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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 on theme: "What oysters can tell us about the sources of pollution in Monie Bay, Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Ben Fertig August 11, 2009."— Presentation transcript:

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

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

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

4 We watched Chesapeake Bay Health decline
Water Quality: 55% in 1986 to 40% in 2008

5 Bay Health leaves something to be desired
Overall Bay: 2006: D+ (39%) 2007: C- (42%) 2008: C- (43%)

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

7 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

8 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

9 = ( -1) * 1000 Calculating δ15N Big = human or animal wastes
-1) * 1000 air = ( oyster Big = human or animal wastes Small = fertilizers

10 Stable isotopes indicate nitrogen source

11 Stable isotopes indicate nitrogen source
Low δ15N values High δ15N values

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

13 Oyster integrate over time, tissues contain nitrogen history

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

15 How many oysters do I need from each site?

16 Optimal sample size is 5 oysters

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

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

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

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

21 Hypothetical nitrogen sources

22 Hypothetical nitrogen sources

23 Anthropogenic nitrogen arrives from within and without watershed

24 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 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

25 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 < 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

26 Spatial patterns of oyster δ15N and water quality are complementary

27 Muscle δ15N inversely related to water quality

28 Muscle δ15N inversely related to water quality

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

30 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.

31 Questions?

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