Influence of life history variation and habitat on mercury bioaccumulation in a high-order predatory fish in tropical Australia

Updated: 2023-04-28

A study of mercury distribution and bioaccumulation in aquatic ecosystems was conducted in the Mary River System, Northern Territory. Barramundi (Lates calcarifer) was gathered over four years (2013–2017, across both wet and dry seasons). A total of 310 barramundi tissue samples were collected over the three river environs over four years Billabongs n = 114; Barrage/Upper Estuary n = 106; Estuary Mouth n = 90 Methods of sample analysis included: direct combustion–atomic absorption spectrometry to determine total mercury stable isotope mass spectrometry to determine carbon and nitrogen isotopes in tissues samples (source of nutrition and trophic position of barramundi in the food web) laser ablation–ICPMS to determine strontium isotopes in otoliths (informing freshwater and saltwater habitat residence) For full sampling procedures and results, see Butler et al (2022)