WHY STUDY HUDSON RIVER MINK?
Many species of mammals rely on the Hudson River, including its floodplain, for habitat, food, and as a breeding ground. Mammals that depend on the river for food and habitat include otter, muskrat, raccoon, beaver, and mink. The Hudson River NRDA Plan identified mink health as an area for biological injury investigation. Mink are small carnivorous mammals that are associated with aquatic habitats of all kinds, including rivers, lakes, and wetlands. Mink are opportunistic feeders that consume a wide range of prey. Their diet includes mice, rats, rabbits, muskrats, frogs, fish, and crayfish. They also eat birds, snakes, insects, and other invertebrates. Mink are exposed to PCBs through their diet, and they come into contact with and ingest contaminated water, soil, and sediments as they build dens and forage for food. Many laboratory and field studies done in other parts of the country have shown the potentially harmful effects of PCBs on fish, mammals, and other wildlife. In mink, PCBs
