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.
Contaminant and pathogen exposure alone does not necessarily result in adverse health outcomes in fish, wildlife, or humans. There are numerous pathways and processes that can alter the toxicity of naturally occurring and human-made contaminants in the environment.
The team uses their broad scientific expertise in hydrology, geochemistry, biology, and ecotoxicology to understand the complexities associated with the movement of toxicants and pathogens through the environment and within individual organisms. That information is used to determine how, where, and when exposure occurs and if exposure results in health risks to wildlife and humans.
Current Science Questions and Activities
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What are the various ecological factors, such as habitats and foraging strategies, that influence the pathways of contaminant exposure, health risks to fish and wildlife?
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What are the pathways of antimicrobial resistance in the environment?
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What are the major intrinsic and extrinsic drivers of mercury exposure and risk to humans, fish, and wildlife at a global scale?
The Dragonfly Mercury Project Data Dashboard (usgs.gov) facilitates data exploration of the Dragonfly Mercury Project (DMP). Since 2014, the Dragonfly Mercury Project (DMP) has measured mercury concentrations in dragonfly larvae from U.S. National Parks and Protected Places across the country to assess potential environmental health risks due to mercury. -
What are the internal physiological determinants such as metababolism, transfer of mercury to offspring, changes in body mass, and molting that influence exposure and health risks in fish and wildlife?
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How do the internal factors differ among species and life stages?
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What are the Influences of landscape alterations, perturbations, and restoration on pathways and movement of contaminants through ecosystems and bioaccumulation into the food web of aquatic biota?
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Do multiple types and chemical mixtures have additive, synergistic, or antagonistic effects that influence the health of fish and wildlife?
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What are the internal and external drivers and regulators of human exposure to mercury?
- What is the risk of pathogen exposure and transmission among wildlife, livestock, and humans?
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What are the key environmental factors that control the viability of avian influenza virus shed by wild birds and what are the key environmental pathways of exposure and transmission of the virus?
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What is the role of soil, water, and vegetation in disease transmission such as Chronic Wasting Disease?
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How do invasive species influence the timing of contaminant uptake and bioaccumulation in fish and wildlife?
USGS science related to this science team’s activities.
Wild Prairie Grouse Diet and Microbiomes Vary Between Cropland and Grassland Habitats
Avian Influenza Prevalence Correlated to Mercury Concentrations in Wild Waterfowl
Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Acquired by Wild Birds in Urban Settings and Dispersed via Migration
Food Web Changes Dampen Expected Reductions in Lake Trout Mercury Levels in Lake Michigan—Invasive Species Play Major Role
Mercury Isotope Ratios used to Determine Sources of Mercury to Fish in Northeast U.S. Streams
Science to Help Understand Exposure and Toxicological Effects of Environmental Mercury to Representative Birds
No Adverse Reproductive Effects Observed in Tree Swallows Exposed to Perfluoroalkyl Substances in Clarks Marsh, Michigan
Roadmap to Understanding Factors Influencing Mercury Exposure and Adverse Health Effects
Systematic Approach to Understanding Tree Swallow Health in the Great Lakes Region—Science to Inform Restoration
Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria in Migratory Birds
Scientists Identify Processes that Affect Fish Mercury Concentrations in Estuarine Wetlands
Simple Ways to Avoid Public Exposures to Infectious Wildlife Diseases Summarized
The following are the data releases from this science team’s research activities.
Pesticide residues in passive samplers and bee tissue from Conservation Reserve Program fields across an agricultural gradient in eastern Iowa, USA, 2019
Total mercury and methylmercury in biota from Cottage Grove Reservoir and the Coast Fork Willamette River, Oregon, 2021
Data describing infection status and movement ecology of North American waterfowl
Data measuring avian influenza infection, mercury concentration, and body condition in wild waterfowl
Mercury concentrations, isotopic composition, biomass, and taxonomy of stream and riparian organisms in the vicinity of Yellow Pine, Idaho, 2015-2016.
