RMP Scientists Contribute to Bay Article as Part of a Synthesis on Mercury in Marine Ecosystems

Dec 5, 2012

In a partnership with the Coastal and Marine Mercury Ecosystem Research Collaborative (C-MERC), RMP scientists have contributed to a manuscript focusing on the most promising avenues for reducing methylmercury contamination in the Bay Area's aquatic food webs. The article, "Reducing methylmercury accumulation in the food webs of San Francisco Bay and its local watersheds", identifies exposure and risk in Bay Area aquatic food webs and evaluates possible control actions. The authors concluded that the most promising avenues for reducing methylmercury are associated with the tidal marsh restoration projects and salt ponds that surround the Bay.

The article was included in a special issue of the journal Environmental Research, with all articles authored by C-MERC collaborators. In addition, C-MERC published a summary report, titled Sources to Seafood, which describes the inputs, cycling, and uptake of mercury in marine ecosystems as well as details on human health effects and policy implications. The report examines mercury sources for the Hudson River Estuary, San Francisco Bay, Gulf of Mexico, Long Island Sound, Chesapeake Bay, Gulf of Maine, Arctic Ocean, and the open ocean. The summary report was also accompanied by a press release, fact sheet, and a video.