Photo credit Justin Lewis / BTT
Pharmaceutical Contaminants Discovered in Florida Keys’ Bonefish
Nick Roberts, director of marketing & communications / Bonefish & Tarpon Trust
By Nick Roberts, director of marketing & communications / Bonefish & Tarpon Trust / February 2, 2022
Miami, FL – A three-year study by Florida International University (FIU) and Bonefish & Tarpon Trust (BTT) has discovered pharmaceutical contaminants in the blood and other tissues of bonefish in Biscayne Bay and the Florida Keys.
“Coastal fisheries face increasing threats associated with human-based contaminants,” said Jim McDuffie, BTT President and CEO. “Pharmaceuticals are an often overlooked dimension of water quality and their presence in South Florida bonefish is cause for concern. These contaminants pose a significant threat to the flats fishery, an important part of Florida’s recreational saltwater fishery, which has an annual economic impact of $9.2 billion and directly supports 88,500 jobs.”
Since the study began in 2018, FIU scientists and BTT research associates, in partnership with Sweden’s Umeå University and the University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), have sampled 93 fish in South Florida, finding an average of seven pharmaceuticals per bonefish, and a whopping 17 pharmaceuticals in a single fish. The list includes blood pressure medications, antidepressants, prostate treatment medications, antibiotics, and pain relievers. Researchers also found pharmaceuticals in bonefish prey—crabs, shrimp and fish—suggesting that many of Florida’s valuable fisheries are exposed, and not only the bonefish fishery.
Today at a BTT panel event in Tallahassee, FL, lead researcher Dr. Jennifer Rehage presented the study’s findings:
“These findings are truly alarming,” said Dr. Rehage. “Pharmaceuticals are an invisible threat, unlike algal blooms or turbid waters. Yet these results tell us that they are a formidable threat to our fisheries, and highlight the pressing need to address our longstanding wastewater infrastructure issues.”
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Approximately 5 billion prescriptions are filled each year in the US, yet there are no environmental regulations for the disposal of pharmaceuticals worldwide
Pharmaceutical contaminants originate most often from human wastewater and are not sufficiently removed by conventional water treatment. They remain active at low doses, can be released constantly, and exposure can affect all aspects of fish behavior, with negative consequences for their reproduction and survival. Pharmaceutical contaminants have been shown to affect all aspects of the life of fish, including their feeding, activity, sociability, and migratory behavior.
It’s all about water quality
“These troubling findings underscore the urgent need for Florida to expand and modernize wastewater treatment facilities and sewage infrastructure statewide,” said McDuffie. “Governor DeSantis’s leadership and historic funding for water quality improvements, along with legislative support and funding, have set us on the right path. Now we must expedite those efforts, increase investment over the long term, and pursue innovative solutions. We must accelerate septic to sewer conversion, and in those places where sewage is not available, require the use of advanced septic technology. The health of our citizens and the coastal resources that support Florida’s economy depend on it.”
Albula Vulpes. Bonefish illustration by award winning watercolorist Thom Glace.
Over the past three years, the state has passed major legislation to modernize its water policy and provided historic funding of more than $2 billion for water quality issues. Florida Representative Bobby Payne (R-19) highlighted the state’s extensive efforts to address water quality, saying, “Water quality is vital to our state’s identity and economy. That’s why I’ve made water issues one of my priorities and why I sponsored the Clean Waterways Act to address wastewater, septic, stormwater management, targeting nutrient reduction, and new standards for bio solid applications to mention a few. This historic legislation was a great step and is continuing to make a real difference for Florida’s natural resources.”
Rehage takes a water sample, which will be tested for the presence of pharmaceuticals. Photo by Natasha Gilbert
More on the subject:
The Search for What’s Harming Florida’s Beloved Bonefish
If you think it’s not our fault, urine denial.
by Natasha Gilbert
Like Swimming Through a Pharmacy
Researchers found a wide array of contaminants in Puget Sound fish.
by Pippa Wysong
About Bonefish & Tarpon Trust
Bonefish & Tarpon Trust’s mission is to conserve bonefish, tarpon and permit—the species, their habitats and the larger fisheries they comprise. BTT pursues this mission across the southeastern US, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean through science-based conservation, education and advocacy. Join the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust . . .
About Florida International University
Florida International University is a Top 50 public university that drives real talent and innovation in Miami and globally. Very high research (R1) activity and high social mobility come together at FIU to uplift and accelerate learner success in a global city by focusing in the areas of environment, health, innovation, and justice. Today, FIU has two campuses and multiple centers. FIU serves a diverse student body of more than 58,000 and 270,000 Panther alumni. U.S. News and World Report places dozens of FIU programs among the best in the nation, including international business at No. 2. Washington Monthly Magazine ranks FIU among the top 20 public universities contributing to the public good.
Tim Mahaffey with an Islamorada double digit bone. Duane Baker’s crab fly (insert) reportedly travels well. Photo by Pat Ford. A difference of opinion: bonefish experts like Sandy Moret, Tim Mahaffey, Chico Fernandez and many, many guides in both the Florida Keys and the Bahamas have opined on the matter of catching Albula vulpes. Not so oddly, their choices in rod actions, rod weights, fly lines, and leaders and materials don’t always line up with each other.
