Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust volunteers contribute to community science with the Dragonfly Mercury Project.

Community scientists around the country are working with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Park Service (NPS) to collect dragonfly larvae—juvenile dragonflies that live in the water before they molt and fly away. Why dragonflies? Dragonfly larvae are effective indicators of the risk of mercury contamination in rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, and wetlands for several reasons. According to the USGS they:

• eat other insects so contain higher concentrations of mercury (bioaccumulation)
• live in most types of waterbodies
• live in a variety of habitat types (tundra streams to desert oases) and are found on 6 continents
• are easy and cost-effective to monitor
• provide high-quality data on mercury condition at collection sites
• reflect concentrations of mercury in fish and other wildlife (biomagnification)

Dragonflies can live in the water for up to a few years prior to the next stage in their life cycle—accumulating mercury as they eat. Small fish and amphibians then eat the dragonfly larvae, which in turn are eaten by reptiles, birds, and small mammals, and so on. This is how mercury makes its way up the food chain; biomagnifying at each level.

LP&CT volunteers have been contributing to research in the Merrimack River watershed since 2021, along with other local organizations, including the Lowell National Historical Park, the Tsongas Industrial History Center, the Appalachian Mountain Club, and several schools. By participating in this community science project, volunteers and students are able to:

• Practice real-world science skills and help build their understanding of the world around them.
• Connect to natural spaces and learn how mercury affects food webs with hands-on science in local waters.
• Use the data to explain to their community, family, and decision-makers how mercury could be an issue where they live.
• Help protect the ecosystem of the Merrimack River Watershed.

The Merrimack Dragonfly Mercury Project (DMP) has created a multilingual StoryMap to connect Lowell’s history to this important research. It includes an interactive map and an analysis from the last five years of sampling different waterbodies in the Merrimack River Watershed. Check it out here: https://bit.ly/Merrimack-DMP

The USGS also has an interesting geonarrative that provides an overview of the project at the national level.

For additional info visit: go.nps.gov/dragonflymercury. Please contact us if you’re interesting in helping with this fascinating research!