Investigating Aquatic Invertebrate Abundance and Diversity as a Predictor for Mercury (Hg) in Brook Trout

Presenter

Heather E. Bortolussi

Campus

UMass Amherst

Sponsor

Keith Howard Nislow, Department of Environmental Conservation, UMass Amherst

Schedule

Session 1, 10:30 AM - 11:15 AM [Schedule by Time][Poster Grid for Time/Location]

Location

Poster Board A24, Campus Center Auditorium, Row 2 (A21-A40) [Poster Location Map]

Abstract

Aquatic ecosystems are experiencing changes in the productivity and composition of their complex food webs in part due to a rapidly changing climate. These changes have the potential to exacerbate the accumulation of methylmercury (MeHg), a highly toxic organic compound that biomagnifies up trophic levels, in stream biota. It is vital to understand how losses in biomass and biodiversity, at the base of aquatic food webs, will impact the MeHg concentrations of secondary consumers. Therefore, the objective of this study is to measure how changes in aquatic invertebrate abundance, richness, and diversity affect MeHg concentrations in cold-water fish. Brook trout and aquatic invertebrate samples will be collected from 10 streams across Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, New Hampshire, U.S. We predict a negative relationship between aquatic invertebrate abundance and species richness and overall MeHg concentrations in brook trout due to dilution effects of higher prey biomass and more diverse pathways of energy flow. The results of this study will provide managers with the knowledge of where to perform habitat restoration to conserve and promote healthy environments that foster productive and diverse aquatic invertebrate assemblages, and associated reduction of MeHg in fish.

Keywords

aquatic ecology, bioaccumulation, climate change

Research Area

Environment Effects on Ecosystems

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