Limited recovery following a massive seagrass decline in subarctic eastern Canada.

Over the last few decades, there has been an increasing recognition for seagrasses' contribution to the functioning of nearshore ecosystems and climate change mitigation. Nevertheless, seagrass ecosystems have been deteriorating globally at an accelerating rate during recent decades. In 2017, research into the condition of eelgrass (Zostera marina) along the eastern coast of James Bay, Canada, was initiated in response to reports of eelgrass decline by the Cree First Nations of Eeyou Istchee. As part of this research, we compiled and analyzed two decades of eelgrass cover data and three decades of eelgrass monitoring data (biomass and density) to detect changes and assess possible environmental drivers. We detected a major decline in eelgrass condition between 1995 and 1999, which encompassed the entire east coast of James Bay. Surveys conducted in 2019 and 2020 indicated limited changes post-decline, for example, low eelgrass cover (<25%), low aboveground biomass, smaller shoots than before 1995, and marginally low densities persisted at most sites. Overall, the synthesized datasets show a 40% loss of eelgrass meadows with >50% cover in eastern James Bay since 1995, representing the largest scale eelgrass decline documented in eastern Canada since the massive die-off event that occurred in the 1930s along the North Atlantic coast. Using biomass data collected since 1982, but geographically limited to the sector of the coast near the regulated La Grande River, generalized additive modeling revealed eelgrass meadows are affected by local sea surface temperature, early ice breakup, and higher summer freshwater discharge. Our results caution against assuming subarctic seagrass ecosystems have avoided recent global declines or will benefit from ongoing climate warming.

Natural and anthropogenic mercury distribution in marine sediments from Hudson Bay, Canada.

Twelve marine sediment cores from Hudson Bay, Canada, were collected to investigate the response of sub-Arctic marine sediments to atmospherically transported anthropogenic mercury (Hg). Modeling by a two-layer sediment mixing model suggests that the historical Hg deposition to most of the sediment cores reflects the known history of atmospheric Hg deposition in North America, with an onset of increasing anthropogenic Hg emissions in the late 1800s and early 1900s and a reduction of Hg deposition in the mid- to late-1900s. However, although anthropogenic Hg has contributed to a ubiquitous increase in Hg concentrations in sediments over the industrial era, the most elevated industrial-era sedimentary Hg concentrations only marginally exceed the upper preindustrial sedimentary Hg concentrations. Analysis of delta13C and relationship between Hg and organic matter capture suggests that the response of Hudson Bay sediments to changes in atmospheric Hg emissions is largely controlled by the particle flux in the system and that natural changes in organic matter composition and dynamics can cause variation in sedimentary Hg concentrations at least to the same extent as those caused by increasing anthropogenic Hg emissions.

A deconvolutional Bayesian mixing model approach for river basin sediment source apportionment.

Increasing complexity in human-environment interactions at multiple watershed scales presents major challenges to sediment source apportionment data acquisition and analysis. Herein, we present a step-change in the application of Bayesian mixing models: Deconvolutional-MixSIAR (D-MIXSIAR) to underpin sustainable management of soil and sediment. This new mixing model approach allows users to directly account for the 'structural hierarchy' of a river basin in terms of sub-watershed distribution. It works by deconvoluting apportionment data derived for multiple nodes along the stream-river network where sources are stratified by sub-watershed. Source and mixture samples were collected from two watersheds that represented (i) a longitudinal mixed agricultural watershed in the south west of England which had a distinct upper and lower zone related to topography and (ii) a distributed mixed agricultural and forested watershed in the mid-hills of Nepal with two distinct sub-watersheds. In the former, geochemical fingerprints were based upon weathering profiles and anthropogenic soil amendments. In the latter compound-specific stable isotope markers based on soil vegetation cover were applied. Mixing model posterior distributions of proportional sediment source contributions differed when sources were pooled across the watersheds (pooled-MixSIAR) compared to those where source terms were stratified by sub-watershed and the outputs deconvoluted (D-MixSIAR). In the first example, the stratified source data and the deconvolutional approach provided greater distinction between pasture and cultivated topsoil source signatures resulting in a different posterior distribution to non-deconvolutional model (conventional approaches over-estimated the contribution of cultivated land to downstream sediment by 2 to 5 times). In the second example, the deconvolutional model elucidated a large input of sediment delivered from a small tributary resulting in differences in the reported contribution of a discrete mixed forest source. Overall D-MixSIAR model posterior distributions had lower (by ca 25-50%) uncertainty and quicker model run times. In both cases, the structured, deconvoluted output cohered more closely with field observations and local knowledge underpinning the need for closer attention to hierarchy in source and mixture terms in river basin source apportionment. Soil erosion and siltation challenge the energy-food-water-environment nexus. This new tool for source apportionment offers wider application across complex environmental systems affected by natural and human-induced change and the lessons learned are relevant to source apportionment applications in other disciplines.

