Earth Gauge » Fish Advisories

Red Tide

espinoza — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 13:38:25 +0000

Have you ever wondered what causes the different-colored tints in the ocean or freshwater lakes? This colored water – whether red, brown, green or yellow – is commonly known as a “red tide” or a harmful algal bloom. Blooms are formed by single-celled photosynthetic organisms that can sometimes be harmful to humans, wildlife and the environment. Some harmful algae produce toxins that accumulate in shellfish, making them dangerous to eat. These toxins can be so potent that shellfish can become unsafe for human consumption even if the algae are present in concentrations so low that the water is not colored. Since certain weather and climate conditions can favor the development of a red tide, scientists can use forecasts to provide advanced warning of the increased risk of red tide events. Knowing when blooms might occur ahead of time allows health authorities to be proactive in their management decisions.

Viewer Tip: Red tides typically occur on the U.S. west coast in summer and fall when water temperatures are warmer, but shellfish can become toxic at any time of the year. If you want to know whether colored water is toxic in your area or if you are planning a recreational trip to the beach to dig for shellfish and want to know if they will be safe to eat, contact your state’s health department.

This information is provided by the West Coast Center for Oceans and Human Health, a part of NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center. Learn more at www.nwfsc.noaa.gov/hab/.

Mercury and Fish

espinoza — Mon, 17 May 2010 11:54:26 +0000

Earth Gauge Video is available for this tip.

Are you going fishing this season? Many people head to local lakes and streams during nice weather. A new, four-year, multi-agency study shows a nearly 50 percent chance that the fish you catch will contain mercury. Some levels are so high that pregnant women and children should not eat the fish. Mercury is emitted into the air by power plants, garbage incinerators, even cars. When it falls back to the Earth with rain and snow, it can enter lakes, streams and the fish food chain.

Viewer Tip: If you eat the fish you catch in local waters, check local advisories for advice about consuming fish safely. Visit www.epa.gov/waterscience/fish to find fish advisories in your area.

Seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall

(Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). 2009. The National Study of Chemical Residues in Lake Fish Tissue. EPA-823-R-09-006. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water, Washington, DC; USEPA, “Fish Advisories.” www.epa.gov/waterscience/fish)

Rain Gardens

espinoza — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 14:06:07 +0000

Rain gardens can cut down on the amount of pollution reaching creeks and streams by up to 30 percent. A rain garden is a planted depression that allows rainwater runoff from artificial urban areas like roofs, driveways, walkways and lawn areas to be absorbed. This reduces runoff by allowing storm water to soak into the ground rather than flowing into storm drains and surface waters. Capturing storm water in a rain garden helps to reduce erosion, water pollution and flooding in our local creeks and streams, while also replenishing groundwater supplies. Rain gardens help fish and wildlife by protecting streams and rivers from pollutants carried by urban storm water like lawn fertilizer, pesticides and car fluids.

Viewer Tip: This is a great time of year to start planning a rain garden for your yard. Trout Unlimited suggests these tips for building rain gardens.

Place rain gardens at least ten feet from the house so water does not seep under the house’s foundation.
Typical residential rain gardens range from 100 to 300 square feet in size.
Rain gardens should be planted with native plants.

Helpful tips for building a garden: http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/topic/raingarden/Building.htm

Find plants that are native to your area: http://www.wildflower.org/explore/

This information is provided by Trout Unlimited. Learn more at www.tu.org.

Mercury and Fish (General)

administrator — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:39:03 +0000

A new study from the U.S. Geological Survey shows that scientists found mercury contamination in every fish sampled in 291 streams around the country. One-quarter of fish sampled exceeded mercury levels set to protect humans who eat average amounts of fish; two-thirds exceeded mercury levels of concern set by U.S. EPA for fish-eating mammals. The main source of mercury contamination in U.S. waters is mercury emitted into the atmosphere and then deposited into waters by rain and snow – this mercury comes primarily burning fossil fuels for power plants and vehicles. Mercury can also come from mining activities and consumer products such as older thermometers and thermostats.

Viewer Tip: If you eat fish caught by family and friends in your local lakes, rivers or coastal areas, check local advisories for advice about consuming fish safely. If no advice is available, EPA recommends eating up to six ounces (one average meal) per week of fish you catch from local waters, but don’t consume any other fish during that week.

Get fish advisories in your area: www.epa.gov/waterscience/fish/states.htm.

