A research has found the reason behind the uptick in mercury levels during certain periods of time in the coastal sea water. The researchers have said that elephant seals come to shore along California’s coast to shed their outermost layer of skin and hair. The process that takes place to 25 to 28 days is the reason that increases the mercury levels in coastal sea water.

During the period of molting, elephant seals take rest on the beach and sun-bath. Researchers at the UC Santa Cruz said, “Compared to other coastal sites, the concentration of methyl mercury in the seawater at Año Nuevo was twice as high during the breeding season and 17 times higher during the molting season”.

In the marine environment, mercury is a big problem because methyl mercury, which is the most toxic form, gets quickly absorbed and accumulated in the bodies of marine organisms. With rise in the food chain, the level of mercury increases. It can be 1 million to 10 million times higher than the levels found in seawater.

Humans can also be affected by rise in mercury levels, as when they eat top ocean predators like tuna and salmon then they are also consuming the heavy metals that have been accumulated in their flesh. For now, the exact consequence of accumulated mercury on the health of elephant seals, so for now it is very difficult to study neuroactivity in humans.