High mercury concentrations in steelhead/rainbow trout, sculpin, and terrestrial invertebrates in a stream-riparian food web in coastal California.

ABSTRACT: Stream and riparian food webs are connected by cross-habitat exchanges of invertebrate prey that can transfer contaminants including mercury. Marine fog has been identified as a source of methylmercury (MeHg) to some terrestrial food webs in coastal California, suggesting that terrestrial invertebrates might have elevated MeHg relative to stream invertebrates and might lead to higher mercury exposure in fish that consume terrestrial subsidies. As an initial step to examine this possibility, we analyzed mercury concentrations in terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates and two fish species, steelhead/rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and coastrange sculpin (Cottus aleuticus), in a small watershed. Mean MeHg and total mercury (THg) concentrations in terrestrial invertebrates were three to fou

SUBMITTER: Rundio DE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9709357 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature