Predicting Mercury Retention and Bioavailability in Estuarine Ecosystems

汞 是一种全球分散的污染物，在受工业影响的地区和偏远地区的水生生物中生物累积至有害水平。河口生态系统是产卵鱼类和候鸟的主要栖息地，并对地球经济做出了重大贡献。汞在河口生态系统中的滞留和生物可利用性的预测是一个关键的知识缺口。我提出的NSERC资助的研究计划的长期目标是建立预测模型，以确定河口生态系统中汞的保留和生物累积的领域。我的研究计划将通过对两个关键的生物地球化学过程的研究来实现这一目标：（1）汞在生态系统中的保留，以及（2）甲基汞在食物网中的可用性。我的小组新开发的方法将允许对汞的保留和生物利用度以及随着时间的推移影响它们的因素进行定量测量。这将有助于更好地了解生态系统对汞输入的敏感性，并将有助于确定和管理有污染风险的河口地区。我提出的研究计划将提供必要的工具来预测这些汞敏感地区，从而减轻食物网的影响。 根据预测模型，未来十年，全球汞排放量将大幅增加。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，因为它侧重于在河口生态系统的汞敏感区的识别。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。研究结果将对国家汞政策（即环境署全球汞条约）和风险管理战略的实施产生重大影响，这将有利于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.***************