Assessment of mercury sources in Alaskan lake food webs
Egg Morphometric Data Obtained for White-faced Ibis Nesting in Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Great Salt Lake, Utah (2010-2012)
Isotopic Examination of Mercury Methylation and Demethylation Rates in Yellowstone National Park Thermal Features
Yellowstone Thermal Feature Mercury and Methylmercury Characterization
Mercury in fishes from Clear Lake, California, 2019 and 2020 (ver. 2.0, February 2022)
Supporting data: Spatial network clustering reveals elk population structure and local variation in prevalence of chronic wasting disease at Wind Cave National Park, 2005--18
Adult aquatic insect emergence, insect pesticide concentrations and water chemistry of wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region, North Dakota, USA, 2015-16
Below are publications associated with this science team.
Evaluating management alternatives for Wyoming elk feedgrounds in consideration of chronic wasting disease
South San Francisco Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project—A synthesis of Phase-1 mercury studies
Waterfowl recently infected with low pathogenic avian influenza exhibit reduced local movement and delayed migration
Ecotoxicological studies indicate that sublethal and lethal processes limit insect-mediated contaminant flux
Ecotoxicological studies indicate that sublethal and lethal processes limit insect-mediated contaminant flux
Riparian spiders: Sentinels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and dibenzofuran-contaminated sediment
Multi-omics responses in tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) nestlings from the Maumee Area of Concern, Maumee River, Ohio
In-reservoir physical processes modulate aqueous and biological methylmercury export from a seasonally anoxic reservoir
Avian influenza antibody prevalence increases with mercury contamination in wild waterfowl
Tracing the sources and depositional history of mercury to coastal northeastern U.S. lakes
Elevated mercury concentrations and isotope signatures (N, C, Hg) in yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) from the Galápagos Marine Reserve and waters off Ecuador
PCB exposure is associated with reduction of endosymbionts in riparian spider microbiomes
The Dragonfly Mercury Project—Story Map
Dragonflies were sampled from 100 U.S. national parks, including very remote areas.
Mercury Condition Index Tool
- Overview
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.
Contaminant and pathogen exposure alone does not necessarily result in adverse health outcomes in fish, wildlife, or humans. There are numerous pathways and processes that can alter the toxicity of naturally occurring and human-made contaminants in the environment.
The team uses their broad scientific expertise in hydrology, geochemistry, biology, and ecotoxicology to understand the complexities associated with the movement of toxicants and pathogens through the environment and within individual organisms. That information is used to determine how, where, and when exposure occurs and if exposure results in health risks to wildlife and humans.
Current Science Questions and Activities
-
What are the various ecological factors, such as habitats and foraging strategies, that influence the pathways of contaminant exposure, health risks to fish and wildlife?
-
What are the pathways of antimicrobial resistance in the environment?
-
What are the major intrinsic and extrinsic drivers of mercury exposure and risk to humans, fish, and wildlife at a global scale?
The Dragonfly Mercury Project Data Dashboard (usgs.gov) facilitates data exploration of the Dragonfly Mercury Project (DMP). Since 2014, the Dragonfly Mercury Project (DMP) has measured mercury concentrations in dragonfly larvae from U.S. National Parks and Protected Places across the country to assess potential environmental health risks due to mercury. -
What are the internal physiological determinants such as metababolism, transfer of mercury to offspring, changes in body mass, and molting that influence exposure and health risks in fish and wildlife?
-
How do the internal factors differ among species and life stages?
-
What are the Influences of landscape alterations, perturbations, and restoration on pathways and movement of contaminants through ecosystems and bioaccumulation into the food web of aquatic biota?
-
Do multiple types and chemical mixtures have additive, synergistic, or antagonistic effects that influence the health of fish and wildlife?
-
What are the internal and external drivers and regulators of human exposure to mercury?
- What is the risk of pathogen exposure and transmission among wildlife, livestock, and humans?
-
What are the key environmental factors that control the viability of avian influenza virus shed by wild birds and what are the key environmental pathways of exposure and transmission of the virus?
-
What is the role of soil, water, and vegetation in disease transmission such as Chronic Wasting Disease?
-
How do invasive species influence the timing of contaminant uptake and bioaccumulation in fish and wildlife?
-
- Science
USGS science related to this science team’s activities.
