Project:
Effects of
salinity derived from road salt and suspended sediments on yellow
perch (Perca flavescens)
egg and larval survival in the Severn River, Mattawoman Creek, and
Choptank Rivers, Maryland. (Funded
by US Fish and Wildlife Service)
Summary:
This study represents a three way partnership between
Chesapeake Bay Field Office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
University of Maryland Wye Research and Education Center, and Towson
University.
The goal of the proposed study was to
analyze the impacts of salinity (as altered by the addition of road
salts) and exposure to suspended sediments on the survival of yellow
perch eggs and larvae. Both salinity and suspended sediments have
been increasing in freshwater stretches of Bay tributaries as
urbanization increases. The study has two key objectives.The first objective was to characterize the tidal and
non-tidal spawning habitats of these three watersheds with respect
to salinity, conductivity, specific ion concentrations, toxic
metals, and total suspended solids. The three watersheds have
varying levels of urbanization and impervious surface and a key
factor in influencing water quality. These characterization studies
will be conducted over two spawning seasons.The second objective was to test the survival of eggs and
larvae by conducting laboratory toxicity tests with eggs and larvae
in an environmentally realistic protocol.This protocol (i.e., salinity/road salt levels) was
determined based on the first year of field work and the laboratory
trials. The primary responsibility of Towson was sample collection
and chemical analysis to support the first objective of this study
with some analytical support for the toxicity tests; the toxicity
tests were performed at Wye Research and Education Center.
8000 York Road | Towson, MD 21252 | 410-704-2000
