Oceana Report: Mercury Levels in Hair of Coastal Alabama Anglers and Residents

Photo credit Oceana

Most people's exposure to mercury comes from consuming fish. The northern Gulf of Mexico receives some of the highest mercury deposition in the United States. A number of popular Gulf sport fish, such as ling (cobia), Spanish mackerel, amberjack, and blackfin tuna, as well as king mackerel, were found to have relatively high mercury levels in an Oceana survey in 2005. For those who were concerned or curious about their mercury exposure, and as a follow-up to our fish testing, Oceana offered free mercury hair tests at the 2006 Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo held in Dauphin Island, AL, July 21-23, 2006. Anglers were targeted due to their purported higher levels of fish consumption, but other interested attendees were tested as well. The goal of this study was to provide confidential information on personal mercury levels to those interested and to help characterize seafood consumption and mercury exposure in Gulf anglers and residents.

  • Summary
  • Full Report
  • Press Release

    • Key Findings

    • Rodeo participants eat about three times more seafood than the national average.
    • Mercury levels in women tested at the Rodeo were double the national average.
    • Median mercury levels in this coastal survey were four times greater than in northern Alabama.
    • One of every three anglers tested had hair mercury levels above the EPA reference level.
    • Mercury levels in hair were tied to the rate of fish consumption and the mercury levels in fish.
    • Nearly one in four participants reported one or more symptom of mercury toxicity.


    Health Effects of Mercury
    Mercury is a potent neurotoxin that accumulates in fish in the form of methylmercury. Most people's exposure to mercury comes from consuming fish. Certain large predatory fish accumulate the most mercury and Federal and State agencies warn anglers and sensitive consumers on which fish to avoid or that should be eaten less frequently. Because the developing fetus and young children are most vulnerable to mercury's toxic effects, mercury advisories for recreational fish in many states will list separate consumption advice for womenand kids in this sensitive group as opposed to all others. However, many anglers may also be vulnerable to mercury exposure since they are likely to consume above average amounts of fish.

    Oceana tested mercury levels at the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo in 2005 and found that nearly half of the species tested had mercury concentrations above the level at which Florida and Louisiana issue consumption advisories.  Read Oceana's report What's On the Hook?