Research Finds Dolphins With Elevated Mercury Levels in Florida and Georgia June 12, 2024

https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2024/06/research-finds-dolphins-elevated-mercury-levels-florida-and-georgia In a study with potential implications for the oceans and human health, scientists reported elevated mercury levels in dolphins in the U.S. Southeast, with the greatest levels found in dolphins in Florida’s St. Joseph and Choctawhatchee Bays. Dolphins are considered a “sentinel species” for oceans and human health because, like us, they are high up in the food chain, live long lives, and share certain physiological traits with humans. Some staples of their diet, such as spot, croaker, weakfish and other small fish, are most vulnerable to mercury pollution and are also eaten by people. v