the purpose of trapping suspended sediment traChemical characterization of water and suspended sediment of the Snake River and Hells Canyon Complex (Idaho, Oregon) (ver. 3.0, November 2023)
This dataset includes laboratory analyses of surface water samples and sediment trap material collected from (1) locations upstream, downstream, and within the Hells Canyon Complex (Idaho, Oregon) of the Snake River, (2) tributaries of the Snake River, and (3) two reservoirs near Boise, Idaho, from 2014 to 2021. The study area spans approximately 232 river miles of the Snake River and includes: twSediment Biogeochemistry and Subsequent Mercury Biomagnification in Wetland Food Webs of the San Francisco Bay, CA (ver. 2.0, December 2023)
Methylmercury (MeHg) is a globally pervasive contaminant that biomagnifies in food webs and can reach toxic concentrations in consumers at higher trophic levels, including wildlife and humans. The production of MeHg, and its subsequent entry and biomagnification in food webs, is governed by a complex suite of biogeochemical, physical, and ecological processes, resulting in spatial variation in theBiogeochemical Data for Mercury and other Constituents in Surface Sediment and Deep Cores from the Hells Canyon Reservoir Complex, Idaho and Oregon 2014-2018
The Hells Canyon Complex (HCC) is comprised of a series of three consecutive reservoirs (Brownlee, Oxbow, and Hells Canyon) along a 145 km reach of the Snake River bordered by Idaho to the east and Oregon to the west. Due to concerns regarding mercury (Hg) contamination within the HCC, in cooperation with Idaho Power Company, the U.S. Geological Survey has been leading an investigation into the soSurface-Water Geochemistry of Mercury, Methylmercury, Nutrients, and other Constituents in Clear Lake, Lake County, California, July 2019
Clear Lake is a 180 km2 freshwater lake located in the California Coast Range, approximately 120 km northwest of Sacramento. The lake supports a wide variety of fish and bird species and is a very popular sport-fishing destination. However, fish consumption advisories associated with mercury (Hg) contamination exist for several popular recreational species. The lake is comprised of three main regiMercury speciation and other constituent data from deep sediment cores in Alviso Slough, South San Francisco Bay, California, 2006-16
This dataset includes mercury and other constituent concentration and physical properties data for seven deep sediment profiles (ranging from 79 cm to 214 cm in length) collected from the thalwag of Alviso Slough, a major tributary to South San Francisco Bay (California, USA). Field sampling occurred during May 2012 (4 sites) and January 2016 (3 sites). Each profile was comprised of 1-4 core sub-sData for Biogeochemical and Physical Processes Controlling Mercury Methylation and Bioaccumulation in Lake Powell, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Utah and Arizona
This dataset includes the field measurements and laboratory analyses of surface water, seston, and sediment collected from Lake Powell, within Glen Canyon National Recreation area (GLCA), during high flow (May-June 2014) and low flow (August 2015) conditions. The study area includes 12-13 sampling sites that follow a transect spanning the entire length of the reservoir from the Colorado River infl - Multimedia
Multimedia items related to the Microbial Biogeochemistry Core Technology Team can be found below.
Hells Canyon Sediment CollectionField sampling in the Hells Canyon Reservoir Complex, with Dr. M. Marvin-DiPasquale at the bow of the sediment collection boat. Photographer: D. Krabbenhoft.
Field sampling in the Hells Canyon Reservoir Complex, with Dr. M. Marvin-DiPasquale at the bow of the sediment collection boat. Photographer: D. Krabbenhoft.
Studies of contaminant biogeochemistry and microbial processes in surface watersStudies of contaminant biogeochemistry and microbial processes in surface watersLeft: USGS Employee L. Windham-Myers showing a surface water sample collected in acid-cleaned mason jar (deployed for 24 hours) for a mercury study conducted at the Cosumnes River Nature Preserve (CA). Photographer: M. Marvin-DiPasquale. Date: 10/29/2014.
Left: USGS Employee L. Windham-Myers showing a surface water sample collected in acid-cleaned mason jar (deployed for 24 hours) for a mercury study conducted at the Cosumnes River Nature Preserve (CA). Photographer: M. Marvin-DiPasquale. Date: 10/29/2014.
Laboratory approaches for quantifying microbial process rates and analyte concentrationsLaboratory approaches for quantifying microbial process rates and analyte concentrationsLeft: Distillation rig used in the measurement of microbial sulfate reduction rates associated with a method based on the incubation of sediment samples with radioactively labeled sulfate. Photographer: M. Marvin-DiPasquale. Date: 3/5/2001.
Left: Distillation rig used in the measurement of microbial sulfate reduction rates associated with a method based on the incubation of sediment samples with radioactively labeled sulfate. Photographer: M. Marvin-DiPasquale. Date: 3/5/2001.
Taking surface sediment measurements at Crissy Marsh in San Francisco, CA.Taking surface sediment measurements at Crissy Marsh in San Francisco, CA.USGS researcher Jennifer Agee taking surface sediment oxidation-reduction and pH measurements at Crissy Marsh, a vegetated saltmarsh near the Golden Gate Bridge (background) in San Francisco, CA. Photographer: L. Windham-Myers.