Filter Total Items: 25Wild Prairie Grouse Diet and Microbiomes Vary Between Cropland and Grassland Habitats
Wild prairie grouse residing in croplands had altered diets and gut microbiome imbalances characterized by a greater abundance of pathogenic bacteria and antibiotic-resistance genes in comparison to those residing in grasslands. Similar gut microbiome imbalances are rarely associated with lethal outcomes, but rather linked to sublethal health effects including growth, development, behavior, immune...Avian Influenza Prevalence Correlated to Mercury Concentrations in Wild Waterfowl
Low pathogenic avian influenza infections were directly correlated with blood mercury concentrations in wild waterfowl, indicating that mercury exposure may be related to pathogen susceptibility. Further study is needed to determine if and how mercury and other environmental contaminant exposures may affect disease susceptibility in wildlife.Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Acquired by Wild Birds in Urban Settings and Dispersed via Migration
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists have developed a model that demonstrates how migratory wild birds in urban areas can acquire bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics, including those used in clinics, and potentially disperse these bacteria between continents via migration.Food Web Changes Dampen Expected Reductions in Lake Trout Mercury Levels in Lake Michigan—Invasive Species Play Major Role
Combined analyses of mercury, nitrogen, and carbon isotopes in archived lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) tissues and sediment cores in Lake Michigan from 1978 to 2012 indicated that lake trout mercury concentrations mirrored declines in mercury sources prior to the arrival of invasive species that changed mercury transfer through the food and dampened the expected decreases in mercury...Mercury Isotope Ratios used to Determine Sources of Mercury to Fish in Northeast U.S. Streams
Mercury isotope analyses were used to distinguish different sources of mercury to fish in 23 streams along a forested-rural to urban-industrial land-use gradient in the Northeastern United States. The use of mercury isotope measurements in fish tissue allow for distinguishing different sources of mercury that are bioaccumulating into the food web. Mercury isotope signatures in fish in forested...Science to Help Understand Exposure and Toxicological Effects of Environmental Mercury to Representative Birds
Exposure and toxicity of environmental mercury to birds can be enhanced or lessened due to the available sources and forms of mercury and other species dependent factors such as life stage, migratory patterns, foraging and nesting behaviors, transfer of mercury from mothers to eggs, and sex. For example, mercury exposure can lead to sublethal toxicological effects that can influence parental...No Adverse Reproductive Effects Observed in Tree Swallows Exposed to Perfluoroalkyl Substances in Clarks Marsh, Michigan
Perfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) concentrations in tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) breeding at Clarks Marsh near a decommissioned U.S. Air Force base in Michigan were among the highest concentrations ever documented in birds indicating significant PFAS exposures. In contrast to previous studies where reproductive impairment was documented at lower PFAS exposure, there were no adverse effects on...Roadmap to Understanding Factors Influencing Mercury Exposure and Adverse Health Effects
In a comprehensive overview, scientists explain that human and wildlife exposure and toxicological responses to mercury are dependent on factors that operate across global, individual, and molecular scales. They provide a roadmap for unified research to facilitate a better understanding of human and wildlife health risks from mercury exposure.Systematic Approach to Understanding Tree Swallow Health in the Great Lakes Region—Science to Inform Restoration
Four papers by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists document tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) chemical exposure, physiological responses, and reproductive success in the Great Lakes region. These studies were designed to understand if there are health threats to swallows from contaminant exposure, and to provide resource managers with information about the actual as opposed to the perceived...Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria in Migratory Birds
Migratory birds, and particularly those using habitats close to human settlements, may be infected with antibiotic resistant bacteria. The USGS is working with public health professionals to understand the role of birds in the maintenance and dispersal of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Additionally, the USGS is investigating how antibiotic resistant bacteria in birds may relate to public and...Scientists Identify Processes that Affect Fish Mercury Concentrations in Estuarine Wetlands
In a study designed to help resource managers when considering mercury exposure risk, scientists determined that sulfur cycling—a process closely related to mercury methylation rates—and ecological conditions that influence exposure are important factors affecting fish mercury concentrations in estuarine wetlands.Simple Ways to Avoid Public Exposures to Infectious Wildlife Diseases Summarized
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in collaboration with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and other disease specialists, have published reports during the past 12 years with information about the geographic distribution of diseases, specific pathogens, disease ecology, and strategies to avoid human exposure and infection for seven zoonotic diseases. - Data
The following are the data releases from this science team’s research activities.
