Coastal Fog Linked to High Levels of Mercury Found in Mountain Lions, Study Finds (IMAGE)

University of California - Santa Cruz

Coastal Fog Linked to High Levels of Mercury Found in Mountain Lions, Study Finds

Caption

This infographic illustrates the process by which ocean bacteria convert mercury to methylmercury, which is then brought to the surface by upwelling. Released back into the atmosphere, methylmercury is carried inland by fog and drips to the ground, where it begins the slow process of bioaccumulation. New findings indicate fog-borne methylmercury is making its way all the way up the food chain from lichen to deer and then mountain lions.

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UC Santa Cruz

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