Collaborative Mercury Research Network (COMERN)

The overarching objective of the NB Coastal Case Study is to identify
the fate of mercury in coastal ecosystems of the Bay of Fundy, and the
susceptibility of this coastal region to local and long-range sources of
atmospheric mercury contamination. Specific objectives refer to:

1. Identification of the principal inputs of mercury in coastal regions

2. Characterization of the cycling of mercury in coastal subcatchments

3. Determination of the susceptibility of benthic organisms, fish and seabirds
to mercury deposition and local sources of contamination.

4. Integration of results to develop whole-ecosystem model of mercury dynamics
in coastal regions to forecast mercury levels in predatory fish and seabirds
from inputs of mercury to the system.

5. Installation of a local resource link to the COMERN study of mercury food
web effects on human health.

6. Synthesize results to analyze the management and policy implications for
regulations of transboundary mercury contamination on the Maine-New Brunswick
border and managing ecosystem impacts of mercury in the Bay of Fundy.