Filter Total Items: 38Pesticide residues in passive samplers and bee tissue from Conservation Reserve Program fields across an agricultural gradient in eastern Iowa, USA, 2019
This data release includes sampling location, pesticide concentrations in passive samplers (silicone bands) and bees foraging in Conservation Reserve Program fields. Sampling took place during July and August of 2019. Fields were located on private land managed for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Conservation Reserve Program in eastern central Iowa, U.S.A.Total mercury and methylmercury in biota from Cottage Grove Reservoir and the Coast Fork Willamette River, Oregon, 2021
Comma-separated values (.csv) file containing data related to mercury in biota from Cottage Grove Reservoir, and the rivers upstream of Cottage Grove Reservoir, Oregon.Data describing infection status and movement ecology of North American waterfowl
These data, which support a USGS authored manuscript, describe how active and previous previous infection with avian influenza impacts the movement ecology of several wild waterfowl species that overwinter in California. Results varied by species and demonstrate that the relationships between avian influenza infection and wild bird movements are context- and species-dependent.Data measuring avian influenza infection, mercury concentration, and body condition in wild waterfowl
These data represent mercury contamination, influenza infection, and body condition in 11 species of dabbling and diving ducks in the Pacific Flyway. These data support a USGS lead scientific publication.Mercury concentrations, isotopic composition, biomass, and taxonomy of stream and riparian organisms in the vicinity of Yellow Pine, Idaho, 2015-2016.
This data release includes sampling location data; field-collected stream attribute data; laboratory-analyzed chemistry concentrations (total mercury, methyl mercury) and isotopic composition (total mercury, carbon, and nitrogen) for stream biota (seston, periphyton, benthic insects, emerging adult insects, riparian spiders, and fish); density, body length, and taxonomic information for benthic inAssessment of mercury sources in Alaskan lake food webs
This data release includes results of raw water, soil, seston, and fish tissue samples collected from lakes in southwestern Alaska between 2011 and 2016. Specifically, these data include total mercury and methylmercury concentrations in water, size-sieved seston, and particulate matter of 13 remote lakes. Additionally, these data include soil and volcanic ash measurements from the surrounding wateEgg Morphometric Data Obtained for White-faced Ibis Nesting in Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Great Salt Lake, Utah (2010-2012)
This data consists of egg morphometric data from white-faced ibis. Eggs were collected in the field and then measured and dissected in the lab to obtain estimates of length, width and mass. This data supports the following publication: Herzog, M.P., Ackerman, J.T. and Hartman, C.A., 2021. Egg morphometrics and egg shape coefficients for White-faced Ibis (Plegadis chihi). The Wilson JournalIsotopic Examination of Mercury Methylation and Demethylation Rates in Yellowstone National Park Thermal Features
Data in this data release were obtained for water samples collected under Yellowstone National Park Research Permit YELL-05194 in 2017 through the Integrated Yellowstone Studies Project funded by the Mineral Resources Program. Isotope-spiked incubations were carried out to determine methylation and demethylation potential for Frying Pan spring, Crystal Sister East, Crystal Sister West, and TurbuleYellowstone Thermal Feature Mercury and Methylmercury Characterization
Data in this data release were obtained from water samples collected under Yellowstone National Park (YNP) Research Permit YELL-05194 in 2017, 2019, and 2020 through the Integrated Yellowstone Studies Project funded by the Mineral Resources Program. These samples were used to assess mercury cycling within YNP. Water samples were analyzed for total mercury and methylmercury, the bioaccumulated formMercury in fishes from Clear Lake, California, 2019 and 2020 (ver. 2.0, February 2022)
Comma-separated values (.csv) file containing data related to mercury in fishes collected from Clear Lake, California.Supporting data: Spatial network clustering reveals elk population structure and local variation in prevalence of chronic wasting disease at Wind Cave National Park, 2005--18
These data were used for preparation of Sargeant et al. (2021), "Spatial network clustering reveals elk population structure and local variation in the prevalence of chronic wasting disease." They include locations of elk that were monitored with global positioning system collars at Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota (WICA) during 2005--08 and 2011--13; coordinates of a polygon describing the bAdult aquatic insect emergence, insect pesticide concentrations and water chemistry of wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region, North Dakota, USA, 2015-16
This data release includes sampling location data, field-collected wetland attribute data, field-collected water chemistry data, laboratory-processed water chemistry data (anions, cations, alkalinity, nutrients, chlorophyll a concentrations, dissolved organic carbon, and specific ultraviolet absorbance, pesticide concentrations), dry mass of adult aquatic insects emerging from the surface of the w - Publications
Below are publications associated with this science team.
