Predicting Mercury Retention and Bioavailability in Estuarine Ecosystems

汞是一种分散在全球的污染物，在受工业影响的和偏远地区的水生生物中积累到有害的水平。河口生态系统是鱼类和候鸟产卵的主要栖息地，对地球经济有很大贡献。预测河口生态系统中汞的保留量和生物有效性是一个关键的知识空白。我提议的NSERC资助的研究计划的长期目标是创建预测性模型，以确定河口生态系统中汞的滞留和生物积累的领域。我的研究计划将通过检查两个关键的生物地球化学过程来实现这一点：(1)汞在生态系统中的滞留，(2)甲基汞在食物链中的有效性。我的团队新开发的方法将允许定量测量汞的保留量和生物利用度，以及随着时间的推移影响它们的因素。这将有助于更好地了解生态系统对汞输入的敏感性，并有助于确定和管理有污染风险的河口地区。我提议的研究计划将为预测这些汞敏感地区提供必要的工具，从而减轻对食物网的影响。*根据预测模型，全球汞排放将在未来十年大幅增加。因此，汞将继续影响全球敏感生态系统中的生物。我的研究计划具有国际重要性，因为它专注于确定河口生态系统中对汞敏感的区域。这项工作对加拿大具有重要意义，因为河口生态系统对我们的环境、经济和文化至关重要。其结果将对执行国家汞政策(即环境署全球汞条约)和风险管理战略产生重大影响，这些战略将惠及所有加拿大人的健康及其所依赖的生态系统。

Mercury is a globally dispersed contaminant that bioaccumulates to harmful levels in aquatic organisms in both industrially impacted and remote locations. Estuarine ecosystems are key habitat for spawning fish, migratory birds, and contribute substantially to the economy of the planet. The prediction of mercury retention and bioavailability in estuarine ecosystems is a key knowledge gap. The long-term goal of my proposed NSERC-funded research program is to create predictive models to identify areas of mercury retention and bioaccumulation in estuarine ecosystems. My research program will achieve this through an examination of two critical biogeochemical processes: (1) mercury retention in ecosystems, and (2) methylmercury availability to the food web. My group's newly developed methodologies will allow quantitative measurements of mercury retention and bioavailability and factors that affect them over time. This will lead to a better understanding of the sensitivity of ecosystems to mercury inputs and will facilitate the identification and management of estuarine areas at risk of contamination. My proposed research program will provide the necessary tools for predicting these mercury-sensitive areas, such that food-web impacts can be mitigated.*** According to predictive models, global emissions of Hg will increase substantially over the next decade. As such, Hg will continue to affect organisms in sensitive ecosystems worldwide. My research program has international importance as it focuses on the identification of Hg-sensitive areas in estuarine ecosystems. This work has significance for Canada, as estuarine ecosystems are critical to our environment, economy and culture. The results will have a significant impact on the implementation of national Hg policy (i.e. the UNEP global mercury treaty) and on risk management strategies, which will benefit the health of all Canadians and the ecosystems on which they rely.***************