Cooperative Agreement for Affiliated Partner with the California Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU)

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is offering a funding opportunity to a Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) partner to collect data and interpret data to help reduce the concentrations of mercury in recreational and sports fish in hydroelectric reservoirs, managed wetlands, and lakes. The goal of this project is to provide data in support of management actions to reduce mercury concentrations in recreational and sports fish through understanding how methylmercury is formed in water and sediments. Key objectives of this project include: • Develop linkages between the formation of methylmercury in hydroelectric reservoirs and concentrations of mercury in recreational and sports fish • Develop linkages between mercury methylation in managed subtropical wetlands and uptake of mercury in recreational and sports fish • Develop linkages between the microbial methylation of mercury in mine-impacted lakes with elevated selenium The results of the project will be used with ecological data from the USGS to provide an understanding of the risk posed by mercury to diverse freshwater environments.