Effects-based marine ecological risk assessment at a polychlorinated biphenyl-contaminated site in Saglek, Labrador, Canada.

Although the presence and distribution of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in Arctic marine environments has been well documented, the implications for the health of biota are poorly understood. In the present study, multiple lines of evidence, including site-specific effects data, were used to assess PCB-related risks to marine biota at a contaminated military site in Saglek Bay, Labrador, Canada, from 1997 to 1999. Risks were evaluated for three components of the ecosystem: benthic invertebrates, a bottom-feeding fish (shorthorn sculpin, Myoxocephalus scorpius), and a diving seabird (black guillemot, Cepphus grylle). Average sediment PCB concentrations exceeded the Canadian interim sediment quality guideline level by 41-fold. However, sediment toxicity testing and a benthic community survey showed no evidence of adverse effects. In contrast, shorthorn sculpin and black guillemot PCB exposures (measured as sum of 55 congeners) were elevated enough to pose risks to survival or reproduction. Based on the collective evidence, the authors estimated that risks were posed by sediment PCB concentrations greater than 77 ng/g dry weight for black guillemots and 750 ng/g dry weight for shorthorn sculpins. The present study, along with two parallel studies, provided information to support the management decisions concerning potential remedial action on the contaminated sediments. This ecological risk assessment describes the steps and rationale taken to evaluate the risk posed by an area of PCB-contaminated marine sediments in an otherwise relatively pristine northern coastal environment.

Biogeochemical controls on PCB deposition in Hudson Bay.

PCB concentrations, congener patterns, and fluxes were examined in 13 dated and organically characterized (C, N, delta(13)C, delta(15)N) marine sediment cores from Hudson Bay, Canada, to investigate the importance of organic matter (OM) supply and transport to PCB sequestration. Drawdown of PCBs, supported by marine primary production, is reflected in elevated summation operatorPCB concentrations and more highly chlorinated PCB signatures in surface sediments underlying eutrophic regions. Sediments in oligotrophic regions, which are dominated by "old" marine OM, have lower PCB concentrations and weathered signatures. For the surface of Hudson Bay, average atmospheric deposition appears to be very low (ca. 1.4 pg summation operatorPCBs cm(-2) a(-1)) compared to fluxes reported for nearby lakes (ca. 44 pg summation operatorPCBs cm(-2) a(-1)). (210)Pb fails to provide a means to normalize the fluxes, highlighting important differences in the biocycling of (210)Pb and PCBs. Unlike (210)Pb, atmospheric PCB exchange with the water's surface is partially forced by the aquatic organic carbon cycle. The extremely low atmospheric deposition of PCBs to the surface of Hudson Bay is likely a reflection of the Bay's exceptionally low productivity and vertical carbon fluxes. If future marine production and vertical flux of carbon increase due to loss of ice cover or change in river input as consequences of global warming, PCB deposition would also increase.

Biological effects of marine PCB contamination on black guillemot nestlings at Saglek, Labrador: liver biomarkers.

Black guillemots (Cepphus grylle) in Saglek Bay, Labrador have elevated polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations due to marine sediment contamination around a former military site. We measured liver biomarkers and sigmaPCB concentrations in 31 nestlings from three PCB-exposure groups: Reference group (range: 15-46 ng/g liver, wet wt.), moderately exposed Islands group (24-150 ng/g), and highly exposed Beach group (170-6200 ng/g). Biomarker responses were dose-dependent and in some cases sex-dependent. Livers of female Beach nestlings were enlarged 36% relative to Reference females. In both sexes, Beach nestlings had liver ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activities elevated 79% and liver retinol concentrations reduced 47%. Retinyl palmitate concentrations were reduced 50% but only among female nestlings. Island nestlings also exhibited EROD induction (57%) and reductions in retinol and retinyl palmitate concentrations (28 and 58%, respectively). Liver lipid content increased with sigmaPCBs in both sexes, and correlated with liver mass in males. Malic enzyme activity and porphyrin concentrations showed little association with sigmaPCBs. Although similar associations between liver biomarkers and organochlorine exposure in fish-eating birds are well documented, typically exposures involve multiple contaminants and there is uncertainty about specific PCB effects. Our findings indicate that liver biomarkers respond to relatively low PCB exposures (approximately 73 ng/g liver) in guillemots.