Journal
DEEP-SEA RESEARCH PART I-OCEANOGRAPHIC RESEARCH PAPERS
Volume 65, Issue -, Pages 113-124Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.dsr.2012.02.010
Keywords
Metal; Stable isotope; Trophic transfer; Fish; Mollusc; Crustaceans
Categories
Funding
- Conseil Regional de Poitou-Charentes
- Contrat de Projet Etat-Region [CPER 13]
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The Bay of Biscay (north-east Atlantic) is an open marine ecosystem of particular concern in current European environmental policies. Indeed, it supports both a high biological diversity and numerous anthropogenic activities such as important fisheries. For the first time, stable isotope analyses (SIA) of carbon and nitrogen and analysis of total mercury (T-Hg) concentrations in the muscle (edible flesh) were performed on adult stages of a wide range of species (i.e., 120 species) from various taxa and various habitats of this ecosystem. Concentrations of this non-essential metal, toxic to all living organisms, ranged from 39 to 5074 ng g(-1) dry weight. Calculations of species' trophic positions (TPs) through SIA revealed a limited effect of TP in explaining Hg bioaccumulation by high trophic level consumers in particular. On the contrary, our results suggest an important role of habitat and/or feeding zone, which strongly influence muscle Hg bioaccumulation. Deep-sea fish species effectively presented the highest Hg concentrations. Possible interactions between biological factors (e.g., age of deep-sea organisms) and bioavailability of the metal in the deep-sea environment are discussed to explain such enhanced bioaccumulation of Hg by deep-sea fauna in the Bay of Biscay. This study also highlights a potential risk for human health when deep-sea fish are consumed frequently. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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