Shovelnose sturgeon -Scaphirhynchus platorynchus
Pallid sturgeon -Scaphirhynchus albus
INTERSEX STURGEON IN THE MISSOURI RIVER? - THE EFFECTS OF EMERGING CONTAMINANTS
ON A BIG RIVER
Photo courtesy of Aaron DeLonay
Overview:
• Our findings • Where intersex occurs • Historic occurrence • Intersex biology • Causes • Likely chemicals • What we (don’t) know
Photo Courtesy Aaron DeLonay
Normal Early Stage Ovary
Testis
Ovarian folds
Microscopic View
Historic occurrence of intersex
Distribution of Intersex Sturgeon
Male photo
Fix mdc results
RM 450 St. Joseph
RM 330 Napoleon
RM 250 Miami
RM 200 Franklin Isl
and
RM 170 Easley
RM 125 Mokane
RM 45 Weldon Sprin
gs
RM 298 Saverton
RM 149 Crystal C
ity
RM 52 Cape Girardeau
RM 847 Caruthersville
% of
Inters
exed
Male
s
0
5
10
15
20
25
Missouri RiverMississippi River
16
17
18
19
16
21
15
14
15 1413
Historic Occurrence
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Perc
ent
'64-'71 '68-'69 '78-'79 '93-'94 '00-'01 07-'08
Year
of Catchof Males
So What? • Not Normal • Reproductive consequences • May be increasing • Indicative of other problems? • Don’t know what the cause is • Could be related to water/sediment quality
Gametogenesis
Primary Germ Cell (PGC)
Eggs Sperm
Genetics Hormonal
PGC
Eggs Sperm
Hypothalmus
PGC
Eggs Sperm Gonad
Pituitary
Hormones Hormones
Some Causes of Abnormal Hermaphroditism in Fish
• Senescence • Genetic abnormalities • Hybridization • Radiation • Diet • Temperature • Environmental disturbances • Chemicals
Age and Size Characteristics
FL WT Age
mm
or g
ram
s +
SE
0
200
400
600
800
1000
Year
s +
SE
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
intersex normal
Some Proposed Causes of Abnormal Hermaphroditism in Fish
• Senescence • Genetic abnormalities • Hybridization • Radiation • Diet • Temperature • Environmental disturbances • Chemicals
AN ENDOCRINE DISRUPTOR IS:
A compound that interferes with, or changes, normal endocrine (hormone) function.
17 alpha-Ethinyl Estradiol
OH
C CH
HO OH
nonylphenol
HO OH
Bisphenol A
HO
Cl
Cl
Cl
Hydroxy PCBs
Cl Cl
H
C-Cl3
DDT
Cl
C2H3N H
NCH(CH3)2 H
N N
N
Atrazine
(C4H9)
Sn
(C4H9)
(C4H9)
Tributyl Tin
Reproductive Characteristics, Functions, Processes that Can be Altered with
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals:
• Sexual differentiation and development • Offspring sex ratio • Gonad and duct development • Secondary sexual characteristics • Fertility • Fecundity • Mating and sexual behavior • Gametogenesis • Hormone levels
WHERE DO EDCS COME FROM?
Personal care products Commercial products Detergents Industrial discharge Residential wastewater Municipal WWTP Agriculture
Contaminant
Water Exceedances Sediment Exceedances Tissue Exceedances Preliminary Risk Conclusion
Trace Elements
Arsenic 0 of 302 1 of 21 No Data COC
Cadmium 6 of 151 2 of 21 0 of 43 COC
Chromium 2 of 151 0 of 20 No Data COC
Copper 5 of 151 1 of 25 No Data COC
Lead 36 of 151 2 of 26 0 of 41 COC
Mercury 0 of 90 0 of 15 25 of 43 COC
Nickel 0 of 151 5 of 27 No Data COC
Selenium 31 of 302 No Data 1 of 2 COC
Zinc 3 of 151 1 of 28 No Data COC
Nutrients
Ammonia 6 of 268 No Data No Data COC
Total Nitrogen 320 of 320 No Data No Data COC
Total Phosphorous 346 of 346 No Data No Data COC
From forthcoming report on Contaminants of Concern in the MOR
Pesticides
2,4-D 0 of 1 No Data No Data DG
Carbaryl 1 of 110 No Data No Data DG
Chlordane No Data 1 of 4 29 of 141 COC
Chlorpyrifos 0 of 206 0 of 4 No Data DG
Diazinon 0 of 206 0 of 1 No Data DG
Dieldrin 0 of 205 0 of 4 14 of 140 COC
DDT No Data 0 of 4 21 of 141 COC
DDD No Data 0 of 4 0 of 139 NL
DDE 0 of 202 4 of 4 26 of 139 COC
Metolachlor 0 of 206 No Data No Data DG
Triazine Herbicides 73 of 206 No Data No Data COC
Industrial Organics
Dioxins/Furans No Data No Data No Data DG
Nonylphenol No Data No Data No Data DG
PAHs No Data 0 of 4 No Data DG
PBDE No Data No Data No Benchmark (94 samples)
DG
PCBs No Data 4 of 4 133 of 141 COC
Other
Chlorophyl A 198 of 198 No Data No Data COC
Estrogens No Data No Data No Data DG
pH 0 of 361 No Data No Data NL
Water Sediment Tissue
“The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) recommends that all consumers be aware of the positive benefits of
eating fish and the potential adverse health effects of contaminants that may be found in fish.”
Year
ng/g
egg
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
Year
ng/g
fille
t
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
'84 '86 '88 '96 '04 '08
Egg Concentrations
Fillet concentrations
Data: Courtesy Mike McKee, MO Dept. of Conservation
PCBs, Chlordanes
Photo courtesy of Aaron DeLonay
Unlikely Legacy Chemicals:
ng/g
Lip
id-2000
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
14000
Normal Intersex Normal IntersexGonad Brain
Organochlorine Pesticides
ng/g
Lip
id
0
20000
40000
60000
80000
100000
Normal Intersex Normal IntersexGonad Brain
Total PCBs
Flame Retardants: PBDEs ng
/g L
ipid
-2000
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
Normal Intersex Normal IntersexGonad Brain
How do we link exposure to
MOR EDCs to intersex in sturgeon?
Testis
A small incision in the belly of a pallid sturgeon to implant a transmitter revealed it was intersex
Eggs
Vulnerability of Sturgeon
• Benthic feeders/dwellers • Long-lived • Age at first maturity • High lipid content • Spawning frequency • Other?
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
REGION #6
FY11 ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINANTS PROGRAM OFF-REFUGE INVESTIGATIONS SUB-ACTIVITY
Evaluation of Endocrine Active Chemicals and Synthetic Hormones in Shovelnose Sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus): Implications for the reproduction and recovery of
an endangered species
Reduced Size of Testes
1000 10000 100000-2
0
2
4
6
8
10
ng OCPs/g Lipid
Test
icul
ar G
onad
osom
atic
Inde
x
R2=0.57
R² = 0.30
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
0 100 200 300 400 500 600
Surv
ival
(cum
ulat
ive
%)
dl-PCB (ng/g lipid)
2 dpf (p<0.01)
Embryological Survival (2-3 dpf) (From Buckler, J. Thesis 2011)
Environmental Stressors
• Over harvest • Channelization
• Dams • Loss of habitat • Contaminants ?
Photo courtesy of
Robb Jacobson
Intersex Male Immature Females Mature Females
Mea
n Vi
tello
geni
n (n
g/m
L) ±
SD
0
1
2
200400600800
100012001400160018002000
14
2
2
1