Climate Change and Overfishing Increase Neurotoxicant in Marine Predators
Over three billion people rely on seafood for nutrition but fish are also the predominant source of exposure to the potent neurotoxicant, methylmercury (MeHg). In the United States (U.S.), 82% of the population-wide MeHg exposure is from consumption of marine seafood with almost 40% from fresh and c...
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ftharvardudash:oai:dash.harvard.edu:1/37374262 2023-05-15T15:27:48+02:00 Climate Change and Overfishing Increase Neurotoxicant in Marine Predators Dassuncao, Clifton Schartup, Amina Pike-Thackray, Colin Qureshi, Asif Gillespie, Kyle Hanke, Alex Sunderland, Elynor 2019-08 application/pdf https://nrs.harvard.edu/URN-3:HUL.INSTREPOS:37374262 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1468-9 en_US eng Springer Science and Business Media LLC Nature Schartup, Amina T., Colin P. Thackray, Asif Qureshi, Clifton Dassuncao, Kyle Gillespie, Alex Hanke, and Elsie M. Sunderland. 2019. Climate Change and Overfishing Increase Neurotoxicant in Marine Predators. Nature 572, no. 7771: 648-50. 0028-0836 1476-4687 https://nrs.harvard.edu/URN-3:HUL.INSTREPOS:37374262 doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1468-9 Nature Multidisciplinary Journal Article 2019 ftharvardudash https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1468-9 2023-02-11T23:20:19Z Over three billion people rely on seafood for nutrition but fish are also the predominant source of exposure to the potent neurotoxicant, methylmercury (MeHg). In the United States (U.S.), 82% of the population-wide MeHg exposure is from consumption of marine seafood with almost 40% from fresh and canned tuna alone.1 Inorganic mercury (Hg) is emitted to the atmosphere from natural and human sources. Most of this Hg (~80%) is deposited to the ocean, where some is converted by microbes to MeHg. Fish are the main vector for human MeHg exposure because environmental concentrations are magnified by a million times or more in predatory fish. Elevated MeHg exposure has been associated with long-term neurocognitive deficits in children that persist into adulthood, resulting in societal costs that exceed $20B USD globally. To mitigate these risks, the first global treaty (Minamata Convention) on anthropogenic Hg emissions reductions entered into force in 2017. However, the effects of ongoing and dramatic changes in marine ecosystems on MeHg bioaccumulation in marine predators most frequently consumed by humans (e.g., tuna, cod, swordfish) have not been considered when setting targets for global policy. Based on more than 30 years of data and ecosystem modeling, we show MeHg concentrations in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) increased by up to 23% between the 1970s and 2000s due to dietary shifts initiated by overfishing. When fully realized, the effects of unprecedented seawater temperature warming since a low observed in 1969 will contribute to an estimated 56% increase in tissue MeHg concentrations in Atlantic bluefin tuna (ABFT: Thunnus thynnus). This is greater than reductions from declining seawater MeHg concentrations in the late 1990s and 2000s (22% decrease). A recent plateau in global anthropogenic Hg emissions means ocean warming and fisheries management programs will be major drivers of future MeHg concentrations in marine predators. Engineering and Applied Sciences Version of Record Article in Journal/Newspaper atlantic cod Gadus morhua Harvard University: DASH - Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard Nature 572 7771 648 650 |
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Harvard University: DASH - Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard |
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Multidisciplinary Dassuncao, Clifton Schartup, Amina Pike-Thackray, Colin Qureshi, Asif Gillespie, Kyle Hanke, Alex Sunderland, Elynor Climate Change and Overfishing Increase Neurotoxicant in Marine Predators |
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Multidisciplinary |
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Over three billion people rely on seafood for nutrition but fish are also the predominant source of exposure to the potent neurotoxicant, methylmercury (MeHg). In the United States (U.S.), 82% of the population-wide MeHg exposure is from consumption of marine seafood with almost 40% from fresh and canned tuna alone.1 Inorganic mercury (Hg) is emitted to the atmosphere from natural and human sources. Most of this Hg (~80%) is deposited to the ocean, where some is converted by microbes to MeHg. Fish are the main vector for human MeHg exposure because environmental concentrations are magnified by a million times or more in predatory fish. Elevated MeHg exposure has been associated with long-term neurocognitive deficits in children that persist into adulthood, resulting in societal costs that exceed $20B USD globally. To mitigate these risks, the first global treaty (Minamata Convention) on anthropogenic Hg emissions reductions entered into force in 2017. However, the effects of ongoing and dramatic changes in marine ecosystems on MeHg bioaccumulation in marine predators most frequently consumed by humans (e.g., tuna, cod, swordfish) have not been considered when setting targets for global policy. Based on more than 30 years of data and ecosystem modeling, we show MeHg concentrations in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) increased by up to 23% between the 1970s and 2000s due to dietary shifts initiated by overfishing. When fully realized, the effects of unprecedented seawater temperature warming since a low observed in 1969 will contribute to an estimated 56% increase in tissue MeHg concentrations in Atlantic bluefin tuna (ABFT: Thunnus thynnus). This is greater than reductions from declining seawater MeHg concentrations in the late 1990s and 2000s (22% decrease). A recent plateau in global anthropogenic Hg emissions means ocean warming and fisheries management programs will be major drivers of future MeHg concentrations in marine predators. Engineering and Applied Sciences Version of Record |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Dassuncao, Clifton Schartup, Amina Pike-Thackray, Colin Qureshi, Asif Gillespie, Kyle Hanke, Alex Sunderland, Elynor |
author_facet |
Dassuncao, Clifton Schartup, Amina Pike-Thackray, Colin Qureshi, Asif Gillespie, Kyle Hanke, Alex Sunderland, Elynor |
author_sort |
Dassuncao, Clifton |
title |
Climate Change and Overfishing Increase Neurotoxicant in Marine Predators |
title_short |
Climate Change and Overfishing Increase Neurotoxicant in Marine Predators |
title_full |
Climate Change and Overfishing Increase Neurotoxicant in Marine Predators |
title_fullStr |
Climate Change and Overfishing Increase Neurotoxicant in Marine Predators |
title_full_unstemmed |
Climate Change and Overfishing Increase Neurotoxicant in Marine Predators |
title_sort |
climate change and overfishing increase neurotoxicant in marine predators |
publisher |
Springer Science and Business Media LLC |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
https://nrs.harvard.edu/URN-3:HUL.INSTREPOS:37374262 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1468-9 |
genre |
atlantic cod Gadus morhua |
genre_facet |
atlantic cod Gadus morhua |
op_source |
Nature |
op_relation |
Nature Schartup, Amina T., Colin P. Thackray, Asif Qureshi, Clifton Dassuncao, Kyle Gillespie, Alex Hanke, and Elsie M. Sunderland. 2019. Climate Change and Overfishing Increase Neurotoxicant in Marine Predators. Nature 572, no. 7771: 648-50. 0028-0836 1476-4687 https://nrs.harvard.edu/URN-3:HUL.INSTREPOS:37374262 doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1468-9 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1468-9 |
container_title |
Nature |
container_volume |
572 |
container_issue |
7771 |
container_start_page |
648 |
op_container_end_page |
650 |
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1766358205837869056 |