Timothy S. Gross Mike Meyer 2005 http://sofia.usgs.gov/projects/eco_risk/ This project will be carried out in several locations throughout those areas critical to the South Florida Restoration Initiative. These areas include: 1) Water Conservation Areas 1, 2, and 3 of the Central Everglades, 2) Everglades National Park, 3) Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, 4) Big Cypress National Preserve, 5) multiple Miami Metropolitan area canals and drainages, and 6) restoration related STA’s (STA’s 1-6) adjacent to the Everglades. Specific site selections will be based upon consideration of USACE restoration plans and upon discussions with other place-based and CESI approved projects. The overall objectives are characterize the exposure of wildlife to contaminants within the aquatic ecosystems of South Florida, through a multi-stage process: a) screening of biota to identify hazards/contaminants posing risk, and b) evaluation of the potential effects of those contaminants on appropriate animal/wildlife receptors. This project will focus upon each of these stages/needs, with an emphasis on understanding the effects of contaminants on alligators, fishes, birds, amphibians and macroinvertebrates. Historically, little consideration has been given to environmental chemical stressors/contaminants within the ecosystem restoration efforts for the Greater Everglades Ecosystem. The restoration is primarily guided by determining and restoring the historical relationships between ecosystem function and hydrology. The restoration plan was formulated to restore the natural hydrology and therefore, the resultant landscape patterns, bio-diversity and wildlife abundance. However, additional efforts need to consider the role that chemical contaminants such as pesticides and other inorganic/organic contaminants play in the structure and function of the resultant South Florida ecosystems. Indeed, the current level of agriculture and expanding urbanization and development necessitate that more emphasis be placed on chemical contaminants within this sensitive ecosystem and the current restoration efforts. The primary goal of the proposed project, therefore, is to develop an improved understanding of the exposure/fate (i.e. degradation, metabolism, dissipation, accumulation and transport) and potential ecological effects produced as a result of chemical stressors and their interactions in South Florida freshwater and wetland ecosystems. The overall objectives are to evaluate the risk posed by contaminants to biota within the aquatic ecosystems of South Florida, through a multi-stage process: a) screening of biota to identify hazards/contaminants posing risk and b) evaluation of the potential effects of those contaminants on appropriate animal/wildlife receptors. This project will focus upon each of these stages/needs, with an emphasis on understanding the effects of contaminants on alligators, fishes, birds, amphibians and macroinvertebrates. The specific objectives of this project are to: 1. Assess current exposure and potential adverse effects for appropriate receptors/species within the South Florida ecosystems with some emphasis on DOI trust species. These efforts will determine whether natural populations are significantly exposed to a variety of chemical stressors/contaminants, such as mercury, chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides, historic and/or current use agricultural chemicals, and/or mixtures, as well as document lethal and non-lethal adverse effects in multiple health, physiologic and/or endocrine endpoints. 2. Assess exposure and potential adverse effects for appropriate species within South Florida as a function of restoration implementation. 