Following the Mercury Trail

Explore the intricate connection between ocean health and human well-being in this eye-opening TED Talk by marine biologist Stephen Palumbi. Discover how toxins at the bottom of the ocean food chain make their way into our bodies through a shocking case study of contamination from a Japanese fish market. Learn about the accumulation of heavy metals, PCBs, and dioxins in dolphins, and the devastating effects on their offspring. Examine the impact of pollutants on native Inuit populations in the Canadian Arctic who consume a diet rich in seal and whale meat. Investigate the rise of seafood-related infections in the U.S., including Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and the spread of cholera through copepods. Gain insights into harmful algal blooms and their consequences on marine ecosystems. Conclude with potential solutions for addressing major problems in disrupted ecosystem flows and preserving both ocean and human health.

Intro
Ocean health and human well being
We can make the ocean very unhappy
Pinch a minnow, hurt a whale
Pollutants in the sea
Dolphins accumulate heavy metals, PCBs and dioxin
Mother's milk
Death rate among dolphin first borns
The toxins can get into one other predator
The molecular lab in our Tokyo hotel room: Scott Baker dissecting meat samples
In the Canadian Arctic a native Inuit diet of seal and whale leads to very high pollutant levels in people
Red tides and Vibrio cholera: microbial blooms in a disrupted ocean
Rise In Seafood Related Infections In the U.S. Vibrio parahaemolyticus
Harmful algal blooms
Cholera can be spread by copepods
How to fix major problems of disrupted ecosystem flow