DDT was sprayed in a Long Island salt marsh over a period of years for mosquito control. A portion of the food web is as follows:
Algae - shrimp- American eel - Atlantic needlefish - ring-billed gull
In which organism would biological magnification be greatest?

Question

DDT was sprayed in a Long Island salt marsh over a period of years for mosquito control. A portion of the food web is as follows:
Algae -> shrimp-> American eel -> Atlantic needlefish -> ring-billed gull
In which organism would biological magnification be greatest?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Biological magnification is the process by which pollutants become increasingly concentrated in higher trophic levels of a food chain. As we move up the food chain, the concentration of pollutants increases. Ring-billed gull is at the highest trophic level in the given food web, and therefore, it is most likely to have the highest concentration of pollutants. The algae at the base of the food chain has the lowest concentration of pollutants, so it is the least likely to have biological magnification.

DDT Was Sprayed in a Long Island Salt Marsh Over