Issue 109 - June 2024

New Study Found That Steller Sea Lions Are Facing Rising Mercury Levels in Pacific Ocean

By Rachel Knight,
Texas A&M University School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences

A team of researchers from Texas A&M University and beyond has made a surprising discovery about rising mercury levels in Steller sea lion pups that may have detrimental effects on the endangered species.

The team’s decade-long effort to study mercury in Steller sea lions in the Aleutian Islands — the strip of islands stretching between Russia and Alaska and separating the Bering Sea and Pacific Ocean — has revealed that the number of pups born with potentially dangerous levels of mercury in their blood and fur increased by more than 50% from 2011 to 2018 before levelling off in 2019.

Mercury — a “heavy metal,” non-essential element — can be toxic to some animals, including humans, at high concentrations. Various forms of mercury can be introduced into the environment via emissions from human activities; it can also be introduced naturally through seismic activity (like volcanoes) and melting permafrost, making it harder to pinpoint the cause of its increase in the food web.

Dr. Todd O’Hara heashot photo — Dr. Todd O’Hara

Before joining the Texas A&M faculty as a professor of veterinary toxicology in the School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (VMBS), Dr. Todd O’Hara was a toxicologist in Alaska who conducted studies on whether mercury levels were safe in the ocean and the food web.

“While our findings haven’t indicated an immediate threat to humans via what we eat from this part of the ocean, they have raised questions about how mercury and other elements may continue to change in some of the fish we eat now as rising ocean temperature trends continue,” O’Hara said

The levels of mercury found in the pups in a largely remote area led the team to extend its research efforts in search of the cause and to examine changes in other elements in Steller sea lion populations.

The team is trying to determine whether there is a correlation between higher mercury levels in sea lion pups and population decline.

‘Heavy Metals’ And Health

Steller sea lions were added to the endangered species list in the 1990s. Still, their populations began recovering in some parts of the Aleutian Islands in the early 2000s, with the eastern distinct population being delisted in 2013. To discover why some groups remained in decline, researchers teamed up with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and commercial fisheries via Ocean Peace Inc. to gather information about the different populations from rookeries where pups and their prey are studied.

Mercury Food Chain © Ground Truth Alaska

“When we started this research in Southeast Alaska, we found very few pups with alarming levels of mercury,” said Dr. Lorrie Rea, a research professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) who plays a significant role in the team’s Steller sea lion research program. “Once we got to the Western Aleutian Islands, we found pups with mercury concentrations that were three to four times higher than the highest we saw in other regions. As we moved toward Russia along the Aleutian Island chain, the concentrations went down again, so it’s almost like a bell-shaped curve.”

The researchers had discovered a region of higher mercury concentrations in Steller sea lion pups along this island chain.

The researchers also found that among the populations in the different regions of the Aleutian Islands, those with higher mercury levels overlapped with the populations still struggling to recover their numbers. This led the team to investigate mercury increases as a possible contributor to the sea lion’s lack of population recovery.

The team found a relationship between Steller sea lion pups with high mercury levels and certain kinds of fish in their mothers’ diets.

O’Hara said the major concern is the transfer of mercury to the fetus, which is vulnerable to adverse effects.

“Mercury is known to impact immune health in humans negatively, and one of Todd’s graduate students, Stephanie Kennedy, determined that it has a similar effect in animals like Steller sea lions,” Rea said.

Mercury levels can also affect the body’s ability to resolve oxidative stress, which harms overall health by keeping antioxidant levels relatively low and causing tissue breakdown over time. Thus, the team decided to include many essential elements, such as selenium, in the research effort.

“Oxidative stress is especially important for diving mammals such as sea lions because they go through long breath holds when they go to forage or hunt, for fish,” Rea said. “The longer breath holds use up a lot of oxygen, so having this ability to counter the oxidative stress is important for their everyday foraging.”

O’Hara said many selenium-dependent processes are known to be involved in this protection and also play a role in protecting from mercury toxicosis, or poisoning.

Metal Detectors

After discovering differences in mercury levels between Steller sea lion populations at different points along the Aleutian Islands, the team set out to determine if other elements also varied in pups.

