Effects of intensive fishing on the structure of zooplankton communities and mercury levels.
Following the impoundment of hydroelectric reservoirs, a small fraction of the mercury (Hg) in the flooded soils is transformed and released into the ecosystem. This causes an increase in the mercury level in the food chain, particularly in piscivorous fish, and represents a potential risk for human health. In 1998, Hydro-Québec carried out an intensive fishing campaign to examine the feasibility of using intensive fishing as a mitigation tool. The goal of this particular part of the project was to evaluate the impact of intensive fishing on the zooplanktonic communities' structure and mercury levels. Specifically, the effects of intensive fishing on: (1) total biomass and zooplankton size structure (>500, 200-500, 100-200 and 53-100 microm); (2) species composition; and (3) total mercury and methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations in zooplankton of different size fractions were studied. Although important decreases were observed in total zooplankton biomass or its size structure, it cannot be related to the intensive fishing. The results, however, show major changes in the dominance of macrozooplanktonic species in fished lakes as opposed to reference lakes. Similarly, in contrast to the reference lakes, mercury and MeHg concentrations in the four size fractions of the zooplanktonic communities changed from 1998 to 2000 in the fished lakes. The MeHg concentration increased from approximately 20 to 200 ng/gdw from the 53 to 500 microm mesh size fraction, showing a biomagnification in the food chain. The canonical correspondence analysis showed that lakes dominated by Holopedium gibberum presented higher concentrations of Hg and MeHg than lakes dominated by Daphnia spp.
Masson
Stéphane
S
Groupe de Recherche Interuniversitaire en Limnologie et en Environnement Aquatique, Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal, P.O. Box 6128 Station Main, Montreal, Que., Canada H3C-3J7. massonst@megantic.net
Tremblay
Alain
A
D000818:Animals; D018533:Biomass; D001824:Body Constitution; D033361:Cladocera; D003621:Daphnia; D017753:Ecosystem; D005398:Fisheries; D005506:Food Contamination; D006114:Great Lakes Region; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D011157:Population Dynamics; D011210:Power Plants; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014873:Water Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D014881:Water Supply; D015048:Zooplankton
D014873:Water Pollutants; D008628:Mercury