Persistent Pollutants in Puget Sound Juvenile Chinook Salmon: Changes after 25 years
Presentation Abstract
Puget Sound Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) have been listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act since 1999. Factors contributing to their decline include overharvest, hatchery impacts, and loss and modification of salmon habitats, including reduced habitat quality due to contaminant inputs. Since the late 1980s, NOAA Fisheries has been measuring concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in juvenile salmon from Puget Sound, WA. Initial studies in 1986 and 1989 revealed unexpectedly high concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in juvenile Chinook salmon or their prey from urban areas in the Sound. Over the following 25 years, there have been numerous efforts to reduce contamination in Puget Sound, including remediation and restoration of superfund sites in Elliott Bay, Seattle, WA and Commencement Bay, Tacoma WA, with associated assessment of contaminant exposure in juvenile salmon and other trust resources. In 2013, NOAA Fisheries and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife conducted a joint study to measure concentrations of contaminants, including POPs, in juvenile salmon from five Puget Sound river-estuary systems: Skagit, Snohomish, Green/ Duwamish, Puyallup/Hylebos, and Nisqually. We compare the extent and magnitude of current exposure to concentrations measured in salmon in previous studies conducted from the late 1980s to 2006. Results indicate declines in exposure to DDTs, PCBs, and PAHs in juvenile Chinook salmon from several estuary systems, suggesting that efforts to reduce inputs of these chemicals to the Sound have had some success. However, in a significant proportion of salmon, exposure to PCBs and PAHs is still above estimated toxicity thresholds. These data establish a time series of contaminant conditions in juvenile Chinook salmon to measure the effectiveness of past and current toxics reductions strategies and actions, inform future pollution reduction efforts, and enhanced recovery of Chinook salmon.
Session Title
Toxic Contaminants in Salish Sea Biota
Conference Track
Fate and Effects of Pollutants
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2016 : Vancouver, B.C.)
Document Type
Event
Start Date
2016 12:00 AM
End Date
2016 12:00 AM
Location
2016SSEC
Type of Presentation
Oral
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Chinook salmon--Effect of pollution on--Washington (State)--Puget Sound
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Puget Sound (Wash.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Persistent Pollutants in Puget Sound Juvenile Chinook Salmon: Changes after 25 years
2016SSEC
Puget Sound Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) have been listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act since 1999. Factors contributing to their decline include overharvest, hatchery impacts, and loss and modification of salmon habitats, including reduced habitat quality due to contaminant inputs. Since the late 1980s, NOAA Fisheries has been measuring concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in juvenile salmon from Puget Sound, WA. Initial studies in 1986 and 1989 revealed unexpectedly high concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in juvenile Chinook salmon or their prey from urban areas in the Sound. Over the following 25 years, there have been numerous efforts to reduce contamination in Puget Sound, including remediation and restoration of superfund sites in Elliott Bay, Seattle, WA and Commencement Bay, Tacoma WA, with associated assessment of contaminant exposure in juvenile salmon and other trust resources. In 2013, NOAA Fisheries and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife conducted a joint study to measure concentrations of contaminants, including POPs, in juvenile salmon from five Puget Sound river-estuary systems: Skagit, Snohomish, Green/ Duwamish, Puyallup/Hylebos, and Nisqually. We compare the extent and magnitude of current exposure to concentrations measured in salmon in previous studies conducted from the late 1980s to 2006. Results indicate declines in exposure to DDTs, PCBs, and PAHs in juvenile Chinook salmon from several estuary systems, suggesting that efforts to reduce inputs of these chemicals to the Sound have had some success. However, in a significant proportion of salmon, exposure to PCBs and PAHs is still above estimated toxicity thresholds. These data establish a time series of contaminant conditions in juvenile Chinook salmon to measure the effectiveness of past and current toxics reductions strategies and actions, inform future pollution reduction efforts, and enhanced recovery of Chinook salmon.
Comments
This would be in the snapshot session on toxic contaminants in Salish Sea biota.