The team worked with Dr. Daniela “Hanny” Alejandra Murillo Cisneros, a post-doctoral researcher at Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste located in La Paz, the capital city of Baja California Sur, Mexico.

Cisneros is the lead author of a recently submitted manuscript reporting on these elements in Steller sea lions. She uncovered differences in numerous elements in the hair and blood of Steller sea lion pups among populations across the regions of the Aleutian Islands. In hair, all 12 elements measured were different by region, except zinc, based on a distinct oceanographic feature, Amchitka Pass.

Her discovery showed that the populations’ geographic locations play a significant role in the Steller sea lions’ exposure to both nonessential elements, which are potentially toxic, and essential elements, which are required for good health. Thus, investigators need to consider deficiencies of essential elements and not just those that may be harmful or toxic.

“You are what you eat, and this research reflects that,” Cisneros said. “What we found is that there are significant chemical composition differences in the food sources available at each of these regions, and those differences are being reflected in Steller sea lion populations. We are taking a very close look at prey now, and some of the prey species are important food for humans.”

Cisneros’ elemental discoveries also provide evidence that the oceanic Amchitka Pass — located near the center of the Aleutian Islands where the previously mentioned “bell-shaped curve” spikes in Steller sea lion pup mercury levels — is functioning as a barrier beneath the ocean’s surface that seems to drive the varying chemical composition of Steller sea lions east and west of the pass.

“We can’t visually see some of the barriers or divisions in the ocean because they’re so deep and they’re so complicated,” O’Hara said. “Based on our studies in fish and Steller sea lions, we’re showing that this simple pass has divided the ocean biologically, physically and chemically.”

Exposure to Mercury can have adverse effects on the human body © Mercury Phase Out A&B

Implications For Human Health

Fish in grocery stores around the world come from the same waters that Steller sea lions forage in, making it important for humans to pay close attention to mercury and other elements in the Steller sea lion diet. The team considers the sea lion as an environmental sentinel.

Thankfully, the fishing industry is helping research teams study mercury levels by donating fish to academic research and financial support for the trace elements analysis conducted at the VMBS. So far, commercial fisheries have donated about 1,500 fish from the Aleutian Islands region.

“Everyone working on finding these answers, from the researcher to NOAA to the fisherman who donates fish, we all want science-based decision making,” O’Hara said.

Because of the support from the fishing industry, the researchers have been able to test the donated fish for diet markers, mercury and trace elements such as selenium.

“The good thing for human health is that of the 1,500 fish, we only found about 13 that had mercury concentrations that were above the levels advised for human consumption, and most of the 13 were yellow Irish lord, which is a spiny fish not typically included in fish sold to humans,” Rea said.

Fishing For Answers

The researchers emphasize that they’re not jumping to conclusions about what’s causing the rising mercury levels or the stalled sea lion population recovery on some islands.

“It’s important to note that these findings so far prove correlation, or that these things happened at the same time, not causation, which would mean one event caused the other,” O’Hara said.

As the research team continues its work in the Aleutian Islands, O’Hara, Rea, and Cisneros said they’re thankful for the collaborative nature of their work as toxicologists.

“Discoveries like this and the continued hunt for answers really takes a village,” Rea said. “This research brings academics from around the world together who contribute multiple perspectives as well as support from various industries and agencies with a vested interest in what we’re finding.”

The teams learn from each other across the border to determine what are the best approaches to understanding trace elements in the Pacific Ocean and changes in the ocean temperature and pH.

O’Hara said this work highlights the fact that how people impact the ocean has many potential effects that are not intuitively obvious, and changes in mercury levels in ocean life may be driven by many factors.

“We find answers in individual projects, but they come together like puzzle pieces to build a bigger picture,” Rea said. “We won’t fully understand what’s happening with Steller sea lions until we understand what’s happening to their environment, so there’s a lot more work to be done with other agencies and continuing our academic and industry collaboration is key to our success.”

