Assessing the threat of toxic contaminants to early marine survival of Chinook salmon in the Salish Sea

Transcription

1 Western Washington University Western CEDAR Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference 2014 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (Seattle, Wash.) May 1st, 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM Assessing the threat of toxic contaminants to early marine survival of Chinook salmon in the Salish Sea Sandie O'Neill sandra.oneill@dfw.wa.gov James West Washington (State). Department of Fish and Wildlife Gina Ylitalo Andrea Carey Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Laurie Niewolny Washington (State). Department of Fish and Wildlife See next page for additional authors Follow this and additional works at: Part of the Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons O'Neill, Sandie; West, James; Ylitalo, Gina; Carey, Andrea; Niewolny, Laurie; Lanksbury, Jennifer; and Johnson, Lyndal, "Assessing the threat of toxic contaminants to early marine survival of Chinook salmon in the Salish Sea" (2014). Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference This Event is brought to you for free and open access by the Conferences and Events at Western CEDAR. It has been accepted for inclusion in Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference by an authorized administrator of Western CEDAR. For more information, please contact westerncedar@wwu.edu.

2 Speaker Sandie O'Neill, James West, Gina Ylitalo, Andrea Carey, Laurie Niewolny, Jennifer Lanksbury, and Lyndal Johnson This event is available at Western CEDAR:

3 Assessing the threat of toxic contamination to early marine survival of Chinook salmon in the Salish Sea Sandie O Neill 1, James West 1, Gina Ylitalo 2, Andrea Carey 1, Laurie Niewolny 1, Jennifer Lanksbury 1, and Lyndal Johnson 2 1 Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife 2 Northwest Fisheries Science Center

4 Urbanization Impacts on Salmon habitat loss and modification increased input of toxics reduced habitat quality central Puget Sound most threatened

5 Study Objectives Quantify contaminant levels in out-migrant Puget Sound Chinook salmon. Evaluate potential effects on marine survival. Determine sources of contaminant inputs freshwater habitat? marine habitat? freshwater and marine?

6 Sampling Design Skagit 5 major river/estuary systems Snohomish Duwamish Hylebos / Puyallup

7 Sampling Design Skagit 5 major river/estuary systems lower (May) Snohomish Duwamish Hylebos / Puyallup

8 Sampling Design Skagit 5 major river/estuary systems lower (May) marine estuary (June) Snohomish Duwamish Hylebos / Puyallup

9 Sampling Design Skagit 5 major river/estuary systems lower (May) marine estuary (June) Snohomish 3 marine basins Admiralty Inlet (July) Central Sound (July, Sept.) South Sound (July, Sept.) Duwamish Hylebos / Puyallup

10 Methods: contaminants measured 480 fish combined into 67 composite samples Whole body - POPs Total PCBs 11 PBDEs 6 DDTs, HCB 8 Chlordanes 3 HCHs Gills - Metals Zinc Cadmium Copper Lead Nickel Gut Contents- PAHs 37 PAHs

11 Results Gut Contents- PAHs Whole body - POPs How contaminated are out-migrant Chinook salmon? Are the levels high enough to impact fish health and survival?

12 37 Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) Skagit Snohomish Duwamish/ Green Hylebos/ Puyallup 100 % reduced growth Concentration (ng/g ww) Meador et al. 2006

13 Persistent Organic Pollutants Whole body - POPs Skagit Snohomish Duwamish/ Green Hylebos/ Puyallup (1) Concentration (ng/g ww)

14 Persistent Organic Pollutants Total PCBs PBDEs DDTs HCB CHLDs HCHs Skagit Whole body - POPs Snohomish Duwamish/ Green Hylebos/ Puyallup (1) Concentration (ng/g ww)

15 All Persistent Organic Pollutants Total PCBs PBDEs DDTs HCB CHLDs HCHs Whole body - POPs Skagit Snohomish Duwamish/ Green Hylebos/ Puyallup (1) Concentration (ng/g ww)

16 Total Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) Whole body - POPs Skagit Snohomish 10% 50% Duwamish/ Green 25% 100% Hylebos/ Puyallup (1) 10%? % % with multiple adverse affects Concentration (ng/g ww) Meador et al

17 Polybrominated diphenyl ethers 11 ( PBDEs) 11 Whole body - POPs Skagit Snohomish Duwamish/ Green Hylebos/ Puyallup (1) 10% 10% 10% increased disease susceptibility 100% 100% altered thyroid hormone production Concentration (ng/g ww) Arkoosh et al. 2010, 2013.

18 Results What are the sources of contaminant inputs? Snohomish System marine nearshore

19 11 PBDEs Skagit Snohomish Duwamish/ Green Hylebos/ Puyallup (1) 43 ng Within the Snohomish system, the river is the main source of PBDEs to out-migrant Chinook salmon. The estuary is not a major source Concentration (ng/g ww)

20 11 PBDEs Skagit Within the Duwamish Green system, the both the river and the estuary are major sources of PBDEs to out-migrant Chinook salmon. Fish continue to accumulate PBDEs in the estuary. Snohomish Duwamish/ Green Hylebos/ Puyallup (1) 30 ng Concentration (ng/g ww)

21 Conclusions 1. Juvenile Chinook salmon migrating through urban river/estuary systems had elevated levels of man-made chemicals (POPs, PAHs), and some metals (lead). 2. POPs and PAH levels in Chinook salmon from urban estuaries are high enough to cause adverse effects, likely affecting marine survival. 3. Focus areas for contaminant clean-up will vary by area a. - Snohomish River in Snohomish System b. - Duwamish River and Elliott Bay in Duwamish/Green System

22 Acknowledgments WDFW Stefanie Orlaineta Karen Peabody- Eastridge John Sneva WA Dept of Ecology Tom Gries Dale Nortan Manchester Laboratory staff Skagit River System Cooperative Rich Henderson Tulalip Tribe Muckleshoot Tribe Eric Warner Tribe Sayre Hodgson Chris Ellings Walker Duval NOAA NWFSC Mark Myers Sean Sol Dan Lomax Julann Spromberg Mary jean Willis David Baldwin Josh Chamberlin Jason Hall Environmental Chemistry staff USFWS Steve Damm

23 Juvenile Chinook in urban estuaries are more susceptible to mortality from natural pathogens Estuary % Cumulative Mortality Upriver Hatchery Estuary Upriver Hatchery Additional contaminant feeding studies confirms exposure to toxics impairs immuno-competence. Non-urban Urban River Green/Duwamish River Arkoosh et al. 1998

24 Insulin-like Growth Factor Plasma IGF (ng/ml) Estuary Hatchery Non-urban River Hatchery Estuary Urban Green/Duwamish River Subsequent Growth in the Lab Chinook Weight (g) 30 Non-urban Hatchery Estuary 35 Urban Hatchery Estuary Follow-up contaminant feeding studies confirm growth is impaired by exposure to toxic chemicals % Cumulative frequency distribution Casillas et al. 1995a,b; unpublished data

25 POPs levels in salmon are determined by: Hatcheries Where they live. Freshwater habitat Marine habitat Puget Sound Pacific Ocean Proximity to sources, duration of exposure, residency- migration

26 Contaminants in Chinook salmon Gut Contents- PAHs Whole body -POPs Gut Contents- PAHs ,000 20, ,000 Concentration (ng/g ww)

27 Hypothesis Exposure to toxic contaminants in Puget Sound reduces the health and productivity of salmon and their food supply.