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Related Concept Videos

Predator-Prey Interactions02:39

Predator-Prey Interactions

Predators consume prey for energy. Predators that acquire prey and prey that avoid predation both increase their chances of survival and reproduction (i.e., fitness). Routine predator-prey interactions elicit mutual adaptations that improve predator offenses, such as claws, teeth, and speed, as well as prey defenses, including crypsis, aposematism, and mimicry. Thus, predator-prey interactions resemble an evolutionary arms race.Although predation is commonly associated with carnivory, for...
Microbial Interactions: Predation01:28

Microbial Interactions: Predation

Microbial predation refers to the process by which one microorganism kills and consumes another to obtain nutrients and energy. It encompasses both bacterial and protozoan predators. This interaction plays a crucial role in shaping microbial communities and regulating nutrient cycling.Bacterial Predators: Epibiotic vs. EndobioticBacterial predators are classified based on their mode of attack as either epibiotic or endobiotic. Epibiotic predators, such as Vampirococcus, attach to the surface of...
Threats to Biodiversity01:50

Threats to Biodiversity

There have been five major extinction events throughout geological history, resulting in the elimination of biodiversity, followed by a rebound of species that adapted to the new conditions. In the current geological epoch, the Holocene, there is a sixth extinction event in progress. This mass extinction has been attributed to human activities and is thus provisionally called the Anthropocene. In 2019 the human population reached 7.7 billion people and is projected to comprise 10 billion by...
Competition02:34

Competition

When organisms require the same limited resources within an environment, they may have to compete for them. Competition is a net-negative interaction. Even if two competing individuals or populations do not interact directly, the overall fitness of both competitors is lowered as a result of not having full access to the limited resource.Intraspecific competition, which occurs between individuals of the same species, serves as a natural mechanism for regulating population size. Too much...
Microbial Interactions: Competition01:26

Microbial Interactions: Competition

Microbial competition is an ecological interaction in which microorganisms vie for limited resources within shared environments. These resources may include nutrients, space, or light, depending on the system. The intensity and outcome of competition are influenced by the environmental context, such as nutrient availability, spatial constraints, and the diversity of microbial species present. These competitive interactions significantly influence the structure, function, and resilience of...
Conservation of Declining Populations02:07

Conservation of Declining Populations

Conservation of declining population focuses on ways of detecting, diagnosing, and halting a population decline. The approach uses methods to prevent populations from going extinct.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 24, 2026

Laboratory Estimation of Net Trophic Transfer Efficiencies of PCB Congeners to Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush) from Its Prey
12:24

Laboratory Estimation of Net Trophic Transfer Efficiencies of PCB Congeners to Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush) from Its Prey

Published on: August 29, 2014

Changes in mercury bioaccumulation in an apex predator in response to removal of an introduced competitor.

Jesse M Lepak1, Jason M Robinson, Clifford E Kraft

  • 1Warner College of Natural Resources, Colorado Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA. jmlepak@lamar.colostate.edu

Ecotoxicology (London, England)
|March 12, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Removing invasive smallmouth bass increased methylmercury (MeHg) in lake trout. Despite faster growth, a diet shift to mercury-laden prey fish led to higher MeHg concentrations in the apex predator.

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Laboratory Estimation of Net Trophic Transfer Efficiencies of PCB Congeners to Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush) from Its Prey
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A Fish-feeding Laboratory Bioassay to Assess the Antipredatory Activity of Secondary Metabolites from the Tissues of Marine Organisms
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Assessing Intertidal Populations of the Invasive European Green Crab
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Assessing Intertidal Populations of the Invasive European Green Crab

Published on: September 16, 2020

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Toxicology
  • Ecology
  • Aquatic Ecosystems

Background:

  • Introduced predators can alter food web dynamics.
  • Competition can impact fish growth and contaminant burdens.
  • Methylmercury (MeHg) bioaccumulation is a concern in aquatic food webs.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess MeHg changes in lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) following smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) removal.
  • To investigate the relationship between food web structure and MeHg bioaccumulation in apex predators.
  • To understand the effects of reduced competition on contaminant levels in fish.

Main Methods:

  • Monitoring MeHg concentrations in lake trout before and after predator removal.
  • Analyzing lake trout diet shifts from invertebrates to prey fish.
  • Utilizing bioenergetics simulations to predict MeHg accumulation.
  • Measuring lake trout growth rates.

Main Results:

  • Lake trout exhibited increased growth rates post-removal.
  • Despite increased growth, MeHg concentrations in lake trout significantly increased.
  • Diet shift towards mercury-rich prey fish was the primary driver of elevated MeHg.
  • Growth dilution effect was counteracted by increased dietary MeHg uptake.

Conclusions:

  • Food web alterations, specifically diet shifts due to reduced competition, can increase MeHg in top predators.
  • Ecosystem management actions (predator removal) can have unintended consequences on contaminant bioaccumulation.
  • Understanding trophic dynamics is crucial for predicting contaminant fate in aquatic ecosystems.