Concentrations of heavy and trace metals in muscle and blood of juvenile gulf sturgeon<i>(Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi)</i>from the suwannee river, Florida

Alam, Shawn K.; Brim, Michael; Carmody, G.; Parauka, Frank M.

doi:10.1080/10934520009376993

Cited by 10 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Such effects upon the GS have not been studied for any life history stage. However, to gain insight into potential impacts of environmental contaminants upon the GS in Florida rivers, USFWS conducted studies to analyze the concentrations of metals and organic pollutants in muscle and blood of juvenile GS, and assess the impact of excessive environmental nutrients (Bateman and Brim, , ; Alam et al., ). The same agency also contracted a literature synopsis of contaminant impacts upon sturgeon (Berg, ) Specific pollution issues in the several GS natal rivers have been briefly detailed in Wakeford ().…”

Section: Population Metrics and Trajectoriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Status of scientific knowledge, recovery progress, and future research directions for the Gulf Sturgeon,Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoiVladykov, 1955

et al. 2016

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Summary The Gulf Sturgeon, Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi, is an anadromous species of Acipenseridae and native to North America. It currently inhabits and spawns in the upper reaches of seven natal rivers along the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico from the Suwannee River, Florida, to the Pearl River, Louisiana, during spring to autumn. Next to the Alligator Gar (Atractosteus spatula), the Gulf Sturgeon is currently the largest fish species occurring in U.S. Gulf Coast rivers, attaining a length of 2.35 m and weights exceeding 135 kg, but historically attained a substantially larger size. Historically, the spawning populations existed in additional rivers from which the species has been wholly or nearly extirpated, such as the Mobile and Ochlockonee rivers, and possibly the Rio Grande River. Most Gulf Sturgeon populations were decimated by unrestricted commercial fishing between 1895–1910. Subsequently most populations remained unrecovered or extirpated due to continued harvest until the 1970s–1980s, and the construction of dams blocking access to ancestral upriver spawning grounds. Late 20th Century harvest bans and net bans enacted by the several Gulf Coast states have stabilized several populations and enabled the Suwannee River population to rebound substantially and naturally. Hatchery supplementation has not been necessary in this regard to date. Sturgeon are resilient and adaptable fishes with a geological history of 150 million years. Research undertaken since the 1970s has addressed many aspects of Gulf Sturgeon life history, reproduction, migration, population biology, habitat requirements, and other aspects of species biology. However, many knowledge gaps remain, prominently including the life history of early developmental stages in the first year of life. Natural population recovery is evident for the Suwannee River population, but seems promising as well for at least four other populations. The Pascagoula and Pearl River populations face a challenging future due a combination of natural and anthropogenic factors. These two populations, and perhaps the Escambia River population, are particularly vulnerable to periodic mass mortality due to major stochastic events including hurricanes, flooding, hypoxia, and toxic spills. The present manuscript provides a comprehensive synthesis of knowledge regarding the Gulf Sturgeon at the organismal and population levels, identifying knowledge gaps as priorities for future research. Topics not treated in the present synthesis include morphology, internal biology, physiology, and endocrinology. Topics only briefly treated include parasites and diseases, contaminants, and sturgeon aquaculture.

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Section: Population Metrics and Trajectoriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Status of scientific knowledge, recovery progress, and future research directions for the Gulf Sturgeon,Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoiVladykov, 1955

et al. 2016

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“…The heavy metal zinc is required for enzymes such as carbonic anhydrase, carboxypeptidase, and many hydrogenases [3]. Zinc is also used in the body as a catalyst in metal biomolecules bound to amino acid side chains to form tetrahedral zinc metalloproteins and metal enzymes [4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long‐term and acute effects of zinc contamination of a stream on fish mortality and physiology

Giardina

Larson

Wisner

et al. 2009

Enviro Toxic and Chemistry

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A section of the Upper Enoree River in South Carolina, USA, was contaminated with chemical waste in 1985, and high concentrations of zinc persist decades later. In this study, we examined the zinc concentrations in the water, the accumulation of zinc in a variety of fish tissues, the effects of the contaminated water on fish sperm motility in vitro, and the mortality rates of introduced fish. Zinc concentrations in the water samples collected from six sites decreased as distance from the spill site increased, ranging from 7.3 to 0.34 mg/L (p< 0.001). The zinc concentrations of tissues from native fish were highest in liver (mean across sites of 110 ppm/g tissue) and gills (77.4 ppm/g tissue), followed by gonads (30.7 ppm/g tissue) and muscle (6.9 ppm/g tissue) (p < 0.001). The duration of fast motility of Salmo trutta sperm was significantly diminished in sperm activated in samples from the contaminated stream compared with the control stream (p < 0.05). To further evaluate the ability of fish to survive at the sites with different zinc concentrations, groups of Gambusia holbrooki were placed in traps at a reference site (uncontaminated local tributary), and three sites along the contaminated stream. Rapid mortality was observed in the two sites closest to the spill, including one site in which native fish had been found. The introduced G. holbrooki expressed higher zinc concentration in gills than gonads or muscle (p < 0.001), and water zinc concentration significantly affected fish mortality (p < 0.001). The results from these experiments indicate that zinc contamination of streams can have sublethal effects on populations and physiology of fish that are able to survive in the contaminated water.

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“…Gulf sturgeon collected from a number of rivers between 1985 and 1991 were analyzed for pesticides and heavy metals (Bateman and Brim 1994); concentrations of arsenic, mercury, DDT metabolites, toxaphene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and aliphatic hydrocarbons were sufficiently high to warrant concern. More recently, 20 juvenile Gulf sturgeon from the Suwannee River, Florida, exhibited an increase in metals concentrations with an increase in individual length (Alam et al 2000).…”

Section: Marine Pollution and Environmental Contaminationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle Saga and Setback: Novel Analyses of Cumulative Hatchlings Released and Time-Lagged Annual Nests in Tamaulipas, Mexico

Caillouet¹,

Gallaway

Putman

2016

Chelonian Conservation and Biology

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Concentrations of heavy and trace metals in muscle and blood of juvenile gulf sturgeon(Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi)from the suwannee river, Florida

Cited by 10 publications

References 16 publications

Status of scientific knowledge, recovery progress, and future research directions for the Gulf Sturgeon,Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoiVladykov, 1955

Status of scientific knowledge, recovery progress, and future research directions for the Gulf Sturgeon,Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoiVladykov, 1955

Long‐term and acute effects of zinc contamination of a stream on fish mortality and physiology

Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle Saga and Setback: Novel Analyses of Cumulative Hatchlings Released and Time-Lagged Annual Nests in Tamaulipas, Mexico

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