What oysters can tell us about the sources of pollution in Monie Bay, Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Ben Fertig August 11, 2009.

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Presentation transcript:

What oysters can tell us about the sources of pollution in Monie Bay, Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Ben Fertig August 11, 2009

Outline: Oysters indicate pollution sources Chesapeake health Oysters as biological indicators Details about oysters as tools Case Study: Monie Bay Take Home Messages

Outline: Oysters indicate pollution sources Chesapeake health Oysters as biological indicators Details about oysters as tools Case Study: Monie Bay Take Home Messages

We watched Chesapeake Bay Health decline Water Quality: 55% in 1986 to 40% in 2008 http://www.eco-check.org/reportcard/chesapeake/2008/

Bay Health leaves something to be desired Overall Bay: 2006: D+ (39%) 2007: C- (42%) 2008: C- (43%) http://www.eco-check.org/reportcard/chesapeake/2008/

Outline: Oysters indicate pollution sources Chesapeake health Oysters as biological indicators Details about oysters as tools Case Study: Monie Bay Take Home Messages

Biological indicators enhance water quality monitoring Biologically relevant Incorporated in food web Temporal integration 4 days macroalgae 3 months oyster Spatially explicit Target nutrient management Locally important

Nitrogen has multiple forms: isotopes Slightly lighter Stable, not radioactive Major component of atmospheric nitrogen: 99.6% Signature found in fertilizers Slightly heavier Stable, not radioactive Virtually none in atmosphere Signature found in human and animal wastes

= ( -1) * 1000 Calculating δ15N Big = human or animal wastes -1) * 1000 air = ( oyster Big = human or animal wastes Small = fertilizers

Stable isotopes indicate nitrogen source

Stable isotopes indicate nitrogen source Low δ15N values High δ15N values

Outline: Oysters indicate pollution sources Chesapeake health Oysters as biological indicators Details about oysters as tools Case Study: Monie Bay Take Home Messages

Oyster integrate over time, tissues contain nitrogen history

Sample preparation – my daily grind! Dissection Dry tissues Grind samples 60˚C Oven Muscle Mass spectrometer Pack in tin Gills Mantle δ15N, %N

How many oysters do I need from each site?

Optimal sample size is 5 oysters

Outline: Oysters indicate pollution sources Chesapeake health Oysters as biological indicators Details about oysters as tools Case Study: Monie Bay Take Home Messages

Deploying oysters in Monie Bay to link bioindicator to land use Sampled 5 oysters from 2 original locations at 10 stations

Watershed dominated by wetlands, forest Crops Poultry Apple et al. 2004

Oysters at the same site transplanted from different sources do not differ Initial: 14.9‰ Initial: 12.6‰

Hypothetical nitrogen sources

Hypothetical nitrogen sources

Anthropogenic nitrogen arrives from within and without watershed

Maryland Department of the Environment, March 2007 Monie Bay watershed: few people, septic, but Lower Wicomico R. populated Population Density (Persons/Acre) Septic Systems, Sewage Treatment Maryland Department of Natural Resources Chesapeake & Coastal Watershed Service 1999 2005 Sewage Treatment Nitrogen Loads: Salisbury: ~500,000 lbs N Delmar: ~ 20,000 lbs N Fruitland: ~5,000 lbs N Maryland Department of the Environment, March 2007

Water quality in Monie Bay system is poorer than expected Management objective Water quality indicator Reference value Maintain seagrass Total nitrogen TN < 0.65 mg L-1 or < 46 µM Total phosphorus TP < 0.037 mg L-1 or < 1.2 µM Chlorophyll a Chl a < 15 µg L‑1 Maintain benthos Dissolved oxygen DO > 5.0 mg L-1 June – October 2006 Reporting region Total N Total P Chl a DO WQI Monie Bay 0.82 0.06 13.47 7.45 0.46 Monie Creek 1.04 0.09 15.38 4.83 0.24 Little Monie Creek 0.91 0.07 12.15 5.53 0.35 Little Creek 0.83 0.05 9.37 6.09 Overall 0.90 12.59 5.97 0.38

Spatial patterns of oyster δ15N and water quality are complementary

Muscle δ15N inversely related to water quality

Muscle δ15N inversely related to water quality

Outline: Oysters indicate pollution sources Chesapeake health Oysters as biological indicators Details about oysters as tools Case Study: Monie Bay Take Home Messages

Take Home Messages from Monie Bay Oyster tissues can help us infer sources of nitrogen pollution. Oysters from different tributaries reach similar isotope values after transplanting. Human and/or animal waste nitrogen enters Monie Creek upstream. Another, larger, source enters Monie Bay, likely from Wicomico River. δ15N values inversely relate to water quality, suggesting sewage/septic sources degrade this Estuarine Research Reserve.

Questions?