2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference

March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH

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5/23/2019 | 2:00 PM - 2:15 PM | FRESHWATER SALINIZATION: THE DIRECT AND INDIRECT IMPACTS ON INDIVIDUALS, POPULATIONS, AND FOOD WEBS | 151 ABC

FRESHWATER SALINIZATION: THE DIRECT AND INDIRECT IMPACTS ON INDIVIDUALS, POPULATIONS, AND FOOD WEBS

Freshwater salinization is a worldwide problem due to road de-icing, agricultural activities, and mining. A major challenge is to understand the consequences to biota at multiple organizational levels. At the individual and population levels, we have discovered lethal and sublethal effects of increased salinity, including the decline of sensitive taxa, reduced individual growth, and altered performance. At the community level, we have observed changes in food web structure due to direct and indirect effects. Although many freshwater species and communities are sensitive to increased salinity, we have also discovered that some aquatic species can rapidly evolve a tolerance to salt pollution. While salinization from the most common road salt (NaCl) has received relatively little research attention until recently, there has been even less research attention given to road salt alternatives and additives that have been promoted as being environmentally safe. Our research indicates that alternatives can be even more harmful for some aquatic species than NaCl. Collectively, this work underscores the need to take an integrated approach that bridges the fields of ecology, ecotoxicology, and evolution to understand the consequences of freshwater salinization and mitigate its impacts around the world.

Conservation
Eutrophication
Lentic

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Presenters/Authors

Rick Relyea (), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, relyer@rpi.edu;