Abstract
Heavy metal inputs to coastal Alaska ecosystems are driven by sediment loads from glacial meltwater and river outflows. This study characterized the spatial distribution of 16 major and trace metals in five strata in Kachemak Bay, as well as sediment total organic carbon content and grain size. Homer Harbor, a shallow harbor within the study area, contained elevated metal concentrations compared to the other strata. Outside the harbor, several metals, including Cr, Ni, Pb, and Zn, were significantly higher in the eastern strata than in the western portions of the bay. The opposite was true for a few other metals, such as Hg. However, most metal concentrations were below the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s sediment quality guidelines for sediment toxicity to benthic communities.
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Acknowledgments
The authors wish to acknowledge the North Pacific Research Board for major funding support. The Cook Inlet Regional Citizens Advisory Council also provided funding to support field work. The Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and Kasitsna Bay Lab provided logistical support. Capt. John Crosbie and Everett Anderson worked tirelessly aboard the vessel Columbia. Mark Janes and Tim Robertson of Nuka Research also assisted in the field work. We thank Kevin McMahon for his constructive comments.
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Apeti, D.A., Hartwell, I.S. Baseline assessment of heavy metal concentrations in surficial sediment from Kachemak Bay, Alaska. Environ Monit Assess 187, 4106 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-014-4106-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-014-4106-x