La geoquímica de otolitos de peces es una herramienta muy valiosa para reconstruir sus condiciones ambientales, migraciones y ciclos de vida. En este estudio se validó la relación entre la temperatura, la composición de los isótopos de oxígeno del agua (δ18O) y del otolito de Totoaba macdonaldi, una especie en peligro de extinción, tanto en individuos cultivados en condiciones controladas como en individuos encontrados en el medio natural. Este tipo de validación es muy importante para la reconstrucción del hábitat. Al comparar los valores de δ18O en la porción natal de los otolitos de especímenes de totoaba modernos y previos a la construcción de presas (~1000-4500 años AP), se examinó la hipótesis de que la totoaba usaba el estero del Río Colorado como sitio de crianza antes de que el río dejara de fluir debido a la sobreexplotación del agua. Los resultados indican que es posible predecir los valores de δ18O de los otolitos tanto en condiciones de laboratorio como en el medio natural. Los otolitos de las totoabas antes de la construcción de presas tienen valores natales de δ18O significativamente menores que los valores predecibles, lo que indica que estas diferencias en los valores de δ18O son el resultado de un cambio en los valores de δ18O en el agua, el cual a su vez es el resultado de la reducción del flujo del Río Colorado hacia la zona de crianza de la totoaba antes de la construcción de presas. Se concluye que el flujo del Río Colorado fue un componente principal del hábitat de crianza de la totoaba antes de la construcción de presas y la reducción del flujo del río. Estos resultados indican que es apropiado usar los otolitos para reconstruir información ecológica importante y el ciclo de vida de la totoaba, lo que resulta relevante para la investigación sobre esta especie en peligro de extinción. | The geochemistry of fish otoliths is a valuable tool for reconstructing environmental conditions, migrations and life histories. In this study we validate the relationship between temperature, the water oxygen isotope composition (δ18O) and otolith δ18O for the endangered Totoaba macdonaldi, raised under controlled aquaculture conditions and in the field. This type of validation is instrumental for habitat reconstruction. By comparing δ18O values in the natal portion of totoaba otoliths from modern and predam specimens ~1000-4500 yr BP, we test the hypothesis that the totoaba used the Colorado River estuary as a nursery site before the river was over-allocated. We found that otolith δ18O could be predicted in a laboratory setting as well as in the wild. Totoaba otoliths from before river diversion had drastically lower natal δ18O values than predicted values, indicating that these differences in δ18O values are the result of a change in the water δ18O, a consequence of diverting the isotopically negative Colorado River flow from the totoaba's nursery grounds. We conclude that the Colorado River flow was a major component of the totoaba's nursery habitat before river diversions. These results are pertinent to ongoing research on this endangered fish, using otoliths to piece together important ecological and life history information.

The impacts of wastewater on Indigenous drinking water sources is an issue of concern across Canada. This study investigated the wastewater impacts on groundwater resources at a First Nations reserve located on a vulnerable fractured sedimentary bedrock aquifer in southern Ontario. The objectives were to examine the spatiotemporal variability of a variety of tracers of wastewater and their movement to groundwater. The tracers included nitrate, E. coli, total coliforms, and the artificial sweeteners sucralose, acesulfame, and cyclamate. Isotopes in the groundwater were also examined, including tritium and the isotopes of oxygen and nitrogen in dissolved inorganic nitrate. Three multilevel monitoring systems (seven-channel continuous multi-channel tubing) were retrofitted in unused drinking-water wells on the reserve and monitored from December 2015 to November 2016. Results indicate that groundwater at various depths has been impacted by the septic systems on the reserve. The fractures intersected by the three retrofitted wells contain a mix of newly recharged and older water, and contaminant peaks do not always correspond with ports aligned with higher hydraulic conductivity, showing variable travel times for the constituents. The selection of wastewater management systems that are appropriate for the particular hydrogeological setting on the reserves is critical to providing safe, clean drinking water to Indigenous communities. In particular, special consideration should be made for communities situated on fractured sedimentary bedrock aquifers with thin overburden.

Stable isotopic composition (δ²H, δ¹⁸O) of river water, groundwater, and paddy water in the Mun River catchment, northeast Thailand, were determined to investigate the hydrological processes and the impacts of natural and anthropogenic activities on the water cycle. Quantities of δ²H (−93.9 to −25.4‰) and δ¹⁸O (−12.24 to −2.22‰) in river water in the wet season follow the trend: upper reaches > middle reaches ≈ lower reaches. Trends for δ²H (−52.3 to −22.0‰) and δ¹⁸O (−6.37 to −1.36‰) in the dry season are: upper reaches ≈ middle reaches > lower reaches. In the dry season, groundwater (δ²H: −57.5 to −34.6‰, δ¹⁸O: −8.24 to −4.40‰) shows a lighter isotopic composition, and paddy water (δ²H: −18.2‰, δ¹⁸O: −0.72‰) shows the highest isotopic composition. Spatial variation of δ¹⁸O and deuterium excess suggests that groundwater exchanges with surface water frequently. Rainfall and river water recharge groundwater in the wet season, and groundwater flows back to the river in the dry season, especially in the middle reaches. This process is most likely related to impoundment of the rivers by large dams. On the other hand, the lowest values of stable isotopes of river water are coincident with the extreme flooding that was produced by Tropical Storm Sonca in July 2017. This study contributes to a better understanding of hydrological processes in the Mun River catchment and provides a perspective on the application of stable isotopes to other large tropical monsoon catchments around the world.

Stable hydrogen and oxygen isotope signatures of waters within Church and Inkwell blue holes are measured on San Salvador Island (Bahamas) to identify the origin of their fresh and saline waters. Stable isotope data, paired with a suite of physicochemical water parameters measured throughout the blue holes, as a function of both time and depth, provide a detailed understanding of the tidally influenced groundwater interactions on the island. Blue holes are prominent karst features in carbonate environments which serve as windows into subterranean hydrologic processes. Carbonate island hydrology is often complicated by complex interactions between the marine and meteoric water systems, as tidal pumping and water mixing result in diagenetic alteration of the bedrock, that in turn influence dissolution rates and preferential flow paths. Although the blue holes on the island are physically influenced by tidal forcing, the stable isotope data indicate that both their fresh and saline waters are of a meteoric origin rather than seawater, where the meteoric water is likely becoming saline through enrichment by aerosol-derived sea salts. Additionally, the physical profiles of each blue hole indicate differences in mixing processes driven by wind and tidal forcing, where stronger mixing can result in a disruption of the freshwater lens. The implications of this study are important for assessing mixing corrosion processes and dissolution effects, but more research and longer data sets are needed to show whether these results are applicable to other coastal carbonate environments.