SFS Annual Meeting

5/24/2018  |   11:00 - 11:15   |  330 A

PLASTIC LITTER IN FRESHWATERS: ABUNDANCE, MOVEMENT, AND BIOLOGICAL INTERACTIONS Plastic litter is a pervasive, near-permanent feature of all ecosystems and is indicative of global change. Understanding the sources, abundance, fate, and biological interactions of plastic litter in the environment is critical to set priorities for adaptive management and materials research. The ecology of plastic litter is a large and rapidly growing field of study in marine biology, with far fewer contributions from freshwater scientists to date. Here, we review the status of research in ‘garbage’ ecology, including rates of plastic production, disposal, and accumulation. We review how basic methods and paradigms in ecosystem ecology can quantify plastic pools, fluxes, and impacts on biota in freshwater ecosystems. Methodological approaches include surveys, experimental additions of plastic, and analysis of citizen-science datasets. While not yet a major voice in the broader field of plastic ecology, stream ecologists are well positioned to quantify the role of plastic in lotic ecosystems using concepts from the existing literature, and thereby make significant contributions to plastic budgets and ecosystem management on a global scale.

Timothy Hoellein (Primary Presenter/Author), Loyola University Chicago, thoellein@luc.edu;
Dr. Hoellein is a freshwater ecologist at Loyola University Chicago. His research interests are focused on ecosystem processes and biogeochemistry. His research lab explores these areas in associate with the movement and biological transformation of elements, energy, and pollution in aquatic ecosystems.

Rachel McNeish (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), California State University Bakersfield, rachel.e.mcneish@gmail.com;


Samuel Dunn (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Loyola University Chicago , sdunn3@luc.edu;


Lisa Kim (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Loyola University Chicago, lisahaneulkim@gmail.com;


Anna Vincent (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Notre Dame, avincen5@nd.edu;


Loren Hou (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Loyola University Chicago, Lhou1@luc.edu;


Elizabeth Berg (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Loyola University Chicago, eberg@luc.edu;


John Kelly (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Loyola University Chicago, Jkelly7@luc.edu;


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5/24/2018  |   11:15 - 11:30   |  330 A

RIVERINE MICROPLASTIC EXPORT: LAND-USE EFFECTS AND INTERACTIONS WITH FISH Microplastic is a contaminant of emerging concern globally. Recent studies have shown that microplastic is abundant in freshwater ecosystems, but assessments of microplastic sources, biological interactions, and budgets in freshwaters are lacking. We investigated the links between land-use and microplastic abundance in river surface water, benthic sediment, and aquatic biota in 9 headwater streams and 8 major rivers in the Lake Michigan watershed. Urban and agriculture watershed land-use were positively related to water column microplastic concentrations across all sites, and watershed forest coverage showed a negative relationship. Microplastic concentration in benthic sediment was 4 to 45 times greater than surface water concentrations, suggesting deposition as an important sink. Microplastic in fish ranged from 3 to 52 pieces fish-1. Zoobenthivores had significantly more microplastic than detritivores, indicating potential bioaccumulation. Results show microplastic is common in food webs of major Lake Michigan tributaries, and that developed watersheds may be key sources and sinks of microplastic. Ongoing work will incorporate these data with measurements of seasonal microplastic abundance in rivers and common macroinvertebrate taxa, as well as assessments of microplastic-associated microbial communities.

Rae McNeish (Primary Presenter/Author), California State University Bakersfield, rae.mcneish@gmail.com;
Dr. McNeish is an early career freshwater ecologist located at California State University, Bakersfield. Her research focuses on terrestrial-aquatic connections and how anthropogenic activities, pollutants, and terrestrial management practices impact freshwater ecosystems. Current research projects are exploring the ecological and biological connections associated with anthropogenic litter and microplastics in the environment while working towards establishing standardized microplastic methodologies.

Lisa Kim (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Loyola University Chicago, lisahaneulkim@gmail.com;


Heather Barrett (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), State University of New York - Fredonia, barr4349@fredonia.edu ;


Sherri Mason (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), State University of New York at Fredonia, mason@fredonia.edu;


John Kelly (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Loyola University Chicago, Jkelly7@luc.edu;


Timothy Hoellein (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Loyola University Chicago, thoellein@luc.edu;
Dr. Hoellein is a freshwater ecologist at Loyola University Chicago. His research interests are focused on ecosystem processes and biogeochemistry. His research lab explores these areas in associate with the movement and biological transformation of elements, energy, and pollution in aquatic ecosystems.

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5/24/2018  |   11:30 - 11:45   |  330 A

LAND USE EFFECTS ON MICROPLASTIC POLLUTION IN INDIANA RIVERS Microplastics (plastic particles <5 mm in size) are a contaminant of emerging concern in flowing waters. Microplastics enter rivers and streams through a variety of anthropogenic pathways (e.g., wastewater effluent, breakdown of larger plastic debris, atmospheric deposition) and can negatively impact aquatic organisms through both direct consumption with food and indirect contamination from sorbed toxins. Due to their small size, removal of microplastics once introduced to aquatic ecosystems is impractical and thus source-tracking and input reduction are essential. We quantified the concentration and types (e.g., microbeads, fibers, fragments) of microplastics in 9 Indiana watersheds and 30 separate sites representing a gradient of land use (i.e., agricultural, urban, or forested). We hypothesized that, compared to forested systems, watersheds dominated by agricultural and urban land use would have higher concentrations but different forms of microplastics due to human activities. Preliminary results suggest a correlation between total dissolved solids and the concentration of microplastics. Identifying the sources and types of microplastics in flowing waters is critical for the development of management actions for this emerging contaminant.

