Mercury and stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N) trends in decapods of the Beaufort Sea

Loria, Ainsleigh; Archambault, Philippe; Burt, A.; Ehrman, Ashley D.; Grant, Cindy; Power, Michael; Stern, Gary A.

doi:10.1007/s00300-020-02646-x

Cited by 4 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…31,32 The BSS, which provides habitat for many resident and migratory marine mammals and sh species, is part of the homeland of the Inuvialuit people. Several studies have reported Hg concentrations of environmental and biological samples collected in this region, including seawater, 15 plankton, [33][34][35][36] benthos, 33,37,38 and various sh species and ringed seals. 27,33 In addition, as a sentinel species for ecosystem-based monitoring of contaminant cycling and climate change, the Eastern Beaufort Sea Beluga stock ("Beaufort beluga" hereaer) and its Hg burden have been monitored for almost four decades in Canada by a community-based biomonitoring program led by the Fisheries Joint Management Committee (FJMC), a comanagement body with members appointed by both the Inuvialuit Game Council and the Government of Canada.…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The MeHg concentrations of eld collected macro-zooplankton vary from 3.2 AE 1.8 (mean AE SD) ng g À1 wet weight in omnivorous krill (Thysanoessa spp.) to 65 AE 10 ng g À1 wet weight in carnivorous circumpolar shrimp (Eualus gaimardii), 36,38 with amphipods and mysids falling in that range (Table S1 †). The simulated MeHg concentration of each functional group represents its average MeHg level, thus it may not match the empirical data of any single species, particularly non-dominant species of that group.…”

Section: Model Performance and Evaluationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Investigating the dynamics of methylmercury bioaccumulation in the Beaufort Sea shelf food web: a modeling perspective

Gillies

Briner

et al. 2022

Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts

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Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Model Performance and Evaluationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigating the dynamics of methylmercury bioaccumulation in the Beaufort Sea shelf food web: a modeling perspective

Gillies

Briner

et al. 2022

Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts

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“…Combining FA and SI dietary tracers may be useful to evaluate complex food web dynamics and multiple MeHg exposure pathways, across a wide variety of taxa (Dalsgaard et al, 2003;Marziali et al, 2021). Loria et al (2020) recently outlined the necessity for studies to contribute to the knowledge gap in baseline concentrations of MeHg in Arctic benthic fauna. It is common for studies involving benthic invertebrates to only focus on a few species and their MeHg concentrations within the scope of MeHg biomagnification (e.g., Clayden et al, 2015;Rigét et al, 2007).…”

Section: Methylmercury In Benthic Invertebratesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Little research has been conducted on benthic invertebrate MeHg concentrations and exposure pathways in benthic food webs of the Arctic Ocean despite MeHg being a widely known neurotoxicant with biomagnifying properties. This knowledge gap presents a significant hole in the understanding of marine food web MeHg dynamics (Loria et al, 2020). Benthic fauna live within (infauna) or upon (epifauna) sediment and are in contact with bottom water and sediment, a zone shown to have high concentrations of MeHg and where inorganic Hg is actively methylated (St. Louis et al, 2017;Cossa and Gobeil, 1999).…”

Section: Trophic Position Diet and Location Influence Methylmercury C...mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Methylmercury Dietary Pathways and Bioaccumulation in Benthic Invertebrates of the Arctic Ocean

McClelland¹

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This study investigated drivers of methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations in Arctic benthic invertebrates of the Canadian Beaufort Sea. A combination of carbon, nitrogen and sulfur stable isotopes and fatty acid analysis were used to examine the influence of trophic position and diet on MeHg concentrations in 476 individuals from 51 species of benthic invertebrates from three different feeding guilds. Individuals were assigned to species (n = 30) or higher taxonomic level (n = 21) based on DNA-barcoding along with traditional taxonomy. Biomagnification patterns were characterized across the faunal assemblage with a range in MeHg concentrations from 3 to 421 ng/g (dry weight basis) over three trophic positions (δ 15 N range 4.4-14.2 ‰). Multivariate models indicate that within the benthic food web, energy sources had small but significant effects on MeHg bioaccumulation. Carbon stable isotopes were weakly correlated to MeHg concentrations for a subset of samples, suggesting terrestrial and benthic energy sources contributed to slightly higher MeHg burdens. Sulfur isotopes were unrelated to MeHg concentrations. Fatty acid analysis revealed that reliance on diatom and aquatic resources resulted in lower MeHg concentrations. Conversely, reliance on dinoflagellate and benthic resources resulted in higher MeHg concentrations. When trophic position and diet were accounted for, site-specific differences in MeHg were observed; specifically, higher MeHg concentrations at a site closer to the Mackenzie River mouth. Although the reasons for this spatial variation remain undetermined, this study suggests that localized exposure accounts for significant variation in MeHg concentrations.

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Exploring Drivers of Historic Mercury Trends in Beluga Whales Using an Ecosystem Modeling Approach

Gillies,

Li,

Christensen

et al. 2024

ACS Environ. Au

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While mercury occurs naturally in the environment, human activity has significantly disturbed its biogeochemical cycle. Inorganic mercury entering aquatic systems can be transformed into methylmercury, a strong neurotoxicant that builds up in organisms and affects ecosystem and public health. In the Arctic, top predators such as beluga whales, an ecologically and culturally significant species for many Inuit communities, can contain high concentrations of methylmercury. Historical mercury concentrations in beluga in the western Canadian Arctic's Beaufort Sea cannot be explained by mercury emission trends alone; in addition, they could potentially be driven by climate change impacts, such as rising temperatures and sea ice melt. These changes can affect mercury bioaccumulation through different pathways, including ecological and mercury transport processes. In this study, we explore key drivers of mercury bioaccumulation in the Beaufort Sea beluga population using Ecopath with Ecosim, an ecosystem modeling approach, and scenarios of environmental change informed by Western Science and Inuvialuit Knowledge. Comparing the effect of historical sea ice cover, sea surface temperature, and freshwater discharge time series, modeling suggests that the timing of historical increases and decreases in beluga methylmercury concentrations can be better explained by the resulting changes to ecosystem productivity rather than by those to mercury inputs and that all three environmental drivers could partially explain the decrease in mercury concentrations in beluga after the mid-1990s. This work highlights the value of multiple knowledge systems and exploratory modeling methods in understanding environmental change and contaminant cycling. Future work building on this research could inform climate change adaptation efforts and inform management decisions in the region.

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Mercury and stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N) trends in decapods of the Beaufort Sea

Cited by 4 publications

References 47 publications

Investigating the dynamics of methylmercury bioaccumulation in the Beaufort Sea shelf food web: a modeling perspective

Investigating the dynamics of methylmercury bioaccumulation in the Beaufort Sea shelf food web: a modeling perspective

Methylmercury Dietary Pathways and Bioaccumulation in Benthic Invertebrates of the Arctic Ocean

Exploring Drivers of Historic Mercury Trends in Beluga Whales Using an Ecosystem Modeling Approach

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