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#           Mercury bioaccumulation in freshwater fishes of the Chesapeake Bay watershed      

      April 1, 2020    

Chemical contaminants are a threat to the Chesapeake Bay watershed, with mercury (Hg) among the most prevalent causes of impairment. Despite this, large-scale patterns of Hg concentrations, and the potential risks to fish, wildlife, and humans across the watershed, are poorly understood. We compiled fish Hg data from state monitoring programs and recent research efforts to address this knowledge gap and provide a comprehensive assessment of fish Hg concentrations in the watershed’s freshwater habitats. The resulting dataset consisted of nearly 8000 total Hg (THg) concentrations from 600 locations. Across the watershed, fish THg concentrations spanned a 44-fold range, with mean concentrations varying by 2.6- and 8.8-fold among major sub-watersheds and individual 8-digit hydrological units, respectively. Although, mean THg concentrations tended to be moderate, fish frequently exceeded benchmarks for potential adverse health effects, with 45, 48, and 36% of all samples exceeding benchmarks for human, avian piscivore, and fish risk, respectively. Importantly, the percentage of fish exceeding these benchmarks was not uniform among species or locations. The variation in fish THg concentrations among species and sites highlights the roles of waterbody, landscape, and ecological processes in shaping broad patterns in Hg risk across the watershed. We outline an integrated Hg monitoring program that could identify key factors influencing Hg concentrations across the watershed and facilitate the implementation of management strategies to mitigate the risks posed by Hg.

## Citation Information

## Related Content

                  -              Data           
                  -              Connect           

May 19, 2020

####                 Total Mercury Concentrations in Smallmouth Bass from Chesapeake Bay Tributaries, USA Dataset, 2013-2017              

Land Management Research Program, Chesapeake Bay Activities, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

#### James J Willacker, Jr.

##### Ecologist

Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

jwillacker@usgs.gov

541-750-0957

#### Collin Eagles-Smith

##### Supervisory Research Ecologist

Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

ceagles-smith@usgs.gov

541-750-0949

#### Vicki S. Blazer

#####  Research Fishery Biologist

Eastern Ecological Science Center

vblazer@usgs.gov

304-724-4434

## Related Content

May 19, 2020

####                 Total Mercury Concentrations in Smallmouth Bass from Chesapeake Bay Tributaries, USA Dataset, 2013-2017              

Land Management Research Program, Chesapeake Bay Activities, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

#### James J Willacker, Jr.

##### Ecologist

Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

jwillacker@usgs.gov

541-750-0957

#### Collin Eagles-Smith

##### Supervisory Research Ecologist

Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

ceagles-smith@usgs.gov

541-750-0949

#### Vicki S. Blazer

#####  Research Fishery Biologist

Eastern Ecological Science Center

vblazer@usgs.gov

304-724-4434

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### Contact

####               Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center (FRESC) Headquarters          

777 NW 9th StSuite 400Corvallis, OR97330United States

fresc_outreach@usgs.gov

541-750-1030

541-750-1069

####               Eastern Ecological Science Center at the Leetown Research Laboratory          

11649 Leetown RoadKearneysville, WV25430United States

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