Although our results suggest that Hg has a negative influence on turtle reproduction, the importance of these effects to turtle populations is still unknown. Turtle population dynamics are highly dependent upon the survival of adults, particularly mature females, whereas egg and hatchling survival are generally thought to have relatively little influence on population dynamics. However, population models produced by Cunningham and Brooks suggest that the importance of annual hatchling survival increases in cases where adult survival is compromised by factors such as road mortality and over harvesting. We propose three activities that would aid in maintaining healthy turtle populations in contaminated areas and contribute to our understanding of how Hg might influence turtle population dynamics. First, our results can be used to develop sustainable programs for monitoring exposure of turtles to Hg. We show that Hg
concentrations in female tissue strongly correlate with concentrations in eggs, allowing researchers to estimate egg concentrations that would be expected to have adverse effects from relatively easy to collect nondestructive tissues (i.e., adult blood and nail). Second, to accurately assess the influence of impaired reproduction on turtle population viability, factors influencing adult survival must be understood. For example, throughout their range, snapping turtles and their eggs are frequently harvested for human consumption, but the rate and frequency of harvest is largely unknown and in many cases poorly regulated. For turtle populations facing threats of pollution, adult harvest in conjunction with reduced egg viability may influence demographics and ultimately population persistence. Finally, protection and/or construction of nesting habitat may help mitigate reduced reproductive success in contaminated areas. Nest failure due to predation can range from 30 to 100% in turtles, and other factors such as flooding, erosion, suboptimal nest temperatures, and nest destruction can further increase rates of nest failure. If appropriate nesting
habitat is readily available and protected from nest predators, the negative reproductive effects elicited by maternally transferred Hg might be offset.