“Our energy choices have ramifications for many other types of pollutants,” said Elsie Sunderland, Associate Professor of Environmental Science and Engineering at Harvard University and Nereus Program collaborator. “Hydroelectric: when we flood our reservoirs we actually cause a dramatic pulse in methylmercury production, which is neurotoxic, and we also cause a pulse in CO2 and methane.”

Sunderland presented her findings on environmental contaminants at a Nereus Program Green College seminar on November 17. Contaminants biomagnify in marine food webs, meaning they increase in concentration further up the trophic levels to the top predators. This can cause concerns for marine species, ecosystems, and human health. Sunderland’s research delves into future scenarios for marine fisheries and the effects of contaminants on health. This knowledge could transfer into policy on emissions controls and dietary advisories.

For full coverage of this session, view this post on the Sea Around Us blog: “Impacts of climate change on contaminants in fisheries”.

This seminar was also streamed on Facebook Live: