Predicting responses of fish populations to multiple stressors across watersheds

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The risk created by chemical contaminants in the environment has become increasingly difficult to define as the understanding of the complexity of the interactions in ecosystems has improved. My program focuses on the interface of environmental chemistry and toxicology to improve our ability to predict risk, and to understand the ability of ecosystems to adapt to further disturbances and maintain ecosystem services. Contaminants normally exist as complex mixtures in the environment and our understanding of how they interact to cause effects in ecosystems is poor. In addition, watersheds are exposed to a variety of other natural and anthropogenic stressors that can interact with contaminants and the environment to alter their exposure and expression of effects in fish and other organisms. How fish populations respond to contaminants and other stressors is modified by the characteristics of the watershed, habitat and species interactions that occur. Predicting how fish will respond to contaminants is therefore very complex and there is a need to better understand these interactions and effects. The proposed research program will create knowledge to support model development to better predict how fish and fish populations are affected by complex contaminant mixtures and are modified by multiple stressors, environmental conditions and species' traits. We will focus on highly impacted watersheds where we will develop, test and apply innovative tools and approaches that enhance our ability to understand and predict these complex relationships. Using field surveys and controlled experimentation, linkages among exposure and effects of contaminants in municipal wastewater effluents will be explored in fish at various levels of biological organization. Representative estrogen and androgen receptor agonists/antagonists will be tested as model contaminants to determine how contaminants interact together as complex mixtures (e.g. wastewater) and are modified by characteristics of fish and their environment. The research outcomes will support development of more effective risk assessments, monitoring programs and implementation of remedial actions in watersheds.