USGS researcher Jennifer Agee taking surface sediment oxidation-reduction and pH measurements at Crissy Marsh, a vegetated saltmarsh near the Golden Gate Bridge (background) in San Francisco, CA. Photographer: L. Windham-Myers.
Studies of contaminant biogeochemistry and microbial processes in wetland environments.Studies of contaminant biogeochemistry and microbial processes in wetland environments.Left Image: Managed wetland at the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Preserve (California Central Valley) showing mixed flocks of foraging birds. Photographer: M. Marvin-DiPasquale.
Left Image: Managed wetland at the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Preserve (California Central Valley) showing mixed flocks of foraging birds. Photographer: M. Marvin-DiPasquale.
Studies of contaminant biogeochemistry and microbial processes in surface sediments.Studies of contaminant biogeochemistry and microbial processes in surface sediments.Left: USGS Employee Sherry Wren removing a square meter of surface sediment in pickleweed dominated marsh along the Petaluma River (California), for a study designed to investigate the role of marsh plant root zone on the cycling of mercury. Photographer: L. Windham-Myers. Date: 4/4/2006
Left: USGS Employee Sherry Wren removing a square meter of surface sediment in pickleweed dominated marsh along the Petaluma River (California), for a study designed to investigate the role of marsh plant root zone on the cycling of mercury. Photographer: L. Windham-Myers. Date: 4/4/2006
Ecosystem restoration research in South San Francisco Bay.Ecosystem restoration research in South San Francisco Bay.Hilltop view of the Ravenswood ponds (right side of levee) in South San Francisco Bay. These former salt-production ponds were subsequently slated for a major wetland restoration project.
Hilltop view of the Ravenswood ponds (right side of levee) in South San Francisco Bay. These former salt-production ponds were subsequently slated for a major wetland restoration project.
Surface sediment sampling in a vegetated Louisiana saltmarsh.Surface sediment sampling in a vegetated Louisiana saltmarsh.USGS researchers Jennifer Agee and Le Kieu sampling surface sediment in a vegetated Louisiana saltmarsh. Photographer: M. Marvin-DiPasquale.
USGS researchers Jennifer Agee and Le Kieu sampling surface sediment in a vegetated Louisiana saltmarsh. Photographer: M. Marvin-DiPasquale.
- Publications
Scientific publications related to the Microbial Biogeochemistry Core Technology Team can be found below.
South San Francisco Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project—A synthesis of Phase-1 mercury studies
The South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project (SBSPRP) encompasses over 6,000 hectares of former salt production ponds along the south edge of the San Francisco Bay and represents the largest wetland restoration effort on the west coast of North America. A series of studies associated with Phase 1 (2010–2018) restoration activities that are focused on a historically mercury contaminated slough and sAuthorsMark Marvin-DiPasquale, Darell Slotton, Josh T. Ackerman, Maureen A. Downing-Kunz, Bruce E. Jaffe, Amy C. Foxgrover, Fernanda Achete, Mick van der WegenDisentangling the effects of habitat biogeochemistry, food web structure, and diet composition on mercury bioaccumulation in a wetland bird
Methylmercury (MeHg) is a globally pervasive contaminant with known toxicity to humans and wildlife. Several sources of variation can lead to spatial differences in MeHg bioaccumulation within a species including: biogeochemical processes that influence MeHg production and availability within an organism’s home range; trophic positions of consumers and MeHg biomagnification efficiency in food websAuthorsLaurie Anne Hall, Isa Woo, Mark C. Marvin-DiPasquale, Danika C Tsao, David P. Krabbenhoft, John Y. Takekawa, Susan E. W. De La CruzWetland management strategy to reduce mercury export in water and bioaccumulation in fish
Wetland environments provide numerous ecosystem services but also facilitate methylmercury (MeHg) production and bioaccumulation. We developed a wetland‐management technique to reduce MeHg concentrations in wetland fish and water. We physically modified seasonal wetlands by constructing open‐ and deep‐water treatment cells at the downstream end of seasonal wetlands to promote naturally occurring MAuthorsJoshua T. Ackerman, Jacob Fleck, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Mark C. Marvin-DiPasquale, Lisamarie Windham-Myers, Mark P. Herzog, Harry L. McQuillenBiogeochemical and physical processes controlling mercury methylation and bioaccumulation in Lake Powell, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Utah and Arizona, 2014 and 2015
Mercury monitoring results from about 300 Morone saxatilis (striped bass) muscle tissue samples collected by the State of Utah from Lake Powell resulted in a Utah/Arizona fish consumption advisory issued in 2012 for approximately the lower 100 kilometers of the reservoir. Chemical, physical, and biological data were collected during two synoptic sampling cruises on Lake Powell during May/June 2014AuthorsDavid L. Naftz, Mark Marvin-DiPasquale, David P. Krabbenhoft, George Aiken, Eric S. Boyd, Christopher H. Conaway, Jacob M. Ogorek, Gregory M. AndersonSlough evolution and legacy mercury remobilization induced by wetland restoration in South San Francisco Bay
