Reactive mercury in the central North Atlantic Ocean

The level of reactive mercury in pelagic waters near the Mid Atlantic Ridge, south of the Azores, and in the Sargasso Sea, north of Bermuda, was studied. The reactive Hg concentration in both locations was shown to be fairly uniform with depth at a level of 2.5 ± 0.5 pmol l⁻¹. The profiles show no indication of a simple Hg-nutrient relationship. The deep water from the Famous area was also sampled and showed no elevated Hg levels.