Mercury concentrations in the prey of apex piscivores from a large subtropical estuary.

Estuaries are important ecosystems for mercury methylation and accumulation, yet few studies have quantified mercury levels in prey species that expose large estuarine piscivores to contamination. We measured mercury concentrations in key prey species from the Indian River Lagoon, Florida, USA, to characterize variability and assess the spatial distribution of mercury levels throughout the estuary. Mean mercury concentrations ranged from 0.