Trophic Transfer of Methyl Mercury in the Northern Florida Everglades

There are spatial differences in methyl mercury (MeHg) concentrations in biota in Water Conservation Areas 2 and 3 in the Everglades, with higher concentrations generally found in the southern areas. Fish and hemipterans had the most MeHg on a wet weight basis, with levels exceeding 30 ng g-1. The m...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biogeochemistry 1998-03, Vol.40 (2/3), p.347-361
Main Authors: Cleckner, Lisa B., Garrison, Paul J., Hurley, James P., Olson, Mark L., Krabbenhoft, David P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Applied ecology
Bioaccumulation
Biological and medical sciences
Biota
Conservation areas
Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution
Everglades
Fish
Food webs
Fresh water environment
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Invertebrates
Mercury
Methylmercury
Nutrient concentrations
Periphyton
Pigments
Surface water
Water column
Water conservation
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Summary:There are spatial differences in methyl mercury (MeHg) concentrations in biota in Water Conservation Areas 2 and 3 in the Everglades, with higher concentrations generally found in the southern areas. Fish and hemipterans had the most MeHg on a wet weight basis, with levels exceeding 30 ng g-1. The magnitude of MeHg accumulation in biota varies seasonally and does not always appear to be associated with changes in water column concentration. This is exemplified by periphyton, the base of the foodweb in the Everglades, at a high nutrient sampling site. Although limited in scope, MeHg concentrations presented for biota provide insight into beginning to understand the dynamic nature of Hg transfer in the Everglades foodweb on a spatial and temporal basis.
ISSN:0168-2563
1573-515X
DOI:10.1023/A:1005918101773