The Dragonfly Mercury Project: From Maine to the national and international stage by Sarah Nelson

The Dragonfly Mercury Project (DMP) is a nationwide study that engages citizen scientists and community volunteers in the collection of dragonfly larvae (nymphs) for mercury (Hg) analysis. Mercury is a toxic air pollutant that accumulates in freshwaters across the US and bio-magnifies in foodwebs. The DMP established a surveillance network for Hg in protected lands across the US, using dragonfly larvae as biosentinels. We also developed an integrated impairment index that informs wildlife and human health Hg risk based on dragonfly concentrations. The project has its roots in Maine, where early work led by the University of Maine and Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park determined that dragonfly larvae were ubiquitous, highlighted variation in Hg across waterbodies, and are straightforward for community and youth participants to identify and collect. The DMP is currently managed by the National Park Service (NPS) and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in collaboration with Dartmouth College and the Appalachian Mountain Club. This study is a vehicle for engaging public participants in science, including biodiversity and aquatic macroinvertebrate discovery, as well as awareness for specific issues like mercury pollution. Since 2009, over 6,000 community scientists have contributed data to this study by sampling dragonfly larvae at more than 180 national parks and protected lands across the country.

Sarah Nelson

is the Director of Research at the Appalachian Mountain Club. Prior to AMC, she was at the University of Maine for 21 years, most recently as an Associate Research Professor in the School of Forest Resources and also as Director of the Program in Ecology and Environmental Sciences. Her research focuses on understanding the effects of atmospheric pollution and climate change on forests, foodwebs, and freshwaters in remote and protected ecosystems. Current research includes geochemistry in lakes, climate change with a focus on changing winters, and mercury contamination, using approaches including long-term monitoring, biosentinels, and citizen/community science. Research sites include remote or protected lands, including long-term sites across Maine, mountain ponds in the Northeast, and national parks around the U.S. One of her signature programs is the Dragonfly Mercury Project (DMP), which engages citizen scientists in collection of dragonfly larvae for mercury analysis in national parks, allowing for national-scale assessment of this neurotoxic pollutant.