Stable isotope analyses revealed the influence of foraging habitat on mercury accumulation in tropical coastal marine fish.

Bioaccumulation of toxic metal elements including mercury (Hg) can be highly variable in marine fish species. Metal concentration is influenced by various species-specific physiological and ecological traits, including individual diet composition and foraging habitat. The impact of trophic ecology and habitat preference on Hg accumulation was analyzed through total Hg concentration and stable isotope ratios of carbon (δC) and nitrogen (δN) in the muscle of 132 fish belonging to 23 different species from the Senegalese coast (West Africa), where the marine ecosystem is submitted to nutrient inputs from various sources such as upwelling or rivers.