Filter Total Items: 139Evaluating management alternatives for Wyoming elk feedgrounds in consideration of chronic wasting disease
Executive SummaryThe authors used decision and modeling analyses to evaluate management alternatives for a decision on whether to permit Cervus canadensis (elk) feeding on two sites on Bridger-Teton National Forest, Dell Creek and Forest Park. Supplemental feeding of elk could increase the transmission of chronic wasting disease (CWD) locally and disease spread regionally, potentially impacting elAuthorsJonathan D. Cook, Paul C. Cross, Emily M. Tomaszewski, Eric K. Cole, Evan H. Campbell Grant, James M. Wilder, Michael C. RungeSouth 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 WegenWaterfowl recently infected with low pathogenic avian influenza exhibit reduced local movement and delayed migration
Understanding relationships between infection and wildlife movement patterns is important for predicting pathogen spread, especially for multispecies pathogens and those that can spread to humans and domestic animals, such as avian influenza viruses (AIVs). Although infection with low pathogenic AIVs is generally considered asymptomatic in wild birds, prior work has shown that influenza-infected bAuthorsClaire S. Teitelbaum, Michael L. Casazza, Fiona McDuie, Susan E. W. De La Cruz, Cory T. Overton, Laurie Anne Hall, Elliott Matchett, Josh T. Ackerman, Jeffery D. Sullivan, Andrew M. Ramey, Diann ProsserEcotoxicological studies indicate that sublethal and lethal processes limit insect-mediated contaminant flux
Merolimnic insects can accumulate and transport considerable amounts of aquatic contaminants to terrestrial systems. The rate of contaminant biotransport, termed insect-mediated contaminant flux (IMCF), depends on emergent insect biomass and contaminant accumulation, both functions of environmental concentration. Here we develop a mathematical model of IMCF and apply it to three ecotoxicological sAuthorsC.I Olson, G.B Beaubien, R.R Otter, David Walters, Mills. M.AEcotoxicological studies indicate that sublethal and lethal processes limit insect-mediated contaminant flux
Merolimnic insects can accumulate and transport considerable amounts of aquatic contaminants to terrestrial systems. The rate of contaminant biotransport, termed insect-mediated contaminant flux (IMCF), depends on emergent insect biomass and contaminant accumulation, both functions of environmental concentration. Here we develop a mathematical model of IMCF and apply it to three ecotoxicological sAuthorsC.I Olson, G.B Beaubien, R.R Otter, David Walters, Mills. M.ARiparian spiders: Sentinels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and dibenzofuran-contaminated sediment
Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and polychlorinated dibenzofuran (PCDD/F) are persistent, toxic, and bioaccumulative. Currently, PCDD/F monitoring programs primarily use fish and birds with potentially large home ranges to monitor temporal trends over broad spatial scales; sentinel organisms that provide targeted sediment contaminant information across small geographic areas have yet to be develoAuthorsGale B. Beaubien, Dalon P. White, David Walters, Ryan R. Otter, Ken M. Fritz, Brian Crone, Marc A. MillsMulti-omics responses in tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) nestlings from the Maumee Area of Concern, Maumee River, Ohio
A multi-omics approach was utilized to identify altered biological responses and functions, and to prioritize contaminants to assess the risks of chemical mixtures in the Maumee Area of Concern (AOC), Maumee River, OH, USA. The Maumee AOC is designated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency as having significant beneficial use impairments, including degradation of fish and wildlife pAuthorsChi Yen Tseng, Christine M. Custer, Thomas W. Custer, Paul Dummer, Natalie K. Karouna-Renier, Cole W. MatsonIn-reservoir physical processes modulate aqueous and biological methylmercury export from a seasonally anoxic reservoir
