Submitted by Lydia Tukarski,
Potomac Conservancy
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Potomac Conservancy recently announced the launch of its Fish Mystery campaign, calling for more research into why over 80% of male smallmouth bass in the Potomac River are now exhibiting female traits, such as eggs.

Potomac Conservancy President Hedrick Belin and USGS Fish Pathologist Vicki Blazer summarized scientists’ findings to date and described a series of actions that individuals, the government, and Congress can take to help solve the mystery of intersex fish—based on the suspicion that a “toxic stew” of emerging pollutants is to blame.

The intersex fish phenomena—first discovered in the Potomac River in 2003—has since been detected nationwide. A 2009 report by the U.S. Geological Survey found intersex fish in a third of 111 sites tested around the United States.

Chemicals that mimic hormones and disrupt the endocrine system are suspected to be the leading cause of such conditions. These include substances common to our everyday lives, including pharmaceutical drugs and personal care products that are flushed into wastewater, and runoff from farms and feedlots that contains pesticides and fertilizers. With almost 90% of the region’s drinking water drawn from the Potomac River, the quality of local water and its impact on people—particularly children—is a top concern.

For more information about the Conservancy’s Fish Mystery Campaign, visit www.potomac.org or www.fishmystery.com.