Results
from this study expand the environmental assessment of impacts from
landfill leaching on the marine environmental by quantitatively demonstrating
elevated metal uptake in corals growing in CH. Relative to the
JSB coral, CH coral Pb, Zn, Mn and Hg concentrations were elevated, in
concertwith previous studies reporting elevated tracemetals in sediment
and water samples near the landfill. The CH record does not reveal a
long-term trend. Instead, coralmetal variability appears to be dominated
by export of contaminants triggered by periodic input. Elevated contaminants
in the surrounding sediment suggest that resuspension is an
important transport medium for transferring heavy metals to corals,
with increased winds accompanied by higher coral variability at CH.
Coupled with wind-induced resuspension, changes in sea level can enhance
export and percolation of contaminants emanating fromthe landfill.
The interplay of natural processes with land-based human activities is
critical to evaluating the potential environmental impact of near shore
contamination. The temporal and spatial comparisons between the CH
and JSB coral records highlight the need to understand these combined
effects and their impacts on coral record interpretation and ultimately
coral health.