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U-M divers retrieve 8,900-year-old piece of wood from Lake Huron
Annarbor.com (12/12)
University of Michigan researchers announced they have found a 5 1/2 foot long, pole-shaped piece of wood that is 8,900 years old in Lake Huron.
Superior researchers studying invasives, ballast water
Ashland Current (2/9)
Determining how clean a ship's ballast water must be to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species is the goal of the latest research partnership between the Northeast-Midwest Institute and the Lake Superior Research Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Superior.
RIVERKEEPERS: Tending the waterways
Niagara Gazette (2/6)
The goal of the Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper is two-fold: protecting the water quantity and the quality, as well as connecting people to the waterfront.
Internationally renowned ‘Ocean Doctor’ to speak in Grand Rapids
MLive.com (2/3)
Known as the “Ocean Doctor,” David Guggenheim will speak in Grand Rapids, Mich., about the many similarities between the threats to the oceans and to our Great Lakes.
SUNY Fredonia to lead Great Lakes pollution study
Wall Street Journal (2/3)
Plastic pollution in the Great Lakes will be the focus of a study this summer. Led by the State University of New York at Fredonia, researchers will try to quantify the amount of plastic polluting the fresh water Great Lakes.
SSC students taking part in marine science bowl
Arenac County Independent (1/31)
Teams of Michigan high school students will be heading to Ann Arbor this weekend to take part in the annual Great Lakes Bowl, a quiz event that focuses on questions about marine and freshwater systems and biology.
What's going on in your neighborhood this month? Meet other people and learn together at recreational and educational events! Our new dynamic calendar is updated daily with current educational events.
Is there still a problem with chemicals getting into the walleye from eating the round goby, who eat zebra mussels?
from Megan in Brookpark, Ohio
To answer your question—YES! The process you've described is called biomagnification. Some toxic chemicals found in the Great Lakes, such as DDT and PCBs, are stored in the fatty tissue of organisms, and when one organism is consumed by another, these toxins are further concentrated in the bodies of the predator. This is repeated at each step in the food chain. Biomagnification occurs regardless if non-native species are involved or not, and it occurs in every waterbody around the world.
The top predators in a food chain, such as trout or salmon, may accumulate concentrations of a toxic chemical high enough to cause serious deformities or death. Humans must also be careful about eating certain fish, because the concentrated toxins could affect our health as well. Every year, each Great Lakes state publishes a fish consumption advisory, which informs the public of what quantities of various types of fish from different waterbodies are safe to eat. For a listing of fish consumption advisories, go to GLIN's Fish Consumption Advisory page.
The Environmental Protection Agency provides a detailed look at biomagnification.
Thank you for your question!
Answered on November 15, 2000