1. Mercury Monitoring and Assessment in the South Baylands Letitia Grenier, Joshua Collins, Jay Davis SFEI Mark Marvin-DiPasquale USGS David Drury Santa Clara Valley Water District

2. Peter LaTourette South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Hg Monitoring Goals Goals Identify areas where Hg is a problem or may become one for the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project Identify areas where Hg is a problem or may become one for the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project Study how Hg processes differ between problem areas and non-problem areas Study how Hg processes differ between problem areas and non-problem areas Collaborative Project Collaborative Project SFEI – Letitia Grenier, Josh Collins, Jay Davis SFEI – Letitia Grenier, Josh Collins, Jay Davis USGS Menlo Park – Mark Marvin DiPasquale USGS Menlo Park – Mark Marvin DiPasquale SCVWD – Dave Drury SCVWD – Dave Drury

3. Wetland Tracker is a web-based Eco Atlas tool

4. Sentinel Species Approach Direct measurement of Hg problem Direct measurement of Hg problem Methylmercury Methylmercury Food web wildlife, people Food web wildlife, people Integrate over appropriate spatial and temporal scales Integrate over appropriate spatial and temporal scales Measure the spatial and temporal variation of interest (not very fine-scale variation) Measure the spatial and temporal variation of interest (not very fine-scale variation) Link to water/sediment to understand processes Link to water/sediment to understand processes

5. Habitat based Habitat based One sentinel species per habitat One sentinel species per habitat Year-round residents Year-round residents Small home range Small home range Abundant and important role in food web Abundant and important role in food web Spatially associated with abiotic measurements Spatially associated with abiotic measurements Water and sediment measurements spatially mapped onto sentinel species sampling plan Water and sediment measurements spatially mapped onto sentinel species sampling plan Sentinel Species Hg Monitoring

6. Grenier 2004 Habitat-specific Sentinel Species

7. Sentinel Species Monitoring Salt PondTidal Marsh

8. Geographically broad sampling to place each restoration site in context. Need to monitor and assess Baylands, not just salt ponds.

9. Results Identify problem areas by geography Identify problem areas by geography e.g., Hg is a greater problem in the Alviso area than near the Island Ponds e.g., Hg is a greater problem in the Alviso area than near the Island Ponds Identify problem areas by habitat Identify problem areas by habitat e.g., biota in tidal marsh pannes have higher Hg than in managed ponds e.g., biota in tidal marsh pannes have higher Hg than in managed ponds implications for restoration design implications for restoration design Increase understanding of Hg processes Increase understanding of Hg processes e.g., higher Hg in biota is associated with habitats that undergo many wetting/drying cycles e.g., higher Hg in biota is associated with habitats that undergo many wetting/drying cycles

10. Phased Approach Phase 1 Phase 1 Develop sentinel species indicators of Hg exposure; Develop sentinel species indicators of Hg exposure; Map the legacy Hg in Alviso Slough that might be mobilized by breaching Pond A8 (coring); Map the legacy Hg in Alviso Slough that might be mobilized by breaching Pond A8 (coring); Use sentinel species coupled with water and sediment sampling to assess the mercury problem for dominant specific habitat types associated with Pond A8 and Alviso Slough; Use sentinel species coupled with water and sediment sampling to assess the mercury problem for dominant specific habitat types associated with Pond A8 and Alviso Slough; Establish a baseline for tracking the effects of management actions on the Hg problem into the future. Establish a baseline for tracking the effects of management actions on the Hg problem into the future.

11. Phased Approach Phase 2 Phase 2 Expand the survey of the mercury using the sentinel species to encompass more of the South Baylands; Expand the survey of the mercury using the sentinel species to encompass more of the South Baylands; Provide a picture of the spatial variability in mercury problem within and between bayland habitats throughout the South Bay. Provide a picture of the spatial variability in mercury problem within and between bayland habitats throughout the South Bay. Scott Haefner

12. Phased Approach Phase 3 Phase 3 Initiate focused research to better understand the linkages between Hg contamination in sentinel species and bio-geochemical indicators for specific habitat types in selected areas, based upon the results of Phase 2; Initiate focused research to better understand the linkages between Hg contamination in sentinel species and bio-geochemical indicators for specific habitat types in selected areas, based upon the results of Phase 2; Help translate the scientific understanding of the Hg problem into habitat designs and management options that minimize the problem. Help translate the scientific understanding of the Hg problem into habitat designs and management options that minimize the problem.

13. Timeline (Phase 1) Fieldwork: May-Oct 2006 Fieldwork: May-Oct 2006 Lab turn-around time: 3-6 months Lab turn-around time: 3-6 months Preliminary results: Early 2007 Preliminary results: Early 2007 Gillichthys mirabilis Grenier 2001

14. Acknowledgements Funding Sources Funding Sources Santa Clara Valley Water District Santa Clara Valley Water District State Coastal Commission State Coastal Commission San Francisco Foundation Bay Fund San Francisco Foundation Bay Fund Regional Monitoring Program for Trace Substances Regional Monitoring Program for Trace Substances SBSP Project Management Team and Science Teams SBSP Project Management Team and Science Teams

15. Scott Haefner