Collection

Special Issue: Assessing Global Environmental Mercury Exposure in Biota and Potential Impacts on Biodiversity

Understanding the biotic response to methylmercury availability in the environment for all biomes and key biota is vital for evaluating the effectiveness of the Minamata Convention on Mercury. A comprehensive global analysis of spatiotemporal patterns of mercury exposure and effect to biota requires obtaining and synthesizing critical information from known as well as remote and/or poorly documented areas. As part of this investigative synthesis, environmental mercury loads will be documented geographically by major biomes (Arctic, Temperate and Tropical) and their associated freshwater and marine waters, as well as for major taxa (elasmobranch and teleost fish, reptiles, birds, and mammals). A synthesis paper of much of the published mercury data for fish, sea turtles, birds and marine mammals will be a core part of this special issue, as will the development of a global model assessing ecosystem sensitivity, risk and threats to biota, as well as biological diversity

Editors

  • David Evers

    Biodiversity Research Institute, Portland, ME, USA

  • Paco Bustamante

    Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS--La Rochelle Université, La Rochelle, France

  • Luiz Fernandez

    Sabin Center for Environment and Sustainability and Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC USA and Centro de Innovación Científica Amazonica (CINCIA), Puerto Maldonado, Madre de Dios, Peru

  • Manoela Pessoa de Miranda

    Secretariat of the Minamata Convention on Mercury, United Nations Environment Programme, Genève 10, Switzerland

Articles (18 in this collection)