Warming seas could increase mercury accumulation in fish

By on October 14, 2013
Guatemalan Killifish (Credit: Opencage, via Wikimedia Commons)

Guatemalan Killifish (Credit: Opencage, via Wikimedia Commons)


Warmer surface water temperatures may increase the likelihood that fish accumulate mercury, according to a report by the Climate News Network.

In a study published in the Public Library of Science, Dartmouth researchers found that warmer water temperatures increased the metabolism of killifish.

An increased metabolic rate caused increased eating habits and raised the chances that the fish would accumulate mercury in their bodies.

As part of the study, researchers fed mercury-laced food to fish in a lab living at varying temperatures. They found fish in warmer water had higher concentrations of mercury in their bodies, but were smaller than fish in cooler water.

Image: Guatemalan Killifish (Credit: Opencage, via Wikimedia Commons)

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