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Tag: bioaccumulation

Narwhal Tusks Indicate Changing Mercury Levels in Arctic Waters
Sea Ice

Narwhal Tusks Indicate Changing Mercury Levels in Arctic Waters

By analyzing growth rings in the tusks of narwhals, scientists uncover trends in mercury pollution in the Canadian Arctic and…
July 28, 2021July 27, 2021 Rena Kingery
Sea lions and seals and PFAS, oh my: Location still matters for Australian pups
Pollution

Sea lions and seals and PFAS, oh my: Location still matters for Australian pups

I recently found myself falling down a chemical pollutant rabbit hole. Every news source seemed to be shouting “PFAS chemicals…
May 25, 2021May 25, 2021 Kristin Huizenga
Human mercury pollution found at the deepest ocean
Pollution

Human mercury pollution found at the deepest ocean

For many decades, humans have been putting mercury into the ocean, contaminating big fish like tuna and swordfish. But we…
December 17, 2020December 17, 2020 Jiwoon Park
Sargassum: An Overlooked Solution
Aquaculture Biochemistry Biology Coastal Management Conservation Human impacts Pollution Restoration Toxicology

Sargassum: An Overlooked Solution

Sargassum, a type of brown seaweed, provides important ecosystem services in the Atlantic. However, this new study explores how sargassum…
April 22, 2020April 21, 2020 Ashley Mickens
You are what you eat: Microplastics travel from food to the brain
Plastic Pollution

You are what you eat: Microplastics travel from food to the brain

Oceans are full of microplastics. These tiny plastic particles end up in the stomach of marine animals. Now, scientists have…
December 17, 2019December 17, 2019 Anastasia Yandulskaya
Larval fish foraging grounds inundated by plastic pollution
Human impacts

Larval fish foraging grounds inundated by plastic pollution

If the adage "you are what you eat" holds true, we may be in some big trouble. A recent study…
December 3, 2019December 3, 2019 Ashley Marranzino
Ocean to Table Mercury: a Rising Risk
Fisheries

Ocean to Table Mercury: a Rising Risk

For fish eaters, mercury consumption is an ever-present worry but often pushed to the backs of our minds. But the…
May 31, 2018May 30, 2018 Julia Dohner
Gassing Earth Out of the Ice Age: the North Pacific
Biogeochemistry Climate Change Ocean Acidification

Gassing Earth Out of the Ice Age: the North Pacific

Enhanced upwelling and CO2 degassing from the North Pacific during a warm climate event 14,000 years ago may have helped…
May 9, 2018 Zoe Gentes
Heavy Metal Presence in Fish from Fresh and Coastal Waters of Ghana
Fisheries

Heavy Metal Presence in Fish from Fresh and Coastal Waters of Ghana

Heavy metal: it’s not just an intense genre of rock music, but also an element high in density that can…
April 27, 2018June 22, 2018 Rishya Narayanan
Chemistry

After the Phase Out: Can Banning Toxic Chemicals Rescue Pilot Whales?

When it comes to persistent pollutants, all roads lead to the ocean. Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) is a chemical that has…
May 24, 2017May 24, 2017 Carrie McDonough
Plastic Pollution Toxicology

Microplastics demystified: a review examining how these tiny plastics act in pollutant transfer

Paper: Lohmann, R. Microplastics Are Not Important for the Cycling and Bioaccumulation of Organic Pollutants in the Oceans—but Should Microplastics…
May 12, 2017 Anna Robuck
Biology deep sea Hazards Pollution Toxicology

Manmade Pollutants Plague Deep-sea Organsims

Scientists have found an alarming accumulation of certain persistent organic pollutants in an environment previously thought pristine and untouched by…
February 25, 2017February 26, 2017 Ashley Marranzino
Chemistry

What’s in the Hair of a Polar Bear?

The accumulation of toxic methylmercury is a serious threat to wildlife all over the world – especially top predators in…
May 17, 2016May 16, 2016 Carrie McDonough
Human impacts

Go Green for Earth Day!

Do Mother Nature a solid with these helpful tips & tricks to go green today!
April 22, 2016April 21, 2016 Brittney G. Borowiec
Chemistry

Spawning Under the Influence: Drugs and Toxins Found in Salmon

You may think you’re familiar with the side effects of most common medications, but there are other, hidden side effects…
April 18, 2016April 19, 2016 Carrie McDonough
Chemistry

Tiny ocean creatures play a big role in the global fate of toxic pollutants

Scientists on the “biggest ever expedition on global change” studied the tiniest creatures in the ocean to learn about their…
July 31, 2015July 31, 2015 Carrie McDonough
Biology Chemistry

The Secret’s in the Slime

Scientists have recently discovered that the hagfish’s notorious slime has uses beyond defense: it also mediates uptake of toxins through…
April 17, 2015April 17, 2015 Carrie McDonough
Chemistry

We Don’t Know the Half of It: Hundreds of Contaminants in Dolphin Blubber from Southern California

Dolphins and humans are continuously exposed to low levels of various halogenated, persistent manmade pollutants through their diets. In this…
March 17, 2015October 27, 2017 Carrie McDonough
Ecology Fisheries Human impacts Pollution

Cartilaginous Conundrum: Are Sharks and Skates Safe to Eat?

While smooth dogfish may not be on your list of favorite seafood, cartilaginous fish (mainly sharks and skates) may increasingly…
September 3, 2014September 12, 2014 Carrie McDonough
Fisheries

Impostor! How mislabeled seafood affects the amount of mercury you ingest

Seafood mislabeling is a big problem for both consumers and fisheries management. Using genetic data and mercury concentrations, scientists figured…
August 11, 2014August 11, 2014 Lis Henderson

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