UNB Scholar Research Repository :: Browsing by Author "MacDonald, Morgan"

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Investigating the Use of Atlantic Silverside (Menidia menidia) as a Biomonitor for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) Pollution in the Saint John Harbour
(University of New Brunswick, 2022-04) MacDonald, Morgan; Crémazy, Anne
The Saint John Harbour (SJH) in Saint John, New Brunswick, is exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from several sources, and these contaminants can have significant adverse effects on wildlife. Biomonitors are species that accumulate and respond to contaminants, and can provide an indication of pollutant bioavailability to wildlife. The objective of this project was to determine whether the Atlantic silverside (Menidia menidia) is a good biomonitor for PAH pollution in the SJH. Sediment and fish were collected from four sites in the SJH, and PAH concentrations in sediment and fish tissue, fish condition indices, and hepatic ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity were measured. It was found that PAHs did not accumulate in detectable levels in fish tissue. Contrary to our predictions, we found that fish condition indices and hepatic EROD were not related to sediment PAH levels. Fish collected at Hazen Creek exhibited higher hepatic EROD activity than fish collected from the three other sites, despite Hazen Creek having the lowest sediment PAH concentrations. The high levels of EROD activity observed at this site could have been due to physiochemical factors, biological factors, or the presence of other contaminants.