Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles
Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification of Mercury and Methylmercury in Four Sympatric Coastal Sharks in a Protected Subtropical Lagoon
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
3-15-2017
Publication Title
Marine Pollution Bulletin
Keywords
Apex predators, Sharks, Florida Bay, Mercury, Stable isotopes, Trophic transfer
ISSN
0025-326X
Volume
116
Issue/No.
1-2
First Page
357
Last Page
364
Abstract
Mercury bioaccumulation is frequently observed in marine ecosystems, often with stronger effects at higher trophic levels. We compared total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) from muscle with length, comparative isotopic niche, and diet (via δ13C and δ15N) among four sympatric coastal sharks in Florida Bay (USA): blacknose, blacktip, bull, and lemon. Mercury in blacknose and blacktip sharks increased significantly with size, whereas bull and lemon sharks had a high variance in mercury relative to size. Both δ13C and δ15N were consistent with general resource use and trophic position relationships across all species. A significant relationship was observed between δ13C and mercury in blacktip sharks, suggesting an ontogenetic shift isotopic niche, possibly a dietary change. Multiple regression showed that δ13C and δ15N were the strongest factors regarding mercury bioaccumulation in individuals across all species. Additional research is recommended to resolve the mechanisms that determine mercury biomagnification in individual shark species.
NSUWorks Citation
Adam G. Matulik, David Kerstetter, Neil Hammerschlag, Timohty Divoll, Chad R. Hammerschmidt, and David C. Evers. 2017. Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification of Mercury and Methylmercury in Four Sympatric Coastal Sharks in a Protected Subtropical Lagoon .Marine Pollution Bulletin , (1-2) : 357 -364. https://nsuworks.nova.edu/occ_facarticles/790.
ORCID ID
0000-0002-4440-8767
ResearcherID
I-5396-2012
DOI
10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.01.033
Comments
©2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.