Project Summary
Adirondack Fishery Research Program, Cornell University
H. Shayler and C. Kraft
Mercury contamination threatens water quality and human health, yet the extent of contamination in many watersheds remains uncertain.
High mercury concentrations measured in fish from Adirondack waters – including sport fish harvested and prized by anglers – exceed levels recommended by health advisories and raise concerns about the fish consumption of anglers and their families. By making information more accessible to communities, we hope to foster science-based decision making to minimize the detrimental impacts of mercury pollution upon human health.
This research will build upon ongoing assessments of mercury contamination in New York State waters by linking existing fish mercury data to humans. Using angling records, survey response data, household fish consumption records, and interviews with key informants, we will assess whether increased access to fish mercury data from local waters and targeted estimates of human exposure are useful strategies to address common community concerns and foster science-based decision making about sport fish consumption.
Through this Adirondack study we hope to facilitate: (1) more effective communications between researchers and the angling community, and (2) useful and effective response strategies for communities facing contamination issues.
In addition to compiling a growing dataset of information about mercury concentrations in fish from Adirondack waters, members of our research team (including graduate student J. Lepak) are quantifying the factors influencing mercury bioaccumulation in fish by measuring both individual fish and watershed characteristics in a suite of lakes in the Adirondacks and
Mercury Contamination:
Science-based Decision Making about Fish Consumption