Recent papers
Weiss-Penzias et al. (2025) Atmospheric mercury uptake to foliage using in situ and transplanted lichens at the New Almaden Mining District, California, United States
Locations of lichen sampling (N = 303) in the New Almaden Mining District in Santa Clara County, CA showing total mercury concentrations in lichens.
Weiss-Penzias et al. (2025) The effect of precipitation on gaseous oxidized and elemental mercury concentrations as quantified by two types of atmospheric mercury measurement systems
Hawk et al. (2024) Assessment of mercury concentrations in fur, liver, and brain tissue from necropsied southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis)
USGS 2019 sea otter census map displaying population density across the southern sea otter range
(Hatfield et al., 2019). The Monterey Bay and Morro Bay regions are highlighted in purple, indicating approximate stranding locations of necropsied southern sea otters included in this study. There were 28 otters from the Monterey Bay region and 8 from the Morro Bay region. Other sampling locations not indicated on the map are Big Sur and Santa Barbara County (n = 2 otters each), and one otter each from Pacifica, San Nicolas Island, San Diego County, and Orange County California.
Rundio et al. (2022) High mercury concentrations in steelhead/rainbow trout, sculpin, and terrestrial invertebrates in a stream-riparian food web in coastal California
Map of study area in the Big Creek watershed on the Big Sur coast of central California, USA.
Lyman et al. (2020) An updated review of atmospheric mercury
Schematic of the atmospheric mercury cycle. Mercury is released to the atmosphere from natural and anthropogenic sources where it exists as primarily Hg0 but also HgII compounds which are more reactive with aerosol particles and cloud droplets.
Weiss-Penzias et al. (2019) Marine fog inputs appear to increase methylmercury bioaccumulation in a coastal terrestrial food web
Hypothesized sources and mechanisms of transfer of organic Hg species from the ocean to the coastal terrestrial food web in central California, USA. Bar charts indicate the mean concentrations of MMHg observed in this work plus fog and rainwater concentration from a previous work.