News
Bacteria control levels of dangerous pollutant in seabirds
Published: 21 December 2016
Despite ongoing global pollution, researchers聽Kyle Elliott (Natural Resource Sciences)聽and John Elliott (Environment Canada)聽have discovered that levels of mercury in seabirds off the coast of B.C. have remained relatively stable over the past 50 years. Surprisingly, mercury in seabirds is now actually slightly lower. This might appear to be good news, but unfortunately it is due to a decline in fish stocks near the surface which has forced seabirds to change their diet, and in the process to feed in areas low in bacteria (known as sulfate-reducing bacteria) which act to control the levels of mercury in their bodies. 聽麻豆AV Newsroom.