BIOACCUMULATION IN STRIPED BASS AND BIOMAGNIFICATION IN A MARINE FOOD CHAIN
FIGURE 11.10 As striped bass grow, they accumulate increasing concentrations of mercury in their muscle tissue (left panel). Consequently, the tissues of smaller, younger individuals in the population have lower concentrations of mercury than do larger, older individuals. The concentration of mercury increases from lower to higher trophic levels in this arctic marine food chain (right panel). As a result, ring seals, the top predators, have a much higher concentration of mercury than do the lower trophic levels. (Data from Atwell et al., 1998; Burger and Gochfeld, 2011)