Mercury transfer in coastal and oceanic food webs from the Southwest Atlantic Ocean

The response of trophic interaction networks to multiple stressors in a marine latitudinal gradient of the Southern Hemisphere

“…Contaminants can spread through the food web, magnifying the risk to higher-level organisms. Fioramonti et al (2022) studied mercury transfer in three southwest Atlantic Ocean food webs and found biodilution in the Beagle Channel and Atlantic coast of Tierra del Fuego webs. However, mercury concentrations rose with benthivory in these webs, and higher mercury was found in phytoplankton and Grimothea gregaria.…”

“…Notably, one of the contaminated species, the long tail southern cod Patagonotothen ramsayi, is part of the core group of species that drive the ecosystem through the suggested wasp-waist control (Riccialdelli et al 2020). Mercury transfer and biomagnification are ongoing processes in the ecosystem, which are occurring at a greater pace than near coastal areas (Beagle Channel) (Fioramonti et al 2022). It's important to note that the Fuegian sprat Sprattus fuegensis, a pelagic fish with a mid-trophic level in the food web, presented the highest levels of mercury (Fioramonti et al 2022).…”

“…Mercury transfer and biomagnification are ongoing processes in the ecosystem, which are occurring at a greater pace than near coastal areas (Beagle Channel) (Fioramonti et al 2022). It's important to note that the Fuegian sprat Sprattus fuegensis, a pelagic fish with a mid-trophic level in the food web, presented the highest levels of mercury (Fioramonti et al 2022). Considering the wasp-waist control of the Fuegian sprat in the food web (Riccialdelli et al 2020), a rapid and widespread contamination to the top predators is expected (Fioramonti et al 2022).…”

“…Besides bycatch, species of seabirds are being affected by the fishery due to discards, altering its diet; the most frequently encountered species are Black-browed albatross Thalassarche melanophris, Southern giant petrel Macronectes giganteus, Cape petrel Daption capense, Southern royal albatross Diomedea epomophora, Northern giant petrel M. halli, and Whitechinned petrel Procellaria aequinoctialis(Tamini et al 2023). Nevertheless, there is a lack of knowledge considering the species' role in the ecosystem and the potential joint effect of both target fishes and bycatch in a broader food web framework.Anthropogenic contaminants such as microplastics and mercury are present in the water column of the Burdwood Bank ecosystem(Cossi et al 2021;Fioramonti et al 2022;Di Mauro et al 2022). Microplastics are distributed all along the water column, from surface to deep waters (3-2450 m) (DiMauro et al 2022).…”

Primer registro de un depredador natural del bagre marino, Genidens barbus, (Ariidae, Siluriformes) en el estuario del río Negro, Río Negro, Patagonia Argentina

“…Los efectos de los cambios ambientales antropogénicos en los ecosistemas del Atlántico Sudoccidental, particularmente del Mar Argentino, y la Península Antártica han sido estudiados principalmente con foco en una única especie o en un grupo reducido de especies de interés (e.g. Sahade et al 2015;Almandoz et al 2019;Dans et al 2021;Fioramonti et al 2022). Además, el análisis de estos efectos sobre las interacciones tróficas se acota a ciertas relaciones presadepredador de interés, e investigaciones que consideren la totalidad de la red compleja de interacciones tróficas no existen para algunos ecosistemas del Atlántico Sudoccidental y la Península Antártica.…”