Mercury and other elements in landlocked char from East and West Lake, Cape Bounty (Melville Island)

Climate-related changes, such as increased temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, and permafrost degradation, may alter fluxes of toxic and bioaccumulative substances such as mercury (Hg) and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) to Arctic freshwater environments (Ma et al. 2016; Macdonald et al. 2005). This could lead to greater exposure of these contaminants to arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus), the top predators in most high arctic lakes. West Lake and East Lake, at The Cape Bounty Arctic Watershed Observatory (CBAWO), are currently undergoing climate-driven changes at different rates. The long term monitoring of the lakes and their tributaries offered a unique opportunity to examine these questions by development of a time series of contaminant concentrations and fish condition.The goal of this study is to examine the temporal trends of mercury in landlocked char in East and West lake and other impacts such as changes in fish condition and health. This is being done by1.Determining tributary inputs and lake water concentrations of mercury and methyl mercury to West and East Lake at Cape Bounty as part of an assessment of mercury biogeochemistry at Cape Bounty;2.Determining mercury and trace elements in landlocked Arctic char to develop a time series from which impacts of permafrost disturbances in the catchment of West Lake can be assessed;3. Studying fish condition as well as biomarkers of neurotoxicity and oxidative stress.