Whitney Conard (Primary Presenter/Author), University of Notre Dame, whitneymconard@gmail.com;


Katherine O'Reilly (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, keo@illinois.edu;


Margaret Hartlage (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Notre Dame, mhartlag@nd.edu;


Gary Lamberti (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Notre Dame, glambert@nd.edu;


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5/24/2018  |   11:45 - 12:00   |  330 A

CRAYFISH ON DRUGS: EFFECTS OF A COMMON ANTI-DEPRESSANT ON CRAYFISH BEHAVIOR AND SUBSEQUENT BIOGEOCHEMICAL IMPACTS Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are ubiquitous in aquatic environments, yet little is known regarding impacts of PPCPs on ecological processes. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), a specific type of PPCP, act as anti-depressants by altering the levels of serotonin in the brain. In aquatic ecosystems, SSRIs can accumulate in invertebrates, affecting aggression and foraging behavior. Impacts of SSRIs on crayfish behavior are particularly interesting as crayfish exhibit increased aggression in response to SSRIs, and are commonly found in anthropogenically-influenced environments. Using a fully-crossed artificial stream experiment, we tested the impacts of a common SSRI, citalopram, crayfish, and the SSRI-crayfish interaction on stream ecosystems. There was no obvious effect on whole-stream metabolism, but whole-stream nitrate uptake decreased in combined crayfish-SSRI streams, suggesting an interaction between SSRIs and crayfish. Furthermore, we used a flume experiment to quantify the effect of SSRI’s on crayfish preference for a conspecific or food. Crayfish exposed to SSRIs were more attracted to food than control crayfish. These results show that SSRIs can indirectly affect ecosystem processes by altering organismal behavior, supporting the claim that PPCPs are ecological disrupting compounds with a range of sublethal effects.

Alexander Reisinger (Primary Presenter/Author), University of Florida, reisingera@ufl.edu;
Alexander J. Reisinger is an Assistant Professor at the University of Florida.

Lindsey Reisinger (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Florida, lreisinger1@ufl.edu;


Erinn Richmond (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Monash University , erinn.richmond@monash.edu;


Emma Rosi (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, rosie@caryinstitute.org;


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5/24/2018  |   12:00 - 12:15   |  330 A

NEVERTHELESS, THEY PERSISTED: INCREASING OCCURRENCE OF HORMONES IN STREAMS DUE TO HYPORHEIC EXCHANGE Even at low concentrations, the presence of steroidal hormones in aquatic ecosystems can lead to intersex fish and reduce the reproductive fitness of fish communities. While laboratory studies suggest that these hormones should not persist in the environment because of their relatively short half-lives, field studies across US streams have found elevated levels of hormones long after external inputs have ceased. Through an analysis of sub-daily hormone concentration data in agricultural streams, we found evidence that the sediments within the hyporheic zone play a key role in increasing the persistence of hormones. We then used a mechanistic stream-sediment model to show that the hyporheic zone accumulates hormones during high-flow periods and becomes a source by releasing mass back into the water during low-flow periods. With the sediments acting as an internal source in the stream during the summer growing season, both the median concentration and the number of non-zero concentration days significantly increases, thus increasing the risk of exposure for local biota. Our results point to the importance of including hyporheic interactions in risk assessment models, which is often omitted in current practice when characterizing hormone fate.

Frederick Cheng (Primary Presenter/Author), University of Waterloo, frederick.cheng@uwaterloo.ca;


Heather Gall (Preisendanz) (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Pennsylvania State University, heg12@psu.edu;


Michael Mashtare (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Purdue University, mmashtare@purdue.edu;


Linda Lee (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Purdue University, lslee@purdue.edu;


Nandita Basu (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Waterloo, nandita.basu@uwaterloo.ca;


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5/24/2018  |   12:15 - 12:30   |  330 A

DETERMINING THE INFLUENCE OF WASTEWATER EFFLUENT ON PROXIMAL MICROBIAL COMMUNITY DYNAMICS IN FOURMILE CREEK (ANKENY, IOWA) The Ankeny (Iowa) Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) continually released treated effluent to Fourmile Creek until the facility shutdown in 2013. Prior to WWTP shutdown, treated effluent contributed at times up to 99% of streamflow below the WWTP outfall. From 2012 to 2014, the USGS assessed pre- and post- shutdown chemical and hydrologic responses of the stream, sediment, and adjacent shallow groundwater. The USGS also characterized the microbial community (MC) composition and the relationship of MC dynamics to nutrient and trace organic chemistry. The downstream groundwater microbial communities were more similar to each other when compared to the upstream communities; however, there was significant variability among the downstream microbial communities with one site having greater bacterial diversity than the others. This particular groundwater site is screened across a redox interface which is typically associated with increased biodegradation activities. Understanding the chemical and hydrological conditions associated with these MC will provide a better understanding of how different factors in this system influence MC dynamics. Knowing "who's there?" within the MC provides information on what microbes are naturally present in a stream and how wastewater effluent may influence MC dynamics.

Joseph Duris (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), United States Geological Survey, jwduris@usgs.gov;


Laura Hubbard (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), United States Geological Survey , lhubbard@usgs.gov;


Natasha Isaacs (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), United States Geological Survey, nisaacs@usgs.gov;


Dana Kolpin (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), United States Geological Survey, dwkolpin@usgs.gov;


Paul Bradley (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), United States Geological Survey, pbradley@usgs.gov;


Carrie Givens (Primary Presenter/Author), United States Geological Survey, cgivens@usgs.gov;


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