Season: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

(Sources: U.S. Department of the Interior. “News Release: Study Reveals Mercury Contamination in Fish Nationwide.” August 19, 2009. www.doi.gov/news/09_News_Releases/081909.html.; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “Fish Advisories: Basic Information.” http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/fish/basic.htm)

Mercury and Fish (Southeast)

administrator — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 12:26:25 +0000

Viewer Tip: Some of the highest mercury levels in fish were found in “blackwater” streams in North and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and Louisiana. If you eat fish caught by family and friends in your local lakes, rivers or coastal areas, check local advisories for advice about consuming fish safely. If no advice is available, EPA recommends eating up to six ounces (one average meal) per week of fish you catch from local waters, but don’t consume any other fish during that week.

Get fish advisories in your area: www.epa.gov/waterscience/fish/states.htm.

Seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Mercury and Fish (Midwest, Northeast)

administrator — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 12:07:58 +0000

Viewer Tip: High mercury levels in fish were found in relatively undeveloped watersheds in the Upper Midwest and Northeast U.S. If you eat fish caught by family and friends in your local lakes, rivers or coastal areas, check local advisories for advice about consuming fish safely. If no advice is available, EPA recommends eating up to six ounces (one average meal) per week of fish you catch from local waters, but don’t consume any other fish during that week.

Get fish advisories in your area: www.epa.gov/waterscience/fish/states.htm.

Seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Going Fishin’

administrator — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 13:59:31 +0000

During the summer, many people pick up their fishing poles and head to the water to enjoy the Great Lakes fishery, which has been one of the largest freshwater fisheries in the world for over 100 years. The greatest Great Lakes commercial fishing harvests were recorded in 1889 and 1899, with about 147 million pounds of fish! Since then, the fishery has been impacted by several threats, including overfishing, water pollution, and the introduction of non-native species to Great Lakes waters. Recent years, however, have seen fishery improvements – walleye fisheries are recovering in Lake Erie, trout populations have become more self-sustaining in Lake Superior, and new salmon fisheries are developing in Lake Ontario. Fishery researchers estimate that 25 to 40 percent of the salmon and trout populations in Lakes Michigan, Huron, and Ontario are now self-reproducing, thanks to improved habitat, water quality, and stream conditions.

Viewer Tip: You can help protect water quality and the Great Lakes fishery by properly disposing of household wastes that contain chemicals, such as paints, pesticides, solvents, and car fluids. When these products are dumped in the trash, outdoors, or in a storm drain, they can be carried directly to local streams and rivers when it rains, but proper disposal ensures that they stay out of our waters. Visit www.cleanup.org or call 1-800-CLEANUP to find a household hazardous waste collection site near you.

If you eat fish from the Great Lakes, or your favorite restaurant serves fish from the Great Lakes, you should be aware of any consumption advisories. Before you eat Great Lakes fish (or any fish) check out the advisories in your state or area at www.great-lakes.net/humanhealth/fish/advisories.html.

This information was provided by The Alliance for the Great Lakes. Learn more at www.greatlakes.org.

Seasons: Summer

(Sources: Great Lakes Information Network. “Great Lakes Fish & Fishing.” http://www.great-lakes.net/teach/envt/fish/fish_1.html; Human Health and the Great Lakes. “Fish consumption in the Great Lakes.” http://www.great-lakes.net/humanhealth/fish/advisories.html.)

Mercury and Fish Consumption (Gulf of Mexico)

administrator — Wed, 28 May 2008 17:40:02 +0000

When concentrations of mercury (Hg) were tested in ten different species of pelagic (oil-rich) fish in the Gulf of Mexico, three species had higher concentrations than the FDA criterion of 1.0 parts per million (ppm) wet weight. These fish were the blue marlin at 10.52 ppm, carcharhinid sharks at 1.61 ppm, and little tunny at 1.08 ppm. Five additional species were above a reduced advisory level of 0.3 ppm from the U.S. EPA. A study found that conecentrations of mercury in fish increased with increasing length or weight. In general, the species at higher trophic levels (higher-up in the food chain) were more likely to have a higher concentration of mercury. The risk from mercury from fish and shellfish is not a health concern for most individuals, but high amounts of mercury may harm the central nervous system of unborn babies and infants.

Viewer tip: Health risks from mercury depend on the amounts and kinds of fish and shellfish eaten. Women and children should avoid consuming fish that contain high mercury levels, including king mackerel, shark, swordfish, and tilefish. Check local fish consumption advisories before you head outfor information about the safety of fish caught in rivers, lakes, or coastal areas.

