TRACE ELEMENT CONCENTRATION IN MUSCLE AND LIVER OF FOUR SCIAENID FISHES IN SABINE LAKE (TEXAS/LOUISIANA)

–Sabine Lake is a shallow, estuarine water body situated between Texas and Louisiana with outflow to the Gulf of Mexico. The Louisiana side of the lake is a protected natural area while the Texas side has several commercial industries that likely contribute to trace element contamination. This study determined the concentrations of 15 trace elements in four recreationally and ecologically important sciaenid fishes from Sabine Lake: Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus), red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus), black drum (Pogonias cromis), and spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus). Axial muscle and liver tissues were tested using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS). Liver tissue had greater concentrations of trace elements compared to muscle tissue within each species. There were significant differences in liver tissue among the four species for As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Pb, Se, V, and Zn. Significant difference in only Hg concentration was exhibited in muscle tissue among the fish species. Fish caught on the Texas side of the lake were also found to have significantly higher concentrations of Cu than on the Louisiana side. Fish belonging to the benthic foraging guild had significantly higher concentrations in the liver for the majority of metals compared to pelagic and generalist foragers. Due to the economically important recreational fishery in Sabine Lake, these data establish important baselines for future contaminant and trophic studies.