Metal pollution from historic mining appears to be weakening scallop shells and threatening marine ecosystems in an area off the coast of the Isle of Man, a major new study suggests.
Metal pollution from historic mining appears to be weakening scallop shells and threatening marine ecosystems in an area off the coast of the Isle of Man, a major new study suggests.
The research, led by an interdisciplinary team at the University of York, suggests that the contamination of seabed sediments with zinc, lead and copper from the mining of these metals, which peaked on the island in the late 19th century, is causing the shells of king scallops to become significantly more brittle.
Crushing claws
The thinning and weakening of shells threatens the species by leaving them more exposed to the crushing claws of crabs and lobsters, and, in turn, threatens the marine ecosystem because of the important functions, such as water filtration, that molluscs like scallops carry out.
Given that metal contamination is common in many coastal areas around the world, the researchers are concerned that other species of marine mollusc like mussels, oysters and clams, which together provide more than a quarter of the world’s seafood, may be similarly affected.
Read more at University of York
Image: A damaged scallop (Credit: Dr Bryce Stewart, University of York)
