Are tunas relevant bioindicators of mercury concentrations in the global ocean?

Médieu, Anaïs; Lorrain, Anne; Point, David

doi:10.1007/s10646-023-02679-y

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 85 publications

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“…Across ocean basins (outside of the Arctic and Antarctic Oceans), commercial fisheries for tuna and billfish provide a platform for long-term, sustainable, and cost-effective monitoring of Hg based on existing and regular capture opportunities that can be coupled with sampling (Esposito et al 2018 ; Médieu et al 2023 ). Nearshore fish monitoring signifies Hg concentrations that may differ from those in offshore more pelagic fish, especially when considering the complexity and variable processes related to offshore Hg deposition, methylation, bioavailability, and biomagnification (Médieu et al 2021 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2 ) because of their growth rates, ultimate size, age, trophic level, and ocean basin and therefore species selection is important. Médieu et al ( 2023 ) provide a template for monitoring Hg in tuna, to standardize data collection and reporting, and also suggest other environmental variables that could be integrated into monitoring to aid in interpretation of spatial and temporal trends. Coastal fish biomonitoring would generally include different species – for the Caribbean a new Hg biomonitoring network has identified four key species (barracuda, mahi-mahi, and various snapper and grouper species (Christian et al 2024 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Global mercury concentrations in biota: their use as a basis for a global biomonitoring framework

Evers,

Ackerman,

Åkerblom

et al. 2024

Ecotoxicology

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An important provision of the Minamata Convention on Mercury is to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the adopted measures and its implementation. Here, we describe for the first time currently available biotic mercury (Hg) data on a global scale to improve the understanding of global efforts to reduce the impact of Hg pollution on people and the environment. Data from the peer-reviewed literature were compiled in the Global Biotic Mercury Synthesis (GBMS) database (>550,000 data points). These data provide a foundation for establishing a biomonitoring framework needed to track Hg concentrations in biota globally. We describe Hg exposure in the taxa identified by the Minamata Convention: fish, sea turtles, birds, and marine mammals. Based on the GBMS database, Hg concentrations are presented at relevant geographic scales for continents and oceanic basins. We identify some effective regional templates for monitoring methylmercury (MeHg) availability in the environment, but overall illustrate that there is a general lack of regional biomonitoring initiatives around the world, especially in Africa, Australia, Indo-Pacific, Middle East, and South Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Temporal trend data for Hg in biota are generally limited. Ecologically sensitive sites (where biota have above average MeHg tissue concentrations) have been identified throughout the world. Efforts to model and quantify ecosystem sensitivity locally, regionally, and globally could help establish effective and efficient biomonitoring programs. We present a framework for a global Hg biomonitoring network that includes a three-step continental and oceanic approach to integrate existing biomonitoring efforts and prioritize filling regional data gaps linked with key Hg sources. We describe a standardized approach that builds on an evidence-based evaluation to assess the Minamata Convention’s progress to reduce the impact of global Hg pollution on people and the environment.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Global mercury concentrations in biota: their use as a basis for a global biomonitoring framework

Evers,

Ackerman,

Åkerblom

et al. 2024

Ecotoxicology

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“…Total Hg concentrations were measured in tuna muscle samples in different study-specific laboratories, with laboratory-specific reference standards to ensure accuracy and traceability and allow comparison of regional data sets. The total Hg content is expressed on a dry weight (dw) basis and is considered to reflect MeHg concentration, as most of the total Hg (>91%) is in its methylated form in tuna white muscle . As Hg is known to bioaccumulate with fish length, we calculated length-standardized Hg concentrations to remove the length effect when exploring temporal variability ,, (Figure S2).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stable Tuna Mercury Concentrations since 1971 Illustrate Marine Inertia and the Need for Strong Emission Reductions under the Minamata Convention

Médieu,

Point,

Sonke

et al. 2024

Environ. Sci. Technol. Lett.

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Humans are exposed to toxic methylmercury mainly by consuming marine fish. While reducing mercury emissions and releases aims to protect human health, it is unclear how this affects methylmercury concentrations in seawater and marine biota. We compiled existing and newly acquired mercury concentrations in tropical tunas from the global ocean to explore multidecadal mercury variability between 1971 and 2022. We show the strong inter-annual variability of tuna mercury concentrations at the global scale, after correcting for bioaccumulation effects. We found increasing mercury concentrations in skipjack in the late 1990s in the northwestern Pacific, likely resulting from concomitant increasing Asian mercury emissions. Elsewhere, stable long-term trends of tuna mercury concentrations contrast with an overall decline in global anthropogenic mercury emissions and deposition since the 1970s. Modeling suggests that this limited response observed in tunas likely reflects the inertia of surface ocean mercury with respect to declining emissions, as it is supplied by legacy mercury that accumulated in the subsurface ocean over centuries. To achieve measurable declines in mercury concentrations in highly consumed pelagic fish in the near future, aggressive emission reductions and long-term and continuous mercury monitoring in marine biota are needed.

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First record of mercury concentrations and stable isotopes (13C & 15N) in albacore (Thunnus alalunga) from the Western Equatorial Atlantic Ocean

de Lacerda,

de Alencar Goyanna,

da Silva

et al. 2024

Marine Pollution Bulletin

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Are tunas relevant bioindicators of mercury concentrations in the global ocean?

Cited by 3 publications

References 85 publications

Global mercury concentrations in biota: their use as a basis for a global biomonitoring framework

Global mercury concentrations in biota: their use as a basis for a global biomonitoring framework

Stable Tuna Mercury Concentrations since 1971 Illustrate Marine Inertia and the Need for Strong Emission Reductions under the Minamata Convention

First record of mercury concentrations and stable isotopes (13C & 15N) in albacore (Thunnus alalunga) from the Western Equatorial Atlantic Ocean

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