20001001 20040930 ground condition Complete None planned South Florida Ecosystem -81.125 -80.125 26.75 25.125 none biology contaminants ecological risk assessment toxics ISO 19115 Topic Category biota environment inlandWaters 002 007 012 Department of Commerce, 1995, Countries, Dependencies, Areas of Special Sovereignty, and Their Principal Administrative Divisions, Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 10-4, Washington, D.C., National Institute of Standards and Technology United States US U.S. Department of Commerce, 1987, Codes for the identification of the States, the District of Columbia and the outlying areas of the United States, and associated areas (Federal Information Processing Standard 5-2): Washington, D. C., NIST Florida FL Department of Commerce, 1990, Counties and Equivalent Entities of the United States, Its Possessions, and Associated Areas, FIPS 6-3, Washington, DC, National Institute of Standards and Technology Broward County Palm Beach County Miami-Dade County Monroe County Collier County none Central Everglades Florida Keys SW Big Cypress South East Coast Water Conservation Area 1 Water Conservation Area 2 Water Conservation Area 3 WCA1 WCA2 WCA3 STA 5 Storm Treatment Areas STA 1 STA 3 STA 4 STA 6 STA 2 USGS Geographic Names Information System Everglades National Park Big Cypress National Preserve Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge none multiple species animals reptiles vertebrates U.S. Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Research Service (ARS) U.S. Department of Agriculture - Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Department of the Interior - U.S. Geological Survey Department of Commerce - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Smithsonian Institution - National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) 2000 Database Retrieved from the Integrated Taxonomic Information System on-line database, http://www.itis.gov. http://www.itis.gov Alligators were collected at six sites throughout the south Florida/Everglades ecosystem. Contaminant analyses and preliminary assessments of potential effects included a full survey/assessment of freshwater mussels in historic locations throughout south Florida. Additional assessments of wading birds and other species will be conducted. unknown All specimens were identified to the species level Kingdom Animalia animals Phylum Chordata chordates Subphylum Vertebrata vertebrates Class Reptilia reptiles Order Crocodilia crocodiles alligators caimans Family Alligatoridae alligators Genus Alligator alligators Species Alligator mississippiensis American alligator Florida alligator Class Aves birds Order Ciconiiformes ibises Family Threskiornithidae ibises spoonbills Genus Eudocimus white ibises Species Eudocimus albus white ibis Order Ciconiiformes herons Family Ardeidae bitterns egrets herons Genus Casmerodius great egrets species Casmerodius albus great egret Superclass Osteichthyes bony fishes Class Actinopterygii ray-finned fishes spiny rayed fishes Subclass Neopterygii Infraclass Teleostei Superorder Ostariophysi Order Siluriformes catfishes Family Ictaluridae bullhead catfishes Genus Ameiurus bullheads Species Ameiurus nebulosus brown bullhead Superorder Acanthopterygii Order Perciformes perch-like fishes Suborder Percoidei Family Centrarchidae sunfishes Genus Micropterus black basses largemouth basses Species Micropterus salmoides largemouth bass Phylum Mollusca molluscs mollusks Class Gastropoda gastropods snails slugs Subclass Prosobranchia Order Architaenioglossa Family Ampullariidae Genus Pomacea Species Pomacea paludosa Florida apple snail Phylum Mollusca molluscs mollusks Class Bivalvia bivalves Subclass Palaeoheterodonta Order Unionoida Family Unionidae Genus Elliptio Species Elliptio buckleyi Florida shiny spike Genus Utterbackia Species Utterbackis imbecillis paper pondshell none none Lynn Lefebvre U.S. Geological Survey mailing and physical address