Other researchers involved with discovering the regional differences include those from the Trace Elements Research Laboratory (TERL) in the Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences (VIBS). The related and relevant work in Mexico (led by Cisneros) includes published mercury and selenium concentrations findings in free-ranging California sea lions in the Gulf of California, Mexico. Contributors to the international research in Mexico and Alaska include Dr. Robert Taylor, TERL director; Dr. Jill Hiney from VIBS; Dr. Carlos A. Rosado Berrios from VIBS; Dr. Ben Barst from UAF; and graduate student Michelle Trifari from UAF; among many others.

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Related Topics:mercury Pacific Ocean Research Sea Lions

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Issue 109 - June 2024

Abundance Studios in association with DNA Films Announces Production of Guy Harvey Documentary

Orlando, FL – Abundance Studios, in association with DNA Films, is thrilled to announce the commencement of filming for a groundbreaking documentary featuring world-renowned marine wildlife artist and conservationist, Dr. Guy Harvey. This documentary promises to delve deep into Harvey’s life, his passion for ocean conservation, the development of his diverse business portfolio, and his remarkable contributions to marine science and art.

Dr. Guy Harvey, whose artistry has captivated audiences worldwide, expressed his enthusiasm for the project, saying, “I am honoured and excited to share my journey and commitment to marine conservation through this documentary.”

Directed by 22-time Emmy award-winning filmmaker Nick Nanton, the documentary aims to provide a portrait of Harvey’s life, from his childhood fascination with the sea to the iconic Guy Harvey fishing t-shirt to his pioneering efforts in marine conservation. Nanton shared his vision for the film, saying, “Guy Harvey’s story is one of passion, dedication, and a relentless pursuit of conservation. He has combined his unique talent for art to bring a spotlight to the world of conservation. Through this documentary, we hope to inspire audiences to look at how they can unite their gifts with their passions to create positive change in the world as well as join us in preserving our oceans for future generations.”

The production of the documentary, which will begin filming soon in Grand Cayman, is made possible by the generous support of funding from Abundance Studios’ Executive Producers Coach Pete D’Arruda, Chuck McDowell, Didi Wong, Chris Wiser, Kevin Hodes, Dr. Wayne Pernell, and Pat Ziemer, and Producers Craig Lack, Julie Meates, Dr. Teri Rouse, Fred Rouse, Jennifer Perri, Richard Tyler, Michael Reza, Gary Marriage, George McCranie, Charlie Epstein, Ryan Chute, Paul Peters, Bryan Gallinger, Frank Astorino, and Kathleen Forrest. This cause-based studio is committed to raising awareness around critical issues the world is facing and the most inspiring people in the world. “The Guy Harvey documentary checks both of those boxes,” added Nanton.

DNA Films in association with Abundance Studios invites media representatives to join them in celebrating the launch of this landmark documentary as they embark on this journey to shed light on the extraordinary life and legacy of Dr. Guy Harvey.

About Guy Harvey:

With a focused mission to better understand and conserve the ocean environment, the Guy Harvey Foundation (GHF) collaborates with local, national and international organizations to conduct scientific research and provides funding to affiliated researchers who share this objective. The GHF also develops and hosts cutting-edge educational programs that help educators to foster the next era of marine conservationists, ensuring that future generations can enjoy and benefit from a properly balanced ocean ecosystem. For more information, visit www.GuyHarveyFoundation.org. Follow the GHF on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GuyHarveyOcean, on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GuyHarveyOcean, or connect on Instagram at www.instagram.com/GuyHarveyOcean.

About Abundance Studios®

Abundance Studios® is a cause-based studio committed to raising awareness around critical issues society is facing as well as sharing the stories of the most inspiring people in the world. With a commitment to excellence in storytelling and cinematic quality, the studio strives to inform, inspire, and drive positive change through its films.

About the Guy Harvey Foundation:

Since 1986, Guy Harvey has created marine-inspired apparel that blends performance, comfort and durability. Started by marine biologist and artist Dr. Guy Harvey, the brand is committed to making products that contribute to ocean conservation and marine education. Guy Harvey continuously implements innovative, sustainable manufacturing practices. The company uses REPREVE polyester and new THREADCYCLED™ technology (repurposing 100% of textile waste into upcycled yarn), powers its manufacturing facility with solar panels and purifies 100% of the water used in the dying and steaming process. Guy Harvey is focused on making responsible apparel that consumers can feel good about wearing. Additionally, a portion of all proceeds of officially licensed Guy Harvey products goes to the Guy Harvey Foundation (GHF), which conducts scientific research and hosts educational programs aimed at conserving the marine environment. To learn more about Guy Harvey apparel, please visit www.guyharvey.com.

