1. The Ecological Consequences of Emerging Contaminants Jill Baron Ecological Society of America And U.S. Geological Survey

2. Ecosystem Services The conditions and processes by which natural ecosystems, and the species that make them up, sustain and fulfill human life. Daily, 1997 Nature’s Services

3. Ecosystem Services: Short-Term Benefits Drinking water Food supply Flood Control Purification of human, agricultural and industrial wastes Habitat for plant and animal life

4. Ecosystem Services: Long-Term Benefits Sustained provision of goods and services Adaptive capacity to respond to future alterations and disturbances

5. Contaminants Interfere with ecosystem function By reducing the health and reproductive success of species (H) Perhaps by altering food web dynamics, predator prey dynamics, and nutrient cycling (L) Ultimately, ecosystem services required by society may be affected

6. Contaminants Affect Organism Health Through Disruption of: Neurological Endocrine Immune Reproductive Behavioral Processes and Functions

7. Program Review, Feb. 25 – 28. 2002 Eastern mosquitofish, Gambusia holbrooki Environmental Androgen Treated Female elongation total anal fin anal fin Normal (control) Female anal fin Normal (control) Male gonopodiumanal fin total anal fin Secondary Sex Characteristics: Masculinization of Gambusia & Environmental Androgen Exposure

8. Program Review, Feb. 25 – 28. 2002 Bioindicators of Reproductive/Endocrine Function and EDC Exposure Plasma estradiol in female fish and EDC exposure effects.

9. 0 1000 2000 Control25ppb50ppb100ppb Atrazine pg/ml in plasma Estradiol Testosterone 11-KT Sex steroids in female largemouth bass Atrazine may be a significant endocrine disruptor in fish Program Review, Feb. 25 – 28, 2002

10. - River otters from Puget Sound had smaller testes and reduced baculum size and weight. -this organ hypoplasia correlated with organochlorines, PCBs, dioxins & furans. - work is continuing to ID chemical causes and mode of action. Program Review, Feb. 25 – 28, 2002

11. Catfish with deformities (above) and tumors (right) Program Review, Feb. 25 – 28, 2002

12. Atlantic salmon exposed to low levels of pesticides and endocrine-disrupting chemicals in their freshwater juvenile stage may have reduced survival at sea. Atrazine reduces fish ability to physiologically adapt to saline conditions, causing mortality. Bay of Fundy atlantic salmon populations are only 1% of historical numbers, while pesticides and other organic chemicals are high from agricultural runoff. W. Fairchild, Fisheries and Oceans Canada

13. from Porter, et al. 1999, Toxicol. and Indust. Health Physiological Disruption Propagates up to Higher Levels

14. Non-Effluent Stream Percentage of Total Biovolume Algal Genus –Navicula –Aphanacapsa –Synedra –Sphaerocystis –Chlamydomonas Loss of Rare Genera Wilson, Smith, deNoyelles, Larive, Univ. KS

15. Non-Effluent Stream Percentage of Total Biovolume Algal Genus –Navicula –Aphanacapsa –Synedra –Sphaerocystis –Chlamydomonas Increase in Synedra (diatom) Wilson, Smith, deNoyelles, Larive, Univ. KS

16. Non-Effluent Stream Percentage of Total Biovolume Algal Genus –Navicula –Aphanacapsa –Synedra –Sphaerocystis –Chlamydomonas Switch to dominance by cyanobacteria Wilson, Smith, deNoyelles, Larive, Univ. KS

17. A Simplified Lake Food Web FishZooplankton Phytoplankton Benthic Invertebrates Benthic Algae........... Bacteria Ciliates & Flagellates

18. Summary Some compounds affect physiology at extremely low concentrations. We know hardly anything about the toxicology of most new chemicals on plants and animals. We know less than that about effects to populations, communities, ecosystems.

19. Near Gary, Indiana Program Review, Feb. 25 – 28, 2002

20. Summary Emerging contaminants are an area of concern in addition to contaminants that are somewhat better studied: nutrients (N & P), PCBs, metals.

21. Contaminants as One of Many Environmental Stressors Contaminants act on species in concert with other human-driven disturbances: climate change, non-native species invasions, land use change, altered hydrologic patterns, other contaminants. Land-use change Air Pollution Biodiversity loss Invasive Species Acid deposition Climate Change Water Pollution Increased UV

22. We know very little about how contaminants affect organisms and ecosystems, either alone, with other contaminants, or in conjunction with other environmental stresses.

23. Applied and Aquatic Ecology Sections of the Ecological Society of America Thanks to: USGS Biological Resources Division Contaminants Program Review Team