David P Krabbenhoft
David Krabbenhoft is a Scientist Emeritus with the Upper Midwest Water Science Center.
David Krabbenhoft received his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1988 and has been a research scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey since. He has general research interests are in biogeochemistry and hydrogeology of aquatic ecosystems. Dave began working on environmental mercury cycling, transformations, and fluxes in aquatic ecosystems with the Mercury in Temperate Lakes project in 1988; since then, the topic has consumed his professional life. In 1994, Dave established the USGS’s Mercury Research Laboratory, which includes a team of multi-disciplinary mercury investigators and a state-of-the-art analytical facility strictly dedicated to low-level speciation analysis of mercury. In 1995 he initiated the multi-agency Aquatic Cycling of Mercury in the Everglades (ACME) project, which is still ongoing. More recently, Dave has been a Primary Investigator on the internationally conducted Mercury Experiment To Assess Atmospheric Loadings in Canada and the US (METAALICUS) project, which is a novel effort to examine the ecosystem-level response to loading an entire watershed with mercury. Currently, Dave’s research team is active on projects that span environments as far ranging as the Pacific Ocean to freshwater systems in Alaska to Florida, and from California to New England. In recent years, the Mercury Research Team entered into the realm of atmospheric research by constructing and deployed the USGS Mobile Atmospheric Mercury Lab, which has the capability for rapid deployment and advanced study of mercury in the atmosphere. Since 1990, he has authored or coauthored over 100 papers on mercury in the environment. In August 2006, Dave served as the Co-Chair for the 8th International Conference on Mercury as a Global Pollutant.
Professional Experience
Research Hydrologist/Geochemist, U.S. Geological Survey, Wisconsin Water Science Center, 8505 Research Way, Middleton, Wisconsin, July 1988 to present.
Adjunct, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2001 to present.
USGS Mercury Research Lab, Team Leader, 1994 to present.
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. 1988, University of Wisconsin-Madsion, Department of Geology and Geophysics; research emphasis isotope geochemistry, limnology, and hydrogeology
M.S. 1984, University of Wisconsin-Madsion, Department of Geology and Geophysics; research emphasis geochemistry and hydrogeology
B.S. 1982, North Dakota St. University, Major: Geology, Minor: Chemistry
Honors and Awards
Shoemaker Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Science Communications (October 2013)
USGS performance awards (received on 24 occasions from 1988-2013)
Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, In Recognition for Meritorious Service (2003)
Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, In Recognition for Superior Service (1997)
Exxon Research Scholarship, University of Wisconsin-Madison (1982)
Summa Cum Laude, North Dakota State University (19
Science and Products
Organic carbon burial in lakes and reservoirs of the conterminous United States
Experimental dosing of wetlands with coagulants removes mercury from surface water and decreases mercury bioaccumulation in fish
Females exceed males in mercury concentrations of burbot Lota lota
Mercury concentrations and distribution in soil, water, mine waste leachates, and air in and around mercury mines in the Big Bend region, Texas, USA
Effects of urbanization on mercury deposition and accumulation in New England
Whitebark pine, population density, and home-range size of grizzly bears in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem
Mercury in the nation's streams - Levels, trends, and implications
Lacustrine responses to decreasing wet mercury deposition rates: results from a case study in northern Minnesota
Mercury in the national parks
Mercury and methylmercury dynamics in the hyporheic zone of an Oregon stream
Spatial distribution of mercury in southeastern Alaskan streams influenced by glaciers, wetlands, and salmon
Global change and mercury
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Organic carbon burial in lakes and reservoirs of the conterminous United States
Organic carbon (OC) burial in lacustrine sediments represents an important sink in the global carbon cycle; however, large-scale OC burial rates are poorly constrained, primarily because of the sparseness of available data sets. Here we present an analysis of OC burial rates in water bodies of the conterminous U.S. (CONUS) that takes advantage of recently developed national-scale data sets on reseAuthorsDavid W. Clow, Sarah M. Stackpoole, Kristine L. Verdin, David E. Butman, Zhi-Liang Zhu, David P. Krabbenhoft, Robert G. StrieglExperimental dosing of wetlands with coagulants removes mercury from surface water and decreases mercury bioaccumulation in fish
Mercury pollution is widespread globally, and strategies for managing mercury contamination in aquatic environments are necessary. We tested whether coagulation with metal-based salts could remove mercury from wetland surface waters and decrease mercury bioaccumulation in fish. In a complete randomized block design, we constructed nine experimental wetlands in California’s Sacramento–San Joaquin DAuthorsJoshua T. Ackerman, Tamara E.C. Kraus, Jacob A. Fleck, David P. Krabbenhoft, William R. Horwarth, Sandra M. Bachand, Mark P. Herzog, C. Alex Hartman, Philip A.M. BachandFemales exceed males in mercury concentrations of burbot Lota lota
