Birds that migrate to and from South and Central America, like the semipalmated sandpiper, might even get a double dose of mercury, since these areas are rife with artisanal and small-scale gold mining, activities that come with a hefty heavy-metal legacy.
How the accumulation of this poison is affecting these birds individually is unknown, but any reduction in reproduction and migration could have population-wide impacts. Shorebirds are the most abundant and diverse group of animals on Alaska’s North Slope, Perkins says, and that makes them crazy important for the ecosystem.
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