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Wildlife Ecotoxicology pp 153–187Cite as

Abnormal Alligators and Organochlorine Pesticides in Lake Apopka, Florida

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Part of the book series: Emerging Topics in Ecotoxicology ((ETEP,volume 3))

Abstract

Lake Apopka is a 12,400-ha hypereutrophic lake in central Florida that was the recipient of nutrient and pesticide pollution from adjacent agricultural operations for 50 years. The abnormal American alligator (Alligator mississsippiensis) population in Lake Apopka has been the object of a number of studies including investigations of a population crash, the epidemiology of egg failure, and anomalous endocrine function. Several hypotheses of the causes of these abnormalities have been proposed and examined by multiple research organizations over the past three decades. Initially, organochlorine pesticide (OCP) contamination was considered the most likely factor causing poor reproductive success. DDE concentrations in alligator eggs sampled in 1984–1985 were approximately 4 mg/kg and toxaphene concentrations were approximately 2.5 mg/kg. These levels were known to cause reproductive failure in certain birds. However, transmissible diseases, population age and density, cyanotoxins, nutritional deficiencies, and combinations thereof, were also investigated for their contribution to poor alligator reproductive success. Investigations of an alligator mortality and reproductive failure event on Lake Griffin, a lake similar to Lake Apopka but with lower OCP levels, revealed analogous reproductive abnormalities that were associated with a dietary thiamine deficiency. Thiamine deficiency appeared to be associated with a diet of almost exclusively gizzard shad, which contain thiaminase, an enzyme that breaks down thiamine. OCP contaminants may contribute to these maladies, perhaps through endocrine disruption and increased stress. The findings of the past 30 years of work at Lake Apopka have affected local management decisions as well as policy at the national level.

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Acknowledgments

We wish to thank the many students and collaborators who have participated in the last 30 years of research at Lake Apopka. Although trying to list their names would take more space than allotted here; and undoubtedly, result in leaving someone’s name unmentioned, the reader may gain an appreciation of the number of dedicated individuals by looking at the coauthors on the many publications devoted to Lake Apopka’s abnormal alligators. Similarly, we wish to recognize the many federal, state, and local agencies and other organizations that have provided support for work during the last three decades through grants and in-kind services. We thank T. O’Meara, J. Berish, B. Crowder, and J. Colvo for providing a critical review of earlier drafts of this chapter. The findings and conclusions in this article do not necessarily represent the views of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the St. Johns River Water Management District, or the University of Florida.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, 1105 SW Williston Road, Gainesville, FL, 32601, USA

    Allan R. Woodward

  2. US Geological Survey, Florida Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Florida, 110485, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA

    H. Franklin Percival

  3. US Fish and Wildlife Service, North Florida Ecological Services Field Office, 7915 Bay Meadows Way, Suite 200, Jacksonville, FL, 32256, USA

    R. Heath Rauschenberger

  4. Environmental Resource Consultants, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA

    Timothy S. Gross

  5. US Geological Survey, Southeast Ecological Science Center, 7920 NW 71 Street, Gainesville, FL, 32653-3701, USA

    Kenneth G. Rice

  6. St. Johns River Water Management District, Palatka, FL, 32178, USA

    Roxanne Conrow

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  1. Allan R. Woodward
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  2. H. Franklin Percival
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  3. R. Heath Rauschenberger
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  4. Timothy S. Gross
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  5. Kenneth G. Rice
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  6. Roxanne Conrow
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Correspondence to Allan R. Woodward .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Pacific Wildlife Research Centre, Science and Technology Branch, Environment Canada, 5421 Robertson Road, Delta, V4K 3N2, British Columbia, Canada

    John E. Elliott

  2. Pacific Wildlife Research Centre, Science and Technology Branch, Environment Canada, 5421 Robertson Road, Delta, V4K 3N2, British Columbia, Canada

    Christine A. Bishop

  3. Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, S7N 5E2, Saskatchewan, Canada

    Christy A. Morrissey

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Woodward, A.R., Percival, H.F., Rauschenberger, R.H., Gross, T.S., Rice, K.G., Conrow, R. (2011). Abnormal Alligators and Organochlorine Pesticides in Lake Apopka, Florida. In: Elliott, J., Bishop, C., Morrissey, C. (eds) Wildlife Ecotoxicology. Emerging Topics in Ecotoxicology, vol 3. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-89432-4_5

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