REPS Invertebrate Contaminants

As long-lived, ubiquitous aquatic consumers of both primary producers and other invertebrates, macroinvertebrates are a useful indicator of health in aquatic systems. As consumers in trophic food webs, they can be used to investigate bioaccumulation of contaminants through the food web, in this case, total mercury and methyl mercury concentrations. These samples are a subset of the bulk kicknet samples gathered over the open water months of 2012 (June, July, August, September) and 2013 (July, August, September). Invertebrates were sampled using a bulk kicknet for maximizing biomass collection. Sample sites are on a gradient moving closer in proximity to industry to delineate effects of natural and anthropogenic contaminants. In this data set, communities are identified to the taxonomic resolution of Order and only individuals from Orders Plecoptera and Odonata were used in 2012 and only specimens from Order Odonata were used in 2013.