We examined the role of wetland water-management on mercury bioaccumulation in songbirds and ducks. This database contains records of mercury concentrations in blood of wetland-foraging songbirds (80 common yellowthroats [Geothlypis trichas] and 14 Nelson’s sparrows [Ammospiza nelsoni]) and eggs of upland-nesting ducks (28 gadwall [Mareca strepera], 19 blue-winged teal [Spatula discors], and 13 northern shoveler [S. clypeta]) across four wetland water-management classifications at Kellys Slough National Wildlife Refuge Complex, near Grand Forks, North Dakota USA.

The persistence and degree of mercury contamination of the lower Carson River system (LCRS) have led to placement of a portion of the Carson River Basin (including Lahontan Reservoir) on the US. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National Priorities List ("Superfund") for research and cleanup. The potential toxicity of mercury concentrations within the LCRS to piscivorous birds (snowy egrets, black-crowned night-herons, and double-crested cormorants) was examined from 1997-2006. This data set supports the following publications: Henny, C.J., Hill, E.F., Grove, R.A., Kaiser, J.L., 2007, Mercury and drought along the lower Carson River, Nevada- I. Snowy egret and black-crowned night-heron annual exposure to mercury, 1997-2006: Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, v. 53, p. 269-280. Hill, E.F., Henny, C.J., Grove, R.A., 2008, Mercury and drought along the lower Carson River, Nevada- II. Snowy egret and black-crowned night-heron reproduction on Lahontan Reservoir, 1997-2006: Ecotoxicology, v. 17, p. 117-131. Hoffman, D.J., Henny, C.J., Hill, E.F., Grove, R.A., Kaiser, J.L., Stebbins, K.R., 2009, Mercury and drought along the lower Carson River, Nevada- III. Effects on blood and organ biochemistry and histopathology of snowy egrets and black-crowned night-herons on Lahontan Reservoir, 2002-2006: Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A, v. 72, p. 1223-1241.

This dataset includes bird species, invertebrate order and family, sample identification codes, capture date, latitude, longitude, habitat, site name, bird age, total mercury concentrations in bird blood, and methylmercury concentrations in whole body aquatic invertebrates.

Fish data only. Water data published in a separate data release by co-authors. Total mercury concentrations in western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) that were caged at specific locations within four control wetlands and four treatment wetlands for a 30-day exposure time period to test the effectiveness of wetland management strategy to reduce mercury contamination.

The dataset includes specifics on bird blood and aquatic invertebrate tissue mercury concentrations measured using direct mercury analysis.

This dataset includes bird species, invertebrate order and family, sample identification codes, collection date, latitude, longitude, site name, bird age, invertebrate life stage, invertebrate trophic group, carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes in birds and invertebrates, total mercury concentrations in bird blood, and methylmercury concentrations in composite invertebrates.

We investigated whether foraging habitat, sex, or fidelity to a foraging area effected blood mercury concentrations in western gulls (Larus occidentalis) from three colonies on the west coast of the United States. Dataset includes total mercury concentrations in western gulls from three colony locations and associated foraging habitat of individual gulls.

Great Salt Lake (GSL) is a designated Site of Hemispheric Importance for migratory birds by the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network. Elevated mercury (Hg) and methylmercury (MeHg) levels related to current inputs and past industrial contamination pose a potential threat to GSL biota, in addition to waterfowl hunters that utilize GSL and surrounding wetland areas. Sediments, invertebrates (brine shrimp, brine flies, and spiders), and waterfowl (northern shoveler and cinnamon teal) were targeted within these studies to determine relative source contributions of Hg and trace elements to the GSL system, determine which sources of mercury are actively bioaccumulating in GSL food webs, assess controls on mercury cycling within the GSL system, and assess MeHg toxicity risk to waterfowl. Hg stable isotopes were heavily employed as tracers of Hg sources and processing. These data are a part of larger studies and associated with upcoming journal articles.

The avian community of peatland habitats were surveyed along belt transects established in multiple units of Seney National Wildlife Refuge, representing peatland habitats dominated by a range of sedge to shrub cover at varying levels. Surveys were conducted during the 3-week period of mid-May to early June and again during mid-June-early July in three years (2007–2009). Three datasets are included here 1) data of presence/absence of breeding bird species detected in each 100-m segment of belt transects, 2) four-letter codes for bird species, and 3) environmental and land-cover attributes summarized for 200-m buffers around the bird-survey segments (100m x 100m), and number of years since each segment was burned, based on refuge fire records.These data support the a publication examining factors influencing the bird community in peatlands.

Water level fluctuations substantially alter the fauna, flora and microbial community of near-shore aquatic ecosystems. Water level management therefore has the potential to strongly influence a wide variety of ecosystem processes. Many northern temperate lake food webs experience substantial methylmercury contamination, which is partially mediated by the action of sulfate reducing bacteria occurring in sediments that are periodically inundated. For lakes with methylmercury problems, water level management could be designed to reduce methylmercury contamination. These data summarize inundated areas at varying water surface elevations for several northern Minnesota lakes, as part of the project described above. The inundated areas were estimated for water surface elevations in 0.1 meter increments between a range of seasonal minimum and maximum water surface elevation values.