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…
Tag: bioaccumulation
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Human impacts
Go Green for Earth Day!
Do Mother Nature a solid with these helpful tips & tricks to go green today!
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…