The impacts of copper contamination on aquatic predator-prey interactions

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Jonathan Chapman, Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Miami, FL; Marine Science, University of Hawaii at Hilo, Hilo, HI

Background/Question/Methods
Sensitive ecosystems such as the Florida Everglades have been adversely affected by sizeable volumes of copper by way of the citrus agriculture industry. Copper is unable to degrade, and thereby bioaccumulates within the soil and water, raising concern for aquatic organisms that reside in Florida’s mangrove forests. Copper impairs neurotransmitter and chemosensory functions in prey fish which can disrupt predator avoidance behavior. This study was sponsored by the National Science Foundation as a Research Experience for Undergraduates research project conducted at the Ecotoxicology and Risk Assessment Laboratory on the Biscayne Bay Campus of Florida International University in N. Miami, Florida. The main objective was to investigate if the sub-lethal effects of copper impact the locomotor and sensory abilities of prey fish. It was also explored if acute copper toxicity will disturb instinctual predatory avoidance behavior.
Results/Conclusions
Behavioral experiments were conducted in a laboratory setting in which the sailfin molly (Poecilia latipinna) was exposed to non-lethal acute exposure to copper contamination. Copper exposed and control sailfin mollies were placed in an observational chamber in order to determine if predator avoidance behavior would be impaired upon the introduction of the predatory freshwater largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). Video software recorded swimming movement that focused on endpoints associated with predator avoidance behavior. Results conveyed that the impairment of sensory abilities on copper exposed fish disrupted predator avoidance behavior, leading to reduced movement and shelter seeking behavior when in the presence of a predator. In fact, the copper exposed prey were more likely to approach a predator, leading to a higher risk of predation in their natural habitat. Although statistical analysis was only performed for a chemical behavioral cue, similar results were witnessed during treatments that included a visual cue and mechanical cue. Results suggest that monitoring copper contamination in freshwater, estuarine, and marine waters is important to the sustainability of economic drivers such as Florida’s recreational and commercial fishing interests.