Mercury Levels in Marine and Estuarine Fishes of Florida 1989–2001. 2nd edition revised

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Florida Marine Research Institute (FWC-FMRI) hasexamined total mercury levels in muscle tissue from a variety of economically and ecologically important speciesas part of an ongoing study to better understand mercury contamination in marine fishes.The FWC-FMRI MercuryProgram is one of the most comprehensive programs in the United States for monitoring mercury levels inmarine and estuarine fishes. Because mercury, a toxic metallic element, has been shown to bioaccumulate in fishtissue, humans consuming fish can potentially consume significant levels of mercury.We examined the concentrationof total mercury in 6,806 fish, representing 108 species from 40 families. Species represented all major trophicgroups, from primary consumers to apex predators.The majority of individuals we examined contained low concentrationsof mercury, but concentrations in individual fish varied greatly within and among species. Specieswith very low mean or median mercury concentrations tended to be planktivores, detritivores, species that feedon invertebrates, or species that feed on invertebrates and small fish prey.Apex predators typically had the highestmercury concentrations. In most species, mercury concentration increased as fish size increased. Samplingin Florida waters is continuing, and future research relating mercury levels to fish age, feeding ecology, and thetrophic structure of Florida’s marine and estuarine ecosystems will help us better understand concentrations ofthis element in marine fishes. (64pp.)

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Adams, Douglas H., McMichael, Robert H., Jr., Henderson, George E
Format:	monograph biblioteca
Language:	English
Published:	Florida Marine Research Institute 2003
Subjects:	Pollution, Fisheries, Biology, mercury, Florida, fishes,
Online Access:	http://hdl.handle.net/1834/18093
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