Although the marshes have collected a reputation in great places with dangerous species and ghostly visualizations, they play a major role in the ecosystem. That is why a recent discovery, made in some swamps of Georgia and South Carolina, is worried by researchers.
What happens?
According to a recent study published in toxicology and environmental chemistry, elevated mercury levels have been found in several marshmallows throughout the deep south. The discovery was made when a team of researchers conducted a study of alligators in the region. They chose Jekyll Island and the Oceffinoki swamp in Georgia, as well as the Yawkey Wild Animal Center in South Carolina as their main places.
While talking to UGA today, Kristen Zemitis, a leading author of the study and graduate of the University of Georgia, noted the importance of alligators. “The alligators are very ancient beings and we can consider them in these areas as an indicator of what can happen in the ecosystem,” Zemitis said. “Studying them can be associated with many different things on the web.”
That is why a team of researchers was stunned when they began to measure mercury levels in the three research sites. Mercury exists naturally in the earth’s crust and can be placed in the environment through natural processes. However, as noted in the study, mercury is “a powerful neurotoxin, usually appreciated in body pollutants.”
Why are increased levels of mercury in marshes important?
Often, human activities such as industrial pollution and urbanization can lead to regional “hot spots” with increased concentrations of mercury. With this in mind, the research team spent several months analyzing blood samples of more than 100 alligators in the Oceffinok swamp, Jekil Island and the Yawkey Wild Animal Center.
Their discoveries reveal that the mercury concentrations were about eight times higher in the alligators inhabiting the swamp of Okefenokee than in any of the other places. “This is one of the results of the study that was the most striking for me,” says Jeb Byers, co-author of the study.
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“Mercury is a neurotoxin, which is very deadly to organisms. If it accumulates, it moves through the food network and creates the perfect storm. This is what we have in Okefenokee,” added byers, Professor of UGA.
Researchers have determined that Mercury may move up through the food chain at a faster speed than it has been thought before. When mercury enters a marine environment from various sources, it can be consumed by small organisms in the food chain. As the greater species eat these smaller organisms, this can lead to higher levels in larger predators, such as alligators.
What is being done for these high levels of mercury?
High levels of mercury can be problematic for local communities that rely on the fishing industry for their food supply. “Mercury pollution can be a great concern for people who can consume many fish or species of games from rivers, marshes or oceans that have high mercury,” Zemitis noted.
While the study revealed anxious results, Zemitis said that this can potentially help us learn more about which species are most affected in our environment. “Now that we know this about one of the predators on the top of these systems, we wonder what else is influenced?” Added zemaitis.
The researcher explained that more current studies can better explain where the excess levels of mercury come from and how high a neurotoxin in the ecosystem is.
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