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TOTAL AND METHYL MERCURY CONCENTRATIONS IN 1994-5 LAKE MICHIGAN FORAGE FISH
Citation:
Rossmann, R. AND J C. Filkins. TOTAL AND METHYL MERCURY CONCENTRATIONS IN 1994-5 LAKE MICHIGAN FORAGE FISH. Presented at International Association for Great Lakes Research Meeting, Chicago, IL, June 23-26, 2003.
Description:
Forage fish samples were collected between 1194 and 1995 by the USGS Great Lakes Science Center in Ann Arbor, MI. Samples of bloater, slimy sculpin, deep water sculpin, alewife, and rainbow smelt were collected from regions of the lake near Saugatuck, MI and Port Washington and Sturgeon Bay, WI. Total mercury concentration means (standard deviations) for bloater, slimy and deep water sculpin, alewife and rainbow smelt were 0.055 (0.025), 0.037 (0.016), 0.051 (0.015), 0.064 (0.040) and 0.035 (0.016) ppm, respectively. Though differences in means were within one standard deviation of one another, alewife had highest concentrations followed by bloater, and deep water sculpin, and followed by slimy sculpin and rainbow smelt. Similarly, means for each location for each species were within one standard deviation of one another. With the exception of deep water sculpin, mercury concentrations were highest at Port Washington. Bloater, slimy sculpin, and smelt concentrations were lowest at Saugatuck. Thus within uncertainties, various species from various locations had similar concentrations. The grand mean and standard deviation for all forage fish was 0.051 and 0.028 ppm, respectively.