Global News - June 2008

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Australian dolphin deaths linked to excess mercury

Tue 17 June 2008 14:00 UK — Australasia,Marine Wildlife

Dolphins that have been washed up in south-eastern Australia might have died as a result of mercury poisoning, a report has suggested.

A team from Monash University revealed that they had found high mercury levels in the bodies of the dolphins that had died in the Port Phillip Bay and the Gippsland Lakes in Victoria over the last two years.

The researchers confirmed that levels of mercury found in the dolphins were in the range considered harmful enough to cause negative health and mental effects.

Supervisory researcher Dr Ross Thompson explained: "Mercury levels detected are sufficient to cause significant health impacts and were comparable to those found in areas of the world that are considered highly polluted, including the Mediterranean Sea."

"Dolphins may be becoming stranded as a direct consequence of mercury contamination which damages their neurological system. They become potentially confused and disorientated, and strand themselves. Even the apparently healthy dolphins had high levels of mercury which put them at risk of future health complications."

The team said that they were concerned that the excess mercury might have come from sediments in the bay. These might have been disturbed by dredging activity.

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