NOVEMBER 18, 2022
New Toxicity Report Compares Maine, Australian and California Lobster
Santa Barbara, CA / For release November 18, 2022 — A new study released by Marine Watchdogs compares lobster caught from California's Channel Islands to Australian and Maine lobsters.
"We tested for heavy metals like mercury, lead and arsenic, which have historically tested high in some seafood," said Marine Watchdogs Science Director Judah Sanders. "But we also tested each sample for over 300 known chemical contaminants as well as nuclear radiation."
Samples were sent to two different California laboratories for specific kinds of tests. "We found high levels of arsenic in some samples, so we had to find a lab that specializes in arsenic speciation, which determines the type of arsenic, not just the amount." Arsenic speciation is important because some kinds are harmless while others are extremely poisonous.
The concern over seafood toxicity comes from the group's concern about the health of the ocean ecosystem at large. "We're concerned about the health of the marine food chain," said Sanders. "Everything is connected, so what affects one species affects all life in the food chain."
Marine Watchdogs also provides seafood contamination and recall alerts.
The study can be viewed (along with a brief video summary) at marinewatchdogs.org/lobster.
About Marine Watchdogs
Marine Watchdogs is a member-based, nonprofit action company using new technologies to monitor and preserve the ocean. Watchdogs' activities include comparative seafood testing, toxicology reports and contamination alerts, seafloor surveys and cleanup events, and marine fields trips and ocean education programs.
