Citation: Leah, R.T., Evans, S.J., Johnson, M.S. & Collings, S. 1991 Spatial patterns in accumulation of mercury by fish from the NE Irish Sea. Marine Pollution Bulletin 22: 172-175
Number of Pages: 4
Volume Part: 4
Keywords: Belfast, Down, Fauna, Fish, Irish Sea, Isle of Man, Marine, Northern Ireland, Pisces, Wales
Abstract: Reports on the mercury concentrations in the muscle tissue of plaice, dab and lesser spotted dogfish in Liverpool Bay and the northeast Irish Sea. Sites sampled by trawling were: Luce Bay, Wigtown Bay, Solway, Lancaster Bay and Heysam Lake (Morcambe Bay), Ribble, West Hoyle, Beaumaris, Table Road (off Red Warf Bay, Anglesey), Portaferry, Belfast and to the east of the Isle of Man. Concentrations in any one area were ordered: dogfish >> dab > plaice, with concentrations in dogfish being 5-10 times higher than in the flatfish from the same site. Most site/species combinations showed negative correlation with increasing distance from the Mersey, although there is no statistical analysis of this trend given.