BURLINGTON – Researchers from the University of Vermont and Dartmouth College are seeking help from anglers this summer for a survey to measure mercury concentrations in Lake Champlain sport fish.
This survey is conducted every five years in collaboration with the Lake Champlain Basin Program. While numerous fish muscle samples were collected in summer 2022, additional samples are needed for walleye and lake trout.
The data collected will help scientists study the impact of changing environmental conditions on mercury levels in fish. The information also will be shared with consumers to help them make informed choices as eating too many lake-caught fish with high mercury levels may result in neurological damage.
Information about the study can be found at uvm.edu/hginfish. The website lists the number and type of samples needed from various sections of the lake along with local markets, bait shops and marinas that have agreed to serve as fish muscle sample collection sites. Anglers may drop off samples during a venue’s regular operating hours.
Each sample must include a one-inch by one-inch fish muscle sample (cut from the thicker end of the fish fillet), the species, length and weight of the fish and the date and segment of the lake where the fish was caught. Each collection site will have project flyers for anglers to record this information along with freezer bags for samples.
For questions about the study, email [email protected].
