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RELATIVE ABUNDANCE OF TOTAL AND METHYL MERCURY IN 1994-5 LAKE MICHIGAN FORAGE FISH
Citation:
RAYMOND, B., R. ROSSMANN, J. C. FILKINS, AND L. PARADA. RELATIVE ABUNDANCE OF TOTAL AND METHYL MERCURY IN 1994-5 LAKE MICHIGAN FORAGE FISH. Presented at International Association for Great Lakes Research Annual Conference, Ann Arbor, MI, May 23 - 27, 2005.
Description:
As part of the Lake Michigan Mass Balance Project, forage fish samples were collected in 1994-5 from three regions within Lake Michigan: Saugatuck, Michigan and Port Washington and Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin by the USGS Great Lakes Science Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Species of forage fish collected were Alewife, Bloater, Slimy Sculpin, Rainbow Smelt and Deepwater Sculpin. Total mercury concentration means (standard deviations) for each species were 0.064 (0.040), 0.055 (0.025), 0.037 (0.017), 0.035 (0.015) and 0.051 (0.015) ppm, respectively. Even though, most species were within one standard deviation of each other. Alewife, Bloater and Deepwater Sculpin were significantly higher than Slimy Sculpin and Rainbow Smelt. The methyl mercury concentration means (standard deviations) for Alewife, Bloater, Slimy Sculpin, Rainbow Smelt and Deepwater Sculpin were 0.033 (0.015), 0.040 (0.015), 0.028 (0.011), 0.030 (0.010) and 0.047 (0.013) ppm, respectively. Methyl mercury concentrations in Deepwater Sculpin were significantly greater than those in the other four species. Concentrations in Bloater were significantly higher than those in Alewife, Slimy Sculpin and Rainbow Smelt. Methyl mercury averaged 81% of the total mercury in all forage fish.