Adult Bald Eagle eating a fish
(Photo by Ginger Gumm and Daniel Poleschook, Jr.)
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Adult Bald Eagle in flight
(Photo by Ginger Gumm and Daniel Poleschook, Jr.)
Mercury in New York State Bald Eagles
Recently released findings from a study initiated by a grant from The Nature Conservancy and conducted by scientists at Biodiversity Research Institute and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation reveal elevated mercury levels in Bald Eagles nesting in the Catskill region of New York. Findings from this research effort provide evidence that the Catskill region is a "biological mercury hotspot" and support the need for a more comprehensive mercury monitoring and assement plan.
Adult Bald Eagles tend their nestling
(Photo by Ginger Gumm and Daniel Poleschook, Jr.)
Report Highlights:
(1) Bald Eagle chicks in the Catskill Region had mercury levels most similar to chicks sampled in areas associated with significant mercury pollution, such as some Maine lakes and a mercury mine in British Columbia, Canada.
(2) One-third of the adult Bald Eagles sampled in the Catskill Region, and one-quarter of those sampled statewide had accumulated mercury in their bodies at levels associated with harmful effects in other fish-eating birds such as Common Loons.
(3) In the Catskill Region, high mercury levels in Bald Eagle chicks were often found at sites where predator fish such as Smallmouth Bass, Brown Trout, and Walleye also had high mercury levels.
Stay tuned for soon-to-be-released results from BRI's extensive studies of Bald Eagles in Maine and
other New England states!
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MEDIA COVERAGE
11/24/08
Bald Eagles in Catskills Show Increasing Mercury
The New York Times
12/1/08
Mercury Levels On the Rise (Letter to the Editor-1)
The New York Times
12/1/08
Mercury Concern in Eagles
TimesUnion
1/1/09
Icon Threatened: New Study Finds Bald Eagles
Have High Levels of Mercury
New Paltz Times
1/1/09
Icon Threatened: New Study Finds Bald Eagles
Have High Levels of Mercury
Woodstock Times
1/18/09
Mercury Rising: Bald Eagles In Region Face New Threat
Daily Freeman
3/4/09
Mercury Rising: The Continued Plight of the Bald Eagle
The Nature Conservancy-online article
