Scientific Publications

Patterns in mercury biomagnification in boreal and subarctic lake food webs.

Piro, A., Kozak, N., Keva, O., Eerola, E.S., Kulo, K., Ruokonen, T.J., Weckström, J., Malinen, T., Kiljunen, M., Taipale, S.J., & Kahilainen, K.K. 2025. Patterns in mercury biomagnification in boreal and subarctic lake food webs. Environmental Research 285: 122352. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2025.122352

• Mercury builds up in fish through the food web in all subarctic and boreal lakes, but the strength of this buildup varies by region.

• Warmer, nutrient-rich northern lakes show less mercury buildup, while boreal lakes are more strongly influenced by environmental changes and human activity.

Impacts of Changing Winter Conditions on Lake Ecosystems Will Increase With Latitude

Ozersky T, Poste A, Rautio M, Leu E. 2025. Impacts of Changing Winter Conditions on Lake Ecosystems Will Increase With Latitude. Ecology Letters. doi.org/10.1111/ele.70200

• Northern lakes are especially vulnerable to climate change, because winter ice and light conditions shift more dramatically at high latitudes.

• Losing ice could strongly affect fish and food webs in the Arctic, as changes in light and temperature reduce the balance needed for healthy lake productivity.

Terrestrial carbon inputs drive methylmercury accumulation in zooplankton of boreal and subarctic lakes

Graves, S.D., Kidd, K.A., Arts, M.T., Veiteberg Braaten, H.F., de Wit, H.A., Borgå, K., Åkerblom, S. and Poste, A.E. 2025. Terrestrial carbon inputs drive methylmercury accumulation in zooplankton of boreal and subarctic lakes. Limnology and Oceanography. https://doi.org/10.1002/lno.70185

• Lake browning raises risk: Higher DOC means more mercury in water and zooplankton.

• Food webs matter: Zooplankton diet shifts help drive mercury build-up, impacting fish and wildlife.

Summer temperatures, autumn winds, and thermal structure under the

ice in arctic lakes of varying morphometry

Schwefel, R., MacIntyre, S. and Cortés, A. (2025), Summer temperatures, autumn winds, and thermal structure under the ice in arctic lakes of varying morphometry. Limnol Oceanogr, 70: 1817-1834. https://doi.org/10.1002/lno.70064

• Winter lake temperatures (1.5–3.1 °C) vary widely between nearby lakes, mainly depending on lake size, shape, summer warmth, and conditions just before freeze-up.

• Sediment heat and fall sunlight play a major role under the ice, especially when snow cover is low, driving warming and mixing that had not been previously observed in Arctic lakes during early winter.

Biomagnification of mercury in brown-water boreal lake – year-round assessment using bulk and compound specific nitrogen stable isotope of amino-acids

Piro, A.J., Taipale, S.J., Eerola, E.S., Megyeri, E., & Kahilainen, K.K. 2025: Biomagnification of mercury in brown-water boreal lake – year-round assessment using bulk and compound specific nitrogen stable isotope of amino-acids. Environmental Pollution 372: 125933. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2025.125933

• Mercury builds up in fish and other animals in northern lakes all year round, even under the ice.

• Different scientific methods give slightly different baseline values, showing the need to refine how we measure mercury in food webs.