High mercury levels in Antarctic toothfish Dissostichus mawsoni from the Southwest Pacific sector of the Southern Ocean
Mercury is a bioaccumulating toxic pollutant which can reach humans through the consumption of contaminated food (e.g. marine fish). Although the Southern Ocean is often portrayed as a pristine ecosystem, its fishery products are not immune to mercury contamination. We analysed mercury concentration...
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ftria:oai:ria.ua.pt:10773/37255 2023-06-11T04:03:35+02:00 High mercury levels in Antarctic toothfish Dissostichus mawsoni from the Southwest Pacific sector of the Southern Ocean Queirós, José P. Hill, Simeon L. Pinkerton, Matt Vacchi, Marino Coelho, João P. Pereira, Eduarda Ramos, Jaime A. Seco, José Stevens, Darren W. Xavier, José C. 2020-08 http://hdl.handle.net/10773/37255 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2020.109680 eng eng Elsevier SRFH/PD/BD113487 info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/6817 - DCRRNI ID/UID%2FAMB%2F50017%2F2019/PT Centro-01-0145-FEDER-000018 0013-9351 http://hdl.handle.net/10773/37255 doi:10.1016/j.envres.2020.109680 109680 openAccess http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Fisheries Contaminants Antarctic resources Trace elements article 2020 ftria https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2020.109680 2023-04-26T00:07:50Z Mercury is a bioaccumulating toxic pollutant which can reach humans through the consumption of contaminated food (e.g. marine fish). Although the Southern Ocean is often portrayed as a pristine ecosystem, its fishery products are not immune to mercury contamination. We analysed mercury concentration (organic and inorganic forms - T-Hg) in the muscle of Antarctic toothfish, Dissostichus mawsoni, a long-lived top predator which supports a highly profitable fishery. Our samples were collected in three fishing areas (one seamount and two on the continental slope) in the Southwest Pacific Sector of the Southern Ocean during the 2016/2017 fishing season. Mercury levels and the size range of fish varied between fishing areas, with the highest levels (0.68 ± 0.45 mg kg-1 wwt) occurring on the Amundsen Sea seamount where catches were dominated by larger, older fish. The most parsimonious model of mercury concentration included both age and habitat (seamount vs continental slope) as explanatory variables. Mean mercury levels for each fishing area were higher than those in all previous studies of D. mawsoni, with mean values for the Amundsen Sea seamount exceeding the 0.5 mg kg-1 food safety threshold for the first time. It might therefore be appropriate to add D. mawsoni to the list of taxa, such as swordfish and sharks, which are known to exceed this threshold. This apparent increase in mercury levels suggests a recent contamination event which affected the Southwest Pacific sector, including both the Amundsen and Dumont D'Urville seas. published Article in Journal/Newspaper Amundsen Sea Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Toothfish Southern Ocean Repositório Institucional da Universidade de Aveiro (RIA) Amundsen Sea Antarctic Dumont d'Urville ENVELOPE(140.017,140.017,-66.667,-66.667) Dumont-d'Urville ENVELOPE(140.013,140.013,-66.667,-66.667) Pacific Southern Ocean Environmental Research 187 109680 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Repositório Institucional da Universidade de Aveiro (RIA) |
op_collection_id |
ftria |
language |
English |
topic |
Fisheries Contaminants Antarctic resources Trace elements |
spellingShingle |
Fisheries Contaminants Antarctic resources Trace elements Queirós, José P. Hill, Simeon L. Pinkerton, Matt Vacchi, Marino Coelho, João P. Pereira, Eduarda Ramos, Jaime A. Seco, José Stevens, Darren W. Xavier, José C. High mercury levels in Antarctic toothfish Dissostichus mawsoni from the Southwest Pacific sector of the Southern Ocean |
topic_facet |
Fisheries Contaminants Antarctic resources Trace elements |
description |
Mercury is a bioaccumulating toxic pollutant which can reach humans through the consumption of contaminated food (e.g. marine fish). Although the Southern Ocean is often portrayed as a pristine ecosystem, its fishery products are not immune to mercury contamination. We analysed mercury concentration (organic and inorganic forms - T-Hg) in the muscle of Antarctic toothfish, Dissostichus mawsoni, a long-lived top predator which supports a highly profitable fishery. Our samples were collected in three fishing areas (one seamount and two on the continental slope) in the Southwest Pacific Sector of the Southern Ocean during the 2016/2017 fishing season. Mercury levels and the size range of fish varied between fishing areas, with the highest levels (0.68 ± 0.45 mg kg-1 wwt) occurring on the Amundsen Sea seamount where catches were dominated by larger, older fish. The most parsimonious model of mercury concentration included both age and habitat (seamount vs continental slope) as explanatory variables. Mean mercury levels for each fishing area were higher than those in all previous studies of D. mawsoni, with mean values for the Amundsen Sea seamount exceeding the 0.5 mg kg-1 food safety threshold for the first time. It might therefore be appropriate to add D. mawsoni to the list of taxa, such as swordfish and sharks, which are known to exceed this threshold. This apparent increase in mercury levels suggests a recent contamination event which affected the Southwest Pacific sector, including both the Amundsen and Dumont D'Urville seas. published |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Queirós, José P. Hill, Simeon L. Pinkerton, Matt Vacchi, Marino Coelho, João P. Pereira, Eduarda Ramos, Jaime A. Seco, José Stevens, Darren W. Xavier, José C. |
author_facet |
Queirós, José P. Hill, Simeon L. Pinkerton, Matt Vacchi, Marino Coelho, João P. Pereira, Eduarda Ramos, Jaime A. Seco, José Stevens, Darren W. Xavier, José C. |
author_sort |
Queirós, José P. |
title |
High mercury levels in Antarctic toothfish Dissostichus mawsoni from the Southwest Pacific sector of the Southern Ocean |
title_short |
High mercury levels in Antarctic toothfish Dissostichus mawsoni from the Southwest Pacific sector of the Southern Ocean |
title_full |
High mercury levels in Antarctic toothfish Dissostichus mawsoni from the Southwest Pacific sector of the Southern Ocean |
title_fullStr |
High mercury levels in Antarctic toothfish Dissostichus mawsoni from the Southwest Pacific sector of the Southern Ocean |
title_full_unstemmed |
High mercury levels in Antarctic toothfish Dissostichus mawsoni from the Southwest Pacific sector of the Southern Ocean |
title_sort |
high mercury levels in antarctic toothfish dissostichus mawsoni from the southwest pacific sector of the southern ocean |
publisher |
Elsevier |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10773/37255 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2020.109680 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(140.017,140.017,-66.667,-66.667) ENVELOPE(140.013,140.013,-66.667,-66.667) |
geographic |
Amundsen Sea Antarctic Dumont d'Urville Dumont-d'Urville Pacific Southern Ocean |
geographic_facet |
Amundsen Sea Antarctic Dumont d'Urville Dumont-d'Urville Pacific Southern Ocean |
genre |
Amundsen Sea Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Toothfish Southern Ocean |
genre_facet |
Amundsen Sea Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Toothfish Southern Ocean |
op_relation |
SRFH/PD/BD113487 info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/6817 - DCRRNI ID/UID%2FAMB%2F50017%2F2019/PT Centro-01-0145-FEDER-000018 0013-9351 http://hdl.handle.net/10773/37255 doi:10.1016/j.envres.2020.109680 109680 |
op_rights |
openAccess http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2020.109680 |
container_title |
Environmental Research |
container_volume |
187 |
container_start_page |
109680 |
_version_ |
1768380432985882624 |