Anoxic conditions within reservoirs related to thermal stratification and oxygen depletion lead to methylmercury (MeHg) production, a key process governing the uptake of mercury in aquatic food webs. Once formed within a reservoir, the timing and magnitude of the biological uptake of MeHg and the relative importance of MeHg export in water versus biological compartments remain poorly understood. WAuthorsAustin K. Baldwin, Collin Eagles-Smith, James Willacker, Brett Poulin, David P. Krabbenhoft, Jesse Naymik, Michael T. Tate, Dain Bates, Nick Gastelecutto, Charles Hoovestol, Christopher F. Larsen, Alysa Muir Yoder, James A. Chandler, Ralph MyersAvian influenza antibody prevalence increases with mercury contamination in wild waterfowl
Environmental contamination is widespread and can negatively impact wildlife health. Some contaminants, including heavy metals, have immunosuppressive effects, but prior studies have rarely measured contamination and disease simultaneously, which limits our understanding of how contaminants and pathogens interact to influence wildlife health. Here, we measured mercury concentrations, influenza infAuthorsClaire Stewart Teitelbaum, Josh T. Ackerman, Mason A. Hill, Jaqueline M. Satter, Michael L. Casazza, Susan E. W. De La Cruz, Walter M. Boyce, Evan James Buck, John M. Eadie, Mark P. Herzog, Elliott Matchett, Cory T. Overton, Sarah H. Peterson, Magdalena Plancarte, Andrew M. Ramey, Jeffery D. Sullivan, Diann ProsserTracing the sources and depositional history of mercury to coastal northeastern U.S. lakes
Mercury (Hg) deposition was reconstructed in sediment cores from lakes in two coastal U.S. National Parks: Acadia National Park (ANP) and Cape Cod National Seashore (CCNS), to fill an important spatial gap in Hg deposition records and to explore changing sources of Hg and processes affecting Hg accumulation in these coastal sites. Recent Hg deposition chronology was assessed using (1) a newly deveAuthorsVivien F. Taylor, Joshua D. Landis, Sarah E. JanssenElevated mercury concentrations and isotope signatures (N, C, Hg) in yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) from the Galápagos Marine Reserve and waters off Ecuador
We examined how dietary factors recorded by C and N influence Hg uptake in 347 individuals of yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares), an important subsistence resource from the Galápagos Marine Reserve (GMR) and the Ecuadorian mainland coast (EMC) in 2015-2016. We found no differences in total Hg (THg) measured in red muscle between the two regions and no seasonal differences, likely due to the age ofAuthorsLaia Munoz-Abril, Carlos A Valle, Juan Jose Alava, Sarah E. Janssen, Elsie M. Sunderland, Francisco Rubianes-Landazuri, Steven D EmsliePCB exposure is associated with reduction of endosymbionts in riparian spider microbiomes
Microbial communities, including endosymbionts, play diverse and critical roles in host biology and reproduction, but contaminant exposure may cause an imbalance in the microbiome composition with subsequent impacts on host health. Here, we examined whether there was a significant alteration of the microbiome community within two taxa of riparian spiders (Tetragnathidae and Araneidae) from a siteAuthorsBrittany G Perrotta, Karen A. Kidd, David Walters - Web Tools
The Dragonfly Mercury Project—Story Map
Dragonflies were sampled from 100 U.S. national parks, including very remote areas.
- Software
Mercury Condition Index Tool
The Mercury Condition Index Tool uses existing data of mercury concentrations in invertebrates, fish, and birds within national parks to estimate a park level Condition Index (and associated uncertainty) for mercury, based on its potential risk to fish and wildlife health. The tool employs a series of logic steps to convert provided data into standardized units, based upon both basic stoichiometr