Life Sciences Commons^™

Microbial Mercury Methylation At Caddo Lake: A Molecular Ecology Approach, Nevada King

Biology Theses

Caddo Lake in northeastern Texas is a cypress-Spanish moss dominated lake ecosystem. Contamination of mercury (Hg), especially methylmercury (MeHg), was reported in this lake a decade ago. MeHg is a neurotoxicant accumulated in major fish species and reptiles. Due to the biomagnification feature of MeHg transfer, Hg contamination in the fishes of Caddo Lake has caused health concerns for the wildlife and local people. However, the source and synthesis of MeHg in this lake, primarily the microbial Hg methylation mechanisms, have not been investigated. We investigated the lake for the past three years (2016-2018), by taking sediment and plant samples …