Methylmercury on a permafrost transect

One of my thesis chapters examines patterns of methylmercury in lakes and streams across a 1700 km permafrost gradient ranging from permafrost free (Utikima Lake, AB) to continuous permafrost (Inuvik, NT). Carbon quality and quantity, nutrients, and major ions were measured as well as landscape characteristics to determine environmental drivers of methylmercury.

I collaborated with Andrew Tanentzap, Johanna Winder, and Lucas Braga of Cambridge University to analyze of mercury biomarker genes, merA (mercury degradation) and hgcA (mercury methylation) in the lakes. Johanna joined the 2019 sampling campaign and collected lake sediment to analyze for microbial communities.

Data and an academic article for this work have been published:

• University of Alberta. 2020. CIMP 199: Water quality of peatland ponds and streams on a latitudinal transect (dataset). Version 1. DataStream. https://doi.org/10.25976/rzkg-7n02

• L.M. Thompson, M.A. Kuhn, J.C. Winder, L.P.P. Braga, R.H.S. Hutchins, A.J. Tanentzap, V.L. St. Louis, and D. Olefeldt. Controls on methylmercury concentrations in lakes and streams of peatland-rich catchments along a 1700 km permafrost gradient. Limnology & Oceanography, https://doi.org/10.1002/lno.12296