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Last updated: October 11, 2002
South Florida Restoration Science Forum

Mercury

How will Everglades restoration affect mercury risks?

(Click on any of the images below for a larger version.)

Atmospheric deposition is the dominant source of mercury in the Everglades
photo of storm

  photo of aquatic vegetation Sulfate reducing bacteria, a component of periphyton, are the dominant transformers of mercury into methylmercury.
part of food chain
 image of alligator

 
 

photo of bird
 
image of raccoon

photo of panther
 image of fisherman
 

 
 
Piscivory is the primary pathway of mercury exposure
  

How will Restoration affect mercury concentrations in fish? (risk hypotheses)
  • Mercury released from newly flooded STA soils
  • Increased mercury bioaccumulation in STA biota
  • Mercury accumulation to toxic levels in STA soils
  • Increased mercury bioaccumulation in Everglades biota as a result of changes in water quality and hydrology

It is likely that mercury cycling will be very different within the STAs than in the Restoration areas.  To assure that neither project has a significant impact on the system as a whole, extensive monitoring of both systems is required by State and Federal permits.

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Next Next: Are filter marshes likely to be significant new sources of mercury in water and fish?


U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, Center for Coastal Geology
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Last updated: 11 October, 2002 @ 09:42 PM (KP)