| dc.description.abstract | The methylated form of mercury in the environment bioaccumulates in the tissues of fish and aquatic insects and is extremely toxic. Methyl Hg is formed by aquatic microbes and has been thought of as an aquatic pollution issue. However, high levels of MeHg have been found in terrestrial birds and spiders, and spiders have been proposed as biosentinels of aquatic Hg pollution. I assessed mercury contamination of aquatic and terrestrial insects, spiders, bluegill, and bass from experimental ponds (n=4) in order to determine if the mercury found in spiders reflects contamination of aquatic taxa in the associated pond. Based on the mercury concentrations of terrestrial and aquatic taxa, I found that the shoreline spiders in this study likely acquired a majority of their mercury from an aquatic source and are therefore a part of the aquatic food web. I also found a significant relationship between mercury concentrations found in spiders and in predatory fish, indicating that spiders could be used as a proxy for aquatic mercury contamination. | |
