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Researchers working in Georgia’s swamps discovered something alarming in alligator blood, according to BBC Wildlife, raising concerns about human health and safety.
What’s happening?
University of Georgia and UGA Marine Extension and Sea Grant researchers visited three sites — Okefenokee Swamp, Jekyll Island, and the Yawkey Wildlife Center — and collected blood samples from over 100 individual swamp gators.
Their findings, published in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, revealed unexpectedly high mercury levels in samples from all three sites.
Samples collected at Okefenokee Swamp were exceptionally concerning, though, with levels eight times higher than those from the other two locations.
Mercury levels were higher in larger, older gators, which researchers attributed to their consumption of larger prey over longer periods.
However, hatchlings demonstrated high contamination levels, “indicating mercury can be passed from mother to offspring through the egg yolk,” per BBC Wildlife.
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The American alligator is known as an “indicator species“: plants, wildlife, or other living things that act as sentinels, alerting scientists to changes in their ecosystems.
Lead author Kristen Zemaitis told BBC Wildlife that alligators are “ancient creatures” that offer valuable insights into the health of their ecosystem and “many different things in the food web.”
Why is this concerning?
Jeb Byers co-authored the study, and he provided a concise yet unsettling summary in layperson’s terms.
“Mercury is a neurotoxin that is very lethal to organisms. If it builds up, it moves through the food web and creates the perfect storm. That’s what we have in the Okefenokee,” Byers warned, per BBC Wildlife.
Unlike humans, alligators can’t visit supermarkets or restaurants, so their nourishment comes solely from their habitats.
Consequently, they’re more likely to exhibit signs of mercury contamination sooner than the people who hunt and fish in the same areas — but that doesn’t mean humans aren’t affected.
“People who regularly eat fish or hunt game in these regions could also be at risk from mercury exposure,” the outlet cautioned.
Mercury in marine animals is not uncommon; this form of pollution concentrates in bodies of water due to industrial runoff and contaminated rainfall.
As Byers noted, mercury is a potent neurotoxin, and minimal exposure can lead to irreversible brain damage.
The danger is particularly acute in pregnancy and for young children, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has long advised people who are pregnant, might become pregnant, or are breastfeeding to monitor their seafood intake to mitigate risk.
What’s being done about it?
In light of the study’s findings, Zemaitis emphasized the need for further research into the scope and sources of mercury contamination in Georgia’s swamps.
“Now that we know this about one of the apex predators in these systems, we wonder what else is being affected?” she said, per BBC Wildlife.
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