Help prevent the release of mercury into our air and waterby making sure you properly dispose of household items that contain mercury – batteries, compact fluorescent light bulbs, and older thermometers. Instead of tossing these items in the trash can, where they can break, take them to your local hazardous waste collection facility.

Seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

(Sources: Adams, D.H. & McMichael, R.H. Jr. (2007). Mercury in king mackerel, Scomberomorus, and Spanish mackerel, S. maculates, from waters of the south-eastern USA: regional and historical trends. Marine & Freshwater Research, 58(2): 187-193; U.S. EPA and FDA. “What You Need to Know about Mercury in Fish and Shellfish.” http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/fishadvice/advice.html)

Sediment in Seafood (Alabama)

administrator — Wed, 28 May 2008 17:26:07 +0000

With increasing concerns about contaminants in the Gulf of Mexico’s seafood, researchers at Mississippi State University are looking for better ways to predict where these contaminants are likely to build up. Mercury (a metal) and DDT (an insecticide formerly used in the U.S. to kill mosquitoes) are persistent pollutants — lingering for many years without breaking down or dissolving in water. Potential sources include the atmosphere, industrial air and water pollution, human activity, and stormwater runoff. Once in a stream or river, mercury and DDT can attach to sediment at the bottom of streams and rivers and get carried long distances downstream, eventually ending up in the Mobile Bay. Predicting where sediments will end up and accumulate is the key to understanding the potential danger posed to Mobile Bay sealife, since both mercury and DDT can accumulate in the tissues of fish and aquatic animals and pose a health threat to people who eat them.

Viewer Tip: Eating fish is generally a healthy choice. However, until resource managers are better able to manage human activities and reduce levels of mercury and DDT in seafood from the Mobile Bay, the best protection is to be aware of the risk of contamination in seafood you eat. The fish species that usually contain the highest levels of pollutants are those higher up in the food chain, such as largemouth bass from the Bay’s freshwater tributaries, redfish along the coastline, and king mackerel, grouper, and other top predators from the Gulf of Mexico. In general, it is not recommended that anyone, especially children and women of child-bearing age consume more than one or two servings of high-risk fish per month.

Visit www.epa.gov/waterscience/fish/ for more information on national fish advisories or www.aeconline.ws/ for the latest advisories on Mobile Bay fish.

Seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

(Sources: “Modeling Mobile Bay Sediments and Pollutants with New Technologies,” Mississippi State University, http://www.northerngulfinstitute.org/abstract.php?abstract=NGI07_MSU_05. “Fish Report Issued on Bay,” Alabama Environmental Council, http://www.aeconline.ws/index.php?sn=387)

Careful Consumption (Erie, PA)

administrator — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 13:50:46 +0000

Did you know that each year more fish are produced for human consumption from Lake Erie than all of the other Great Lakes combined? Sometimes, chemicals and other contaminants can make their way into lakes directly, or they can be carried into the water when it rains. While these contaminants may be present in the water at very low-levels, they can “bioaccumulate,” or build-up, in aquatic animals and become more concentrated as they move up the food chain. This means that the oldest and largest fish often have higher concentrations of pollutants in their bodies.

Viewer Tip: Currently, there are fish consumption advisories in place for all of the Great Lakes, intended to guide you on which fish are safe to eat, and how much you should eat. If you’re planning to do some sport fishing, visit www.great-lakes.net/envt/flora-fauna/wildlife/fishadv.html to find out about fish advisories in your area.

You can find out about fishing and boating conditions on Lake Erie and surrounding waters by visiting the PA Fish and Boat Commission Web site: www.fish.state.pa.us/eriewco.htm

Seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

(Sources: EcoCity Cleveland, Lake Erie Facts http://www.ecocitycleveland.org/smartgrowth/watershed/lake_erie/lake_erie_resources.html; EPA Great Lakes National Program Office)

Careful Consumption (Great Lakes)

administrator — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 13:47:07 +0000

Did you know that each year more fish are produced for human consumption from Lake Erie than all of the other Great Lakes combined? Sometimes, chemicals and other contaminants can make their way into lakes directly, or they can be carried into the water when it rains. While these contaminants may be present in the water at very low-levels, they can “bioaccumulate” or build-up in aquatic animals, and become more concentrated as they move up the food chain. This means that the oldest and largest fish often have higher concentrations of pollutants in their bodies.

Seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

(Sources: EcoCity Cleveland, Lake Erie Facts http://www.ecocitycleveland.org/smartgrowth/watershed/lake_erie/lake_erie_resources.html; )