MERLUMED (ECCO)

The presence of organic contaminants in the marine environment raises the important question of their fate in food chains and ultimately the exposure of end users, including man, to such potentially toxic substances. The MERLUMED project aims to understand the transfer and bioaccumulation of contaminants in hake (Merluccius merluccius) in the Golfe du Lion in the North Western Mediterranean and in the main species of its food chain. The research undertaken should identify the key processes that affect the fate of contaminants, and develop models of these mechanisms for some families of contaminants. This work naturally requires a good knowledge of the hake food chain, the key biological parameters of the species (growth, reproduction) and bioaccumulation processes for different contaminants.