photo from http://www.sciencealert.com.au
I found this article, Sydney's Seaweed: Dirtiest on Earth today from April 08 that was pretty alarming. Due to water pollution, Sydney's seaweed was found to be concentrated with copper, lead and zinc. Because of this, small crustaceans that feed on the sea vegetables are dying! The sea vegetables absorb the heavy metals and when the crustaceans feed on them they can't tolerate the amounts.
"The habitats that we sampled within Sydney Harbour contain among the highest concentrations of metals yet identified in brown seaweeds," says study lead author, UNSW biologist, Dr David Roberts. "In seven of the 10 sample harbour sites, we measured copper concentrations in one seaweed species that exceeded levels known to threaten small crustaceans. These concentrations exceed all previously scientifically reported levels."Luckily Sydney is NOT on the list of places that sell sea vegetables for human consumption. Even so, it is an indicator of how water pollution (through sea vegetables) is upsetting the natural eco system.
