Pollution
A century-long record of mercury contamination in seabirds
Seabird feathers can tell us how serious mercury pollution in the ocean is.
Tag: Mercury
Biodiversity
To Combat World Hunger, Protect Biodiversity
Variety is the spice of life – or if you are an ecologist you might say “biodiversity” is the spice…
Pollution
Fish feed on ocean plastic… but are they really only eating plastic?
Pretty much any plastic product is made from plastic pellets. However, billions of pellets have now made their way into…
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…
Biogeochemistry Pollution
Mercurial fish: Climate change and temperature could change how much mercury you’re eating
Dr. Amina Schartup’s research focuses on many important issues to both marine and human health, including methylmercury concentration in fish.…
Pollution
Genetically Modified Yeast Can Clean Up Wastewater
Humans have been polluting the ocean with heavy metals by burning fossil fuels, mining metals and discharging wastewater. But we…
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…
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…
Climate Change
How warming weather will open the mercury bank in Alaska
Researchers in this study measured mercury in Alaska and calculated the mercury to organic carbon ratio. This ratio was used…
Toxicology
Just breathe…OR NOT: Mercury from hydrothermal vents in bubbles and the air
Mercury is a toxic element that can accumulate in marine organisms, including fish we eat. But how does mercury into…
Fisheries
What can tuna tell us about mercury emissions?
North America’s mercury emissions have declined over the last two decades. Researchers have found a connection between the declining emissions…
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…
Climate Change Fisheries
Written in bone: what ancient Pacific Cod can tell us about sea level rise and mercury
Through biogeochemical analysis, researchers found that mercury levels in ancient Pacific Cod bones peaked at a time of deglaciation and…
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…
Biology Chemistry Fisheries Hazards Human impacts Pollution
The Hairy Truth: Using Grizzly Bear hair to study mercury levels
A large portion of the North American Grizzly Bear population call Western Canada home. The diet of these bears ranges…
Chemistry
Sea ice leads cause changes in mercury and ozone levels in the Arctic
In our changing climate, the opening and closing of sea-ice is occurring more frequently, resulting from thick perennial Arctic sea…
Biology Chemistry
Is the Oil Sands Industry in Canada Linked to Mercury Levels in Birds?
The oil or "tar" sands in Alberta, Canada are the third largest known reserves of accessible oil in the world.…