Circumpolar rivers, including the Mackenzie River in Canada, are sources of the contaminant mercury (Hg) to the Arctic Ocean, but few Hg export studies exist for these rivers. During the 2007-2010 freshet and open water seasons, we collected river water upstream and downstream of the Mackenzie River delta to quantify total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations and export. Upstream of the delta, flow-weighted mean concentrations of bulk THg and MeHg were 14.6 ± 6.2 ng L(-1) and 0.081 ± 0.045 ng L(-1), respectively. Only 11-13% and 44-51% of bulk THg and MeHg export was in the dissolved form. Using concentration-discharge relationships, we calculated bulk THg and MeHg export into the delta of 2300-4200 kg yr(-1) and 15-23 kg yr(-1) over the course of the study. Discharge is not presently known in channels exiting the delta, so we assessed differences in river Hg concentrations upstream and downstream of the delta to estimate its influence on Hg export to the ocean. Bulk THg and MeHg concentrations decreased 19% and 11% through the delta, likely because of particle settling and other processes in the floodplain. These results suggest that northern deltas may be important accumulators of river Hg in their floodplains before export to the Arctic Ocean.
Deformities in fish embryos are important for their survival in later life stages. However, a consistent way to refer to and classify salmonid embryo deformities does not exist. Expanding on reports of alevin deformities, we developed a classification tool for distinguishing the deformities observed in a collection of preserved Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) embryos. Deformities were classified based on the deformed body part and a qualitative subtype. This classification tool uses external morphology, requires minimal equipment and can be applied from the first appearance of optic vesicles to hatch.
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