2201 NW 40th Terrace

Gainesville FL 32605 USA 352 264-3543 352 373-5763 llefebvre@usgs.gov Project personnel included: Marisol Sepulveda, Jon Wiebe, Carla Wieser, Nicola Kernaghan, Shane Ruessler, and Beverly Arnold not applicable not available Efforts during FY2000 have involved the collection of alligators at 6 sites throughout the South Florida/Everglades ecosystem. Contaminant analyses and preliminary assessments of potential effects are currently underway. These efforts have also included a full survey/assessment of freshwater mussels in historic locations throughout S. Florida. Complete analyses for invertebrates will be completed during Fall 2000. Additional survey/assessments of fish throughout the South Florida ecosystems is currently underway and will occur throughout Fall 2000. Additional assessments of wading birds are proposed for Spring 2000, as well as additional assessments of other species and the completion of preliminary risk assessments. 2000 We have conducted a survey of freshwater mussels across 32 sites, alligators across 14 sites, and largemouth bass and sunfish for 42 sites. Efforts are now in progress and/or planned for amphibians at 12 sites and wading birds (i.e. great egrets) at 5 sites. Alligator tissues are complete for OC and target contaminant analyses; however, analyses of non-classic/non-target compounds such as pharmaceuticals etc are currently underway. These causes significant exposures for alligators in WCA’s and other restored/reclaimed sites, as well as exposure to historic and current use agricultural and urban-runoff chemical contaminants. Fish samples have been collected from an extensive collection of sites during the non-reproductive season and analyses are in progress. Initial analyses suggest significant exposures and significant distribution differences across S. Florida ecosystems. Fish efforts have been in collaboration with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the South Florida Water Management District. Amphibian surveys and collections are currently underway and will be ongoing through Spring 2003. These efforts are in collaboration with Ken Rice and with the University of Florida-IFAS and Syngenta, Corp. Initial efforts to identify colonies of wading birds are underway and collections will occur during 2003-2004. 2001 We have conducted a survey of amphibians (frogs and toads at 12 sites) and wading birds (i.e. great egrets) at 5 sites. Fish samples have been collected from an extensive collection of sites during the non-reproductive season, mercury analyses are complete and OCP and other contaminant analyses are in progress. Initial analyses suggest significant exposures and significant distribution differences across S. Florida ecosystems and an altered distribution of mercury with the implementation of STA's. Fish efforts have been in collaboration with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the South Florida Water Management District. Amphibian surveys and collections are complete and chemical analyses will be conducted during 2004-5 2002 Work planned for FY 2004 includes: 1. Assess current exposure and potential adverse effects for appropriate receptors/species within the South Florida ecosystems with some emphasis on DOI trust species The initial exposure assessment will begin with an evaluation and expansion of data and the sample base generated by the preliminary phase of this project (2000-2002). These efforts have included the sampling of alligators, fish, amphibians and freshwater mussels across multiple sites in the Greater Everglades Ecosystem as an initiation of efforts to characterize exposure and effects. There are currently greater than 3000 biota samples banked for these analyses. Additional sampling regimes, will also be needed, at selected critical areas to provide an evaluation of soil, water and sediments and/or additional biota. These evaluations will include pH, percent water, grain size, cation exchange capacity, and total volatile solids as well as quantitation of organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB’s, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), organophosphate pesticides (OPs), nitrogen based herbicides, phenoxy-acid herbicides, and heavy metals. Soil, sediment and water samples will be collected and analyzed at multiple seasons, 4-6 times annually, to assess temporal patterns in use, especially for the non-persistent, water-soluble, pesticides. Tissue samples will also be collected from the ecological receptors, outlined above, at many of these selected sites. Tissues will also be analyzed for lipid content, as well as quantitation of organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB’s, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), organophosphate pesticides (OPs), nitrogen based herbicides, phenoxy-acid herbicides, and heavy metals. These efforts will enable the first complete exposure assessment at multiple trophic levels for the Greater Everglades ecosystem, and serve as a critical basis for all future research efforts and risk assessments. In addition to the emphasis on the persistent contaminants listed above, we also propose the characterization of non-target, current use, non or less persistent contaminants as well. These contaminants have been identified as the emerging contaminants of concern for ecosystems throughout the US by USEPA. Analyses will include chemicals/contaminants of concern from urban run-off or waste water: pharmaceuticals, health care components, xenobiotic endocrine factors and current use pesticides, as well as nutrients and novel compounds. These contaminants have not been characterized for the Greater Everglades Ecosystem previously, nor have they been considered under any of the restoration strategies. The partnership with the WRD-Water Quality Laboratory in Ocala will be critical to these efforts and to the development of appropriate techniques to evaluate this emerging contaminant issue. To assess whether chemical stressors/contaminants in South Florida harm wildlife (effects assessment) it is important to study animals that are potentially exposed and appear sensitive to contaminants. Utilization of several receptors/species at multiple trophic levels will enable the detection of both potential exposures and adverse effects within the South Florida ecosystems. The project will utilize American alligators, largemouth bass, brown-bullhead catfish, white ibises, great egrets, Florida apple snails, and two endemic species of freshwater mussels as model ecological receptors for evaluation of the South Florida ecosystems. Receptors will be monitored for acute and chronic effects, such as general health status, growth, development, reproduction, and endocrine function. These initial assessments will rely primarily upon biomarkers and bioindicators of effects, such as sex steroids, vitellogenin, stress hormones, thyroid hormones, blood chemistry, organ somatic indices, body condition indices, plasma and tissue lysozyme, and tissue glycogen. 20040930 Lynn Lefebvre U.S. Geological Survey mailing and physical address

2201 NW 40th Terrace

Gainesville FL 32605 USA 352 264-3543 352 373-5763 llefebvre@usgs.gov Lynn Lefebvre U.S. Geological Survey mailing and physical address

2201 NW 40th Terrace

Gainesville FL 32605 USA 352 264-3543 352 373-5763 llefebvre@usgs.gov ecological risk assessment papers The USGS assumes no responsibility for the use of these data unknown none Please contact Lynn Lefebvre for data from this project 20070123 Heather Henkel U.S. Geological Survey mailing and physical address

600 Fourth Street South

St. Petersburg FL 33701 USA 727 803-8747 ext 3028 727 803-2030 sofia-metadata@usgs.gov Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata Part 1: Biological Data Profile FGDC-STD-001.1-1999