Record Details
Radioecology of benthic fishes off Oregon, U.S.A.
ScholarsArchive at Oregon State University
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Title | Radioecology of benthic fishes off Oregon, U.S.A. |
| Names |
Pearcy, William G.
(creator) Vanderploeg, H. A. (creator) |
| Date Issued | 1972 (iso8601) |
| Abstract | Gamma-emitting radionuclides were found in benthic fishes from depths of 50-280O m off the Oregon coast from 1964-1971. 65Zn, 60Co, 54Mn, 144Ce, 137Cs and 40K were present. Zinc-65, originating mainly from the nuclear reactors on the Columbia River, was the predominant artifically-induced radionuclide. Levels of 6Zn per g and specific activities of 65Zn decreased markedly in several species of fishes between 1965 and 1971 because of the shutdown of reactors. This decrease was greater for small than large Lyopsetta exilis during 19 70-1971. Specific activities decreased with increasing depth, both for individual species inhabiting broad depth ranges and for different species inhabiting different depths. Specific activities of 65Zn were inversely related to body size for L. exilis and Sebastolobus. Other variations of 65Zn were related to trophic position. Fishes that preyed on low trophic level pelagic animals had higher specific activities than fishes that preyed on benthic invertebrates. Such pelagic feeders may play an important role in accelerating the transport of some radionuclides or elements to the sea floor. |
| Genre | Article |
| Topic | Marine radioecology |
| Identifier | http://hdl.handle.net/1957/13401 |
