Mercury Mitigation Management Strategies and Likely Outcomes

This chapter examines the suite of major perturbations impacting the Everglades that have direct or indirect connections to mercury (Hg) cycling and trophic transfer leading to unacceptably high biota Hg concentrations and considers the likely efficacy of controlling a given perturbation as a management strategy for mitigating the Hg problem. From a conceptual perspective, reducing sulfate contamination in the Everglades emerges as the only viable mitigation strategy. Based on a reduced form model derived from the structural equation model presented in Chap. 6 (this volume), this chapter presents the likely response and uncertainty of Gambusia Hg concentrations to reductions in surface water sulfate concentrations.