Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
June 19, 2026, 05:21:20 AM

Login with username, password and session length

Recent Topics

[Today at 05:02:11 AM]

[June 18, 2026, 10:45:25 PM]

[June 18, 2026, 06:59:04 PM]

[June 18, 2026, 05:48:32 PM]

[June 18, 2026, 05:28:54 PM]

[June 18, 2026, 10:20:30 AM]

[June 18, 2026, 09:53:24 AM]

[June 17, 2026, 09:33:29 PM]

[June 17, 2026, 09:17:11 PM]

[June 16, 2026, 07:32:39 PM]

[June 16, 2026, 07:28:28 PM]

[June 16, 2026, 04:56:55 PM]

[June 16, 2026, 03:38:12 PM]

[June 16, 2026, 02:34:57 PM]

[June 14, 2026, 12:07:56 PM]

Support NCKA

Support the site by making a donation.

Topic: Mercury chart on 51 species of fish  (Read 1559 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Sailfish

  • Manatee
  • *****
  • .
  • Location: Prunetucky
  • Date Registered: Sep 2006
  • Posts: 27701
For curious mind want to know  :smt002
"Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass...it's about learning how to dance in the rain."


SpeedyStein

  • Sea Lion
  • ****
  • Location: Concord
  • Date Registered: Sep 2020
  • Posts: 2623
Very interesting. I wonder where the samples were taken, and what impact that has on the results? 

I've kinda always thought that migratory fish probably vary greatly in their mercury levels. I think it depends on how old they are, where they've been, and what they've eaten - but I've not seen a lot of information about that.
- Kevin


polepole

  • Administrator
  • *****
  • Kayak Fishing Magazine
  • Location: San Jose, CA
  • Date Registered: Dec 2004
  • Posts: 13201
What do the different color bands mean?  How do I interpret this data?

-Allen


Sailfish

  • Manatee
  • *****
  • .
  • Location: Prunetucky
  • Date Registered: Sep 2006
  • Posts: 27701
What do the different color bands mean?  How do I interpret this data?

-Allen

The higher the "mean" the more mercury accumulated.   Of course this data is not "perfect"  due to the different sample size but it gives you the idea about mercury accumulated in these species.
"Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass...it's about learning how to dance in the rain."


polepole

  • Administrator
  • *****
  • Kayak Fishing Magazine
  • Location: San Jose, CA
  • Date Registered: Dec 2004
  • Posts: 13201
What do the different color bands mean?  How do I interpret this data?

-Allen

The higher the "mean" the more mercury accumulated.   Of course this data is not "perfect"  due to the different sample size but it gives you the idea about mercury accumulated in these species.

I get that part, the more mercury accumulated.  At what color does it go from ok to bad?  And what is the units of measurement?

-Allen


Clayman

  • AOTY Committee
  • *
  • Location: Newport, OR (formerly Lake Almanor, CA)
  • Date Registered: Apr 2010
  • Posts: 3346
I've kinda always thought that migratory fish probably vary greatly in their mercury levels. I think it depends on how old they are, where they've been, and what they've eaten - but I've not seen a lot of information about that.
Absolutely. Take albacore tuna as an example. They only include "canned albacore" on the table. Most of the canned albacore we see in stores are larger fish caught in the South Pacific. Troll-caught albacore off our West Coast are typically smaller fish, with much lower mercury levels compared to their 70-80 lb adult versions in the South Pacific.

https://today.oregonstate.edu/archives/2004/aug/local-albacore-found-be-mercury-safe

Not surprising to see swordfish and sharks near the top of the list.
aMayesing Bros.


Weimarian

  • Sea Lion
  • ****
  • F!!! politics. Let's go FISHING
  • Location: Weimar California
  • Date Registered: Mar 2011
  • Posts: 6190
Weird science like all the other stuff. Just like everything else. True? not true? source of data? just don't eat the fish from Clearlake as that was the location of the mercury mines :smt006
my new name should be Ostridge. Got my head in the sand. Going fishing and letting go of the other stuff I can't control anyway!


Bolicks

  • Sand Dab
  • **
  • Location: Berkeley
  • Date Registered: Dec 2022
  • Posts: 38
For curious mind want to know  :smt002

Was thinking of putting together a similar chart for Norcal species commonly caught by kayak! We have the survey data...


Sailfish

  • Manatee
  • *****
  • .
  • Location: Prunetucky
  • Date Registered: Sep 2006
  • Posts: 27701
A little simpler pictorial.
"Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass...it's about learning how to dance in the rain."


Sailfish

  • Manatee
  • *****
  • .
  • Location: Prunetucky
  • Date Registered: Sep 2006
  • Posts: 27701
What do the different color bands mean?  How do I interpret this data?

-Allen

The higher the "mean" the more mercury accumulated.   Of course this data is not "perfect"  due to the different sample size but it gives you the idea about mercury accumulated in these species.

I get that part, the more mercury accumulated.  At what color does it go from ok to bad?  And what is the units of measurement?

-Allen

I believe the unit of measurement is mg.
"Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass...it's about learning how to dance in the rain."