Examination of differences in contaminant concentrations between sexes of fish, across several fish species, may reveal clues for important behavioral and physiological differences between the sexes. We determined whole-fish total mercury (Hg) concentrations of 25 male and 25 female adult burbot Lota lota captured in Lake Erie during summer 2011, and of 14 male and 18 female adult burbot capturedAuthorsCharles P. Madenjian, Martin A. Stapanian, Peter A. Cott, David P. Krabbenhoft, William Edwards, Lynn M. Ogilvie, Justin G. Mychek-Londer, John F. DeWildMercury concentrations and distribution in soil, water, mine waste leachates, and air in and around mercury mines in the Big Bend region, Texas, USA
Samples of soil, water, mine waste leachates, soil gas, and air were collected from areas mined for mercury (Hg) and baseline sites in the Big Bend area, Texas, to evaluate potential Hg contamination in the region. Soil samples collected within 300 m of an inactive Hg mine contained elevated Hg concentrations (3.8–11 µg/g), which were considerably higher than Hg in soil collected from baseline sitAuthorsJohn E. Gray, Peter M. Theodorakos, David L. Fey, David P. KrabbenhoftEffects of urbanization on mercury deposition and accumulation in New England
We compare total mercury (HgT) loading and methylmercury (MeHg) accumulation in streams and lakes from an urbanized area (Boston, Massachusetts) to rural regions of southern New Hampshire and Maine. The maximum HgT loading, as indicated by HgT atmospheric deposition, HgT emissions, and sediment HgT concentrations, did not coincide with maximum MeHg concentrations in fish. Urbanized ecosystems wereAuthorsAnn T. Chalmers, David P. Krabbenhoft, Peter C. Van Metre, Mark A. NillesWhitebark pine, population density, and home-range size of grizzly bears in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem
Changes in life history traits of species can be an important indicator of potential factors influencing populations. For grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), recent decline of whitebark pine (WBP; Pinus albicaulis), an important fall food resource, has been paired with a slowing of population growth following two decades of robust population increase. These obsAuthorsDaniel D. Bjornlie, Frank T. van Manen, Michael R. Ebinger, Mark A. Haroldson, Daniel J. Thompson, Cecily M. CostelloMercury in the nation's streams - Levels, trends, and implications
Mercury is a potent neurotoxin that accumulates in fish to levels of concern for human health and the health of fish-eating wildlife. Mercury contamination of fish is the primary reason for issuing fish consumption advisories, which exist in every State in the Nation. Much of the mercury originates from combustion of coal and can travel long distances in the atmosphere before being deposited. ThisAuthorsDennis A. Wentz, Mark E. Brigham, Lia C. Chasar, Michelle A. Lutz, David P. KrabbenhoftLacustrine responses to decreasing wet mercury deposition rates: results from a case study in northern Minnesota
We present a case study comparing metrics of methylmercury (MeHg) contamination for four undeveloped lakes in Voyageurs National Park to wet atmospheric deposition of mercury (Hg), sulfate (SO4–2), and hydrogen ion (H+) in northern Minnesota. Annual wet Hg, SO4–2, and H+ deposition rates at two nearby precipitation monitoring sites indicate considerable decreases from 1998 to 2012 (mean decreasesAuthorsMark E. Brigham, Mark B. Sandheinrich, David A. Gay, Ryan P. Maki, David P. Krabbenhoft, James G. WienerMercury in the national parks
One thing is certain: Even for trained researchers, predicting mercury’s behavior in the environment is challenging. Fundamentally it is one of 98 naturally occurring elements, with natural sources, such as volcanoes, and concentrated ore deposits, such as cinnabar. Yet there are also human-caused sources, such as emissions from both coal-burning power plants and mining operations for gold andAuthorsColleen Flanagan Pritz, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, David KrabbenhoftMercury and methylmercury dynamics in the hyporheic zone of an Oregon stream
The role of the hyporheic zone in mercury (Hg) cycling has received limited attention despite the biogeochemically active nature of this zone and, thus, its potential to influence Hg behavior in streams. An assessment of Hg geochemistry in the hyporheic zone of a coarse-grained island in the Coast Fork Willamette River in Oregon, USA, illustrates the spatially dynamic nature of this region of theAuthorsStephen R. Hinkle, Kenneth E. Bencala, Dennis A. Wentz, David P. KrabbenhoftSpatial distribution of mercury in southeastern Alaskan streams influenced by glaciers, wetlands, and salmon
Southeastern Alaska is a remote coastal-maritime ecosystem that is experiencing increased deposition of mercury (Hg) as well as rapid glacier loss. Here we present the results of the first reported survey of total and methyl Hg (MeHg) concentrations in regional streams and biota. Overall, streams draining large wetland areas had higher Hg concentrations in water, mayflies, and juvenile salmon thanAuthorsSonia A. Nagorski, Daniel R. Engstrom, John P. Hudson, David P. Krabbenhoft, Eran Hood, John F. DeWild, George R. AikenGlobal change and mercury
More than 140 nations recently agreed to a legally binding treaty on reductions in human uses and releases of mercury that will be signed in October of this year. This follows the 2011 rule in the United States that for the first time regulates mercury emissions from electricity-generating utilities. Several decades of scientific research preceded these important regulations. However, the impactsAuthorsDavid P. Krabbenhoft, Elsie M. Sunderland - Web Tools
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