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Issue 109 - June 2024

Biden Administration Misses Opportunity to Reduce Single-Use Plastics

President Biden must do more to reduce the government’s purchasing of single-use plastics

The General Services Administration (GSA) announced its final rule on reducing single-use plastic packaging. The GSA is the federal agency that oversees government procurement. The U.S. government is the world’s largest purchaser of goods and services, and decisions by the federal government can have a global impact on the plastic pollution crisis.

An estimated 33 billion pounds of plastic enter the oceans every year, including single-use items such as plastic bottles, packaging, takeout food containers, and bags. With the GSA’s release of a narrow rule, Oceana calls on the Biden administration to move forward with additional policies to reduce single-use plastic packaging and products and incentivize refillable and reusable alternatives.

“This is a missed opportunity. This rule can’t be the end, this has to be the first step toward greater action to reduce the federal government’s purchasing of single-use plastics,” said Christy Leavitt, Oceana’s plastics campaign director. “President Biden must do more to address the growing plastic pollution crisis that is already harming our oceans, climate, health, and communities. The U.S. government’s immense purchasing power can play an important role in reducing plastic pollution in the U.S. and around the world. Moving forward, the Biden administration must set strong policies to reduce plastic pollution at the source and support reuse and refill.”

The Biden administration committed in 2022 to phase out single-use plastic products on public lands managed by the Department of the Interior, including Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Acadia, and all other national parks. According to a national poll released by Oceana in February 2023, an overwhelming 82% of U.S. voters across party lines support reducing the federal government’s use of single-use plastic — nearly 85% of Democrats and 77% of Republicans.

In February 2024, Oceana submitted comments to the GSA as part of the public comment period on the proposed rule and delivered more than 6,900 petition signatures calling on the federal government to reduce the purchase of single-use plastics.

Background

Plastic has been found in every corner of the world and has turned up in drinking water, beer, salt, honey, and more. It’s also one of the greatest contributors to climate change. In fact, if plastic were a country, it would be the fifth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world. With plastic production growing at a rapid rate, increased amounts of plastic can be expected to flood our blue planet with devastating consequences.

A 2020 Oceana report revealed evidence of nearly 1,800 animals from 40 different species swallowing or becoming entangled in plastic in U.S. waters between 2009 and early 2020. Of those animals, a staggering 88% were from species listed as endangered or threatened with extinction under the Endangered Species Act.

Less than 6% of plastic in the U.S. is recycled, yet the plastics industry continues to tout recycling as a panacea while pushing new plastic products onto the market. Companies need to dramatically reduce the production and use of unnecessary single-use plastic, provide plastic-free choices, and develop systems that refill and reuse packaging and foodware. Elected officials must enact policies to ensure they do so.

In February 2023, Oceana released the results of a nationwide poll that showed broad bipartisan concern about single-use plastics and support for reducing both the production and use of these products and increasing the use of reusable packaging and foodware. Included among the key findings:

83% of American voters are concerned about single-use plastic products
73% support a pause in building new plastic production facilities
82% support reducing the federal government’s use of single-use plastic

Polling was conducted by the nonpartisan polling company Ipsos, which surveyed 1,000 American adults from across the U.S. in December 2022.

To learn more about Oceana’s campaign to stop plastic pollution, please visit usa.oceana.org/plastics.

About Oceana

Oceana is the largest international advocacy organization dedicated solely to ocean conservation. Oceana is rebuilding abundant and biodiverse oceans by winning science-based policies in countries that control one-quarter of the world’s wild fish catch. With more than 300 victories that stop overfishing, habitat destruction, oil and plastic pollution, and the killing of threatened species like turtles, whales, and sharks, Oceana’s campaigns are delivering results. A restored ocean means that 1 billion people can enjoy a healthy seafood meal every day, forever. Together, we can save the oceans and help feed the world. Visit Oceana.org to learn more.