Mercury Levels in Fish Could be Raised by Warmer Oceans

Dartmouth researchers and their colleagues report that rising ocean surface temperatures caused by climate change could make fish accumulate more mercury.

Dartmouth researchers and their colleagues report that rising ocean surface temperatures caused by climate change could make fish accumulate more mercury, increasing the health risk to people who eat seafood. The study is published in the journal PLOS ONE.

Until now, little has been known about how global warming may affect mercury bioaccumulation in marine life, and no previous study has demonstrated the effects using fish in both laboratory and field experiments. Mercury released into the air through industrial pollution can accumulate in streams and oceans and is turned into methylmercury in the water.

Advantages of Eating Fish Foods - Health Benefits
Researchers worldwide have discovered that eating fish regularly is good for health. Regular consumption of fish may reduce the risk of diseases such as asthma, prostate cancer and eyesight.

The researchers studied killifish under varying temperatures in the lab and in salt marsh pools in Maine. Fish in the marshes ate insects, worms and other natural food sources, while the lab fish were fed mercury-enriched food. Results showed the fish in warmer waters ate more but grew less and had higher methylmercury levels in their tissues, suggesting increases in their metabolic rate caused the increased uptake of the toxic metal.

Source-Eurekalert

Health Benefits of Fish
Fish is one of the staple food of coastal inhabitants. Nutrition in fish includes protein, calcium and omega-3 fatty acids. Fish is considered to be beneficial for heart and brain.