Understanding and Predicting Mercury in Dehcho Lakes, Northwest Territories

In this project, we are aiming to understand how landscape, lake, and fish ecology explain variation in fish mercury (Hg levels). Our results are identifying critical variables for future cumulative impact monitoring, and will enable more informed predictions of how fish Hg levels in the Dehcho region will respond to continued environmental change. Decision-makers will use our results to develop long-term monitoring strategies, identify lakes that are most vulnerable to future increases in fish Hg levels, refine consumption advisories, and identify lakes with the safest and healthiest sources of food fish. This data set is collected to support several projects supported by Northern Contaminants Program, CIMP 154 (GNWT), and the project titled Northern Water Futures, Objective 2'. Northern Water Futures is a Pillar 3 project under the Global Water Futures Program funded by Canada First Research Excellence Fund