Differential Bioaccumulation & Speciation of Hg Among Four Species of Turtles in the South River

Differential Bioaccumulation & Speciation of Hg Among Four Species of Turtles in the South River

The people who did all the work Chris Romanek, Ph.D. Christine Bergeron Jerry Husak, Ph.D. Jason Unrine, Ph.D.

Broad Objectives Determine what species of herpetofauna are present in the South River, and what sites are best suited for study Determine whether herpetofauna accumulate Hg in their tissues and if factors such as site, species, sex, or size influence Hg accumulation Determine whether herpetofauna accumulate Hg at high enough levels to warrant further studies on reproductive success

Why are Turtles Critical Additions to the South River Ecological Study? Long-lived Trophic Position Ectothermic Physiology Aquatic/Non-migratory Important Prey Seven types of meat

The cast of characters

Snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina)

Stinkpot (Sternotherus odoratus)

Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta)

Red Bellied Turtle (Pseudemys rubriventris) Husak et al., in prep

Methods South Fork Shenandoah River North River 22 Grottoes Middle River Honeysuckle Hill Farm (MR Ref) 20 Grand Caverns 15 Harriston 11 Augusta FC & downstream properties Swoope (MR Ref) South River 10 Crimora 5 Dooms Map Modified from Ariel White Moss & Locust Street (SR Ref) 2 Basic Park

Methods Baited Hoop Traps

Mass, sex, carapace & plastron dimensions 1 ml blood from tail or cervical sinus (2 sample subset) Permanently marked with unique ID

Gravid Females

Analytical methods Total Hg: Direct Hg Analyzer Methyl Hg/Total Hg: gas chromatographic cold-vapor atomic fluorescence spectrometry (GC-CVAFS) & ICPMS Selenium: ICPMS Stable isotopes: Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry Advanced Analytical Center for Environmental Sciences

Sample Sizes Site C. serpentina S. odoratus C. picta P. rubriventris Totals MR Ref 38 4 100 0 142 SR Ref 14 7 6 0 27 2 30 5 11 13 59 5 8 22 20 0 50 10 14 17 29 2 62 11 24 9 84 11 128 15 9 8 8 4 29 20 4 5 4 2 15 22 10 12 14 4 40 Totals 151 89 276 36 552

Blood Hg concentration (ppb) 2100 1750 1400 1050 700 350 C. serpentina S. odoratus C. picta P. rubriventris Sex: p = 0.55-0.99 Size: r 2 = 0.003-0.07 N = 552 Turtles 0 MR Ref SR Ref 2 5 10 11 15 20 22 River Mile Bergeron et al., in prep

2500 Stable Isotopes Blood THg ppb 2000 1500 1000 C. serpentina S. odoratus C. picta P.rubriventris r 2 = 0.54 p < 0.001 500 0 *n = 10-19 per species River mile 10-20 only 8 10 12 14 Blood δ 15 N Bergeron et al., in prep

THg MMHg %MMHg 3000 2000 N = 36 C. serpentina 120 100 Mercury Concentration (ppb) 1000 0 3000 2000 MR SR Ref Ref N = 40 2 5 10 11 15 20 22 S. odoratus 80 60 40 120 100 80 % Methyl Mercury 1000 60 0 MR SR 2 5 10 11 15 20 22 40 Ref Ref River Mile Bergeron et al., in prep

Do the observed Hg concentrations in turtle blood warrant further studies on reproductive success? First clutch of P. rubriventris ever found west of the Northern Piedmont

Relationship between Hg and Se in Blood 4 r = 0.20, p = 0.038 Log THg ppb 3 2 1 0 C. serpentina S. odoratus C. picta P. rubriventris n = 134 total n = 21-40 per species 1 2 3 Log Se ppb Bergeron et al., in prep

Conclusions Turtles inhabiting the South River have elevated [Hg] in their blood compared to reference turtles, but accumulation is species-dependent [Hg] in blood were not as high as we predicted based on the life history and ecology of some turtles THg in blood is predominately MMHg (75-100%) in all species, but interesting trends exist among sites [Hg] in turtles warrant effects-based studies, but Se could be protective against Hg toxicity???

Preliminary Reproductive Data

Log Egg Hg (ppb) 4 3 2 1 0 n = 21 What about Hg in turtle eggs? r 2 = 0.68; p < 0.001 0 1 2 3 4 Log Maternal Blood Hg (ppb) C. serpentina S. odoratus C. picta P. rubriventris

Hg concentrations in amphibians warrant further studies on reproductive success Salamander whole body concentrations up to 9.3 ppm dry mass Frog and salamander egg concentrations up to 1.7 ppm dry mass

The Path Forward Amphibian Reproduction (January April 2007) Spatial Hg Patterns Species Hg Patterns Female-Egg Hg Relationships Egg Hg-Hatching Relationships Turtle Reproduction (April - July 2007) Female-Egg Hg Relationships Egg Hg-Hatching Relationships Incorporate Findings Into Larger Food Web Study

Acknowledgements Dan Cristol The Cristol Crew: Ariel White Scott Friedman Rebecka Brasso Anne Condon & The Undergraduates! Sarah DuRant Sarah Budischak Heather Brandt John Schmerfeld Mike Newman Don Kain Landowners along the South and Middle Rivers

The best reason to study herpetofauna