Coastal wetlands have a long history of degradation and destruction due to human development. Now recognized as one of the most productive ecosystems in the world, substantial efforts are being made to restore this critical habitat. While wetland restoration efforts are generally viewed as beneficial in terms of providing wildlife habitat and flood control, they are often accompanied by dramatic pAuthorsAmy C. Foxgrover, Mark C. Marvin-DiPasquale, Bruce E. Jaffe, Theresa A. FregosoMethylmercury dynamics in Upper Sacramento Valley rice fields with low background soil mercury levels
Few studies have considered how methylmercury (MeHg, a toxic form of Hg produced in anaerobic soils) production in rice (Oryza sativa L.) fields can affect water quality, and little is known about MeHg dynamics in rice fields. Surface water MeHg and total Hg (THg) imports, exports, and storage were studied in two commercial rice fields in the Sacramento Valley, California, where soil THg was low (AuthorsK. Christy Tanner, Lisamarie Windham-Myers, Mark C. Marvin-DiPasquale, Jacob Fleck, Kenneth W. Tate, Bruce A. LinquistMercury on a landscape scale—Balancing regional export with wildlife health
The Cosumnes River watershed requires a 57–64 percent reduction in loads to meet the new Delta methylmercury (MeHg) total maximum daily load allocation, established by the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board. Because there are no large point sources of MeHg in the watershed, the focus of MeHg load reductions will fall upon non-point sources, particularly the expansive wetlands consAuthorsMark C. Marvin-DiPasquale, Lisamarie Windham-Myers, Jacob A. Fleck, Joshua T. Ackerman, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Harry McQuillenLong-term trends of surface-water mercury and methylmercury concentrations downstream of historic mining within the Carson River watershed
The Carson River is a vital water resource for local municipalities and migratory birds travelling the Pacific Flyway. Historic mining practices that used mercury (Hg) to extract gold from Comstock Lode ore has left much of the river system heavily contaminated with Hg, a practice that continues in many parts of the world today. Between 1998 and 2013, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) colAuthorsEric D. Morway, Carl E. Thodal, Mark C. Marvin-DiPasqualeMercury and methylmercury in aquatic sediment across western North America
Large-scale assessments are valuable in identifying primary factors controlling total mercury (THg) and monomethyl mercury (MeHg) concentrations, and distribution in aquatic ecosystems. Bed sediment THg and MeHg concentrations were compiled for > 16,000 samples collected from aquatic habitats throughout the West between 1965 and 2013. The influence of aquatic feature type (canals, estuaries, lakesAuthorsJacob Fleck, Mark C. Marvin-DiPasquale, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Joshua T. Ackerman, Michelle A. Lutz, Michael T. Tate, Charles N. Alpers, Britt D. Hall, David P. Krabbenhoft, Chris S. EckleyByEcosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Environmental Health Program, Toxic Substances Hydrology, California Water Science Center, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, John Wesley Powell Center for Analysis and Synthesis, Upper Midwest Water Science Center, Mercury Research LaboratoryMercury cycling in the Hells Canyon Complex of the Snake River, Idaho and Oregon
Introduction The Hells Canyon Complex (HCC) is a hydroelectric project built and operated by the Idaho Power Company (IPC) that consists of three dams on the Snake River along the Oregon and Idaho border (fig. 1). The dams have resulted in the creation of Brownlee, Oxbow, and Hells Canyon Reservoirs, which have a combined storage capacity of more than 1.5 million acre-feet and span about 90 milesAuthorsGregory M. Clark, Jesse Naymik, David P. Krabbenhoft, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, George R. Aiken, Mark C. Marvin-DiPasquale, Reed C. Harris, Ralph MyersMercury in western North America: A synthesis of environmental contamination, fluxes, bioaccumulation, and risk to fish and wildlife
Western North America is a region defined by extreme gradients in geomorphology and climate, which support a diverse array of ecological communities and natural resources. The region also has extreme gradients in mercury (Hg) contamination due to a broad distribution of inorganic Hg sources. These diverse Hg sources and a varied landscape create a unique and complex mosaic of ecological risk fromAuthorsCollin A. Eagles-Smith, James G. Wiener, Chris S. Eckley, James J. Willacker, David C. Evers, Mark C. Marvin-DiPasquale, Daniel Obrist, Jacob Fleck, George R. Aiken, Jesse M. Lepak, Allyson K. Jackson, Jackson Webster, A. Robin Stewart, Jay Davis, Charles N. Alpers, Joshua T. Ackerman - Web Tools
Web tools related to the Microbial Biogeochemistry Core Technology Team can be found below.
Catalog of Geospatial Datasets for the USGS Water Quality Program, Proxies Project
The Proxies Project is a series of studies to improve our understanding of water contaminants and water quality hazards. These studies develop models and technical approaches for estimating concentrations and assessing risk associated with:
- harmful algal blooms (HABs)
- per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)
-12 elements of concern (EoC) The Proxies Project is a series of studies to impro
- Connect
Connect with members of the Microbial Biogeochemistry Core Technology Team below.