Aquaculture
What is aquaculture?
The farming (breeding/harvesting) of fish or other aquatic organisms including fish, shellfish, algae, seaweed, etc.
What is bioaccumulation?
The build up of pollutants in a single organism over time
What is biomagnification?
The increase of pollutants as they move up the food chain.
How do pollutants affect fish?
Fish absorb pollutants from the water and food they consume.
What is a food chain?
A series of organisms that eat each other.
What animals are in aquaculture?
Fish or shellfish
What do pollutants in an organism do over time?
Increase and build up
Do apex predators have more or less toxins?
More toxins.
How do pollutants move through the food chain?
Small organisms absorb pollutants, larger organisms eat them, and the pollutants increase as they move up the chain.
What do small fish typically eat?
Plankton or smaller organisms.
Where does aquaculture take place?
In ponds, cages, tanks, and sometimes oceans.
Why do older fish have more pollutants?
They have been exposed to the pollutants longer therefore the build up is intense
Why can humans be affected by biomagnification?
Humans eat contaminated fish that could contain pollutants.
Name on effect pollutants have on fish?
They can decrease fish populations and cause them to be unsafe to eat.
What happens to pollutants when one organism eats another?
The pollutants are passed on.
Why do people use aquaculture?
To produce seafood for people to eat.
What are POPs?
Persistent Organic Pollutants
Which contains more pollutants: sardine or a salmon?
A salmon.
Through runoff, waste, chemicals, or air quality conditions.
How does biomagnification affect apex predators?
They consume the highest concentration of pollutants.
What happens when aquaculture water come polluted?
Fish can become sick and populations can be threatened.
Why do pollutants stay in organisms for a long time?
The body cannot break down the fat-soluble pollutants easily.
What organisms can bioaccumulate organisms?
Fish, animals, and humans
What are some pollutants that can affect organisms?
POPs like DDTs, PCBs, and mercury
Why do pollutants increase higher in the food chain?
Because animals consume pollutants from everything they eat.