Which organism is likely to experience the most significant biomagnification of a toxin?

Prepare for the APES Aquatic Pollution Test. Study with flashcards and multiple-choice questions. Get detailed hints and explanations for each question to ace your exam!

Biomagnification refers to the process by which toxic substances increase in concentration as they move up the food chain. The likelihood of experiencing significant biomagnification is closely related to an organism's position in the food chain and its role as a predator.

Capelin, being a small fish that is consumed by larger fish and marine mammals, is positioned in a critical part of the food web where biomagnification is most impactful. Toxins such as heavy metals (like mercury) and persistent organic pollutants can accumulate in the tissues of organisms that consume contaminated food, and this accumulation tends to be highest in larger predatory species that consume multiple prey organisms.

Zooplankton, while they may be important in the food web, are typically at the base of the chain and would not accumulate toxins to the same extent as higher trophic levels. Similarly, small fish can experience some level of biomagnification, but they often have lower concentrations of toxins than the larger fish that eat them. Coral, being a stationary organism, primarily absorbs toxins from the surrounding environment rather than accumulating them through a food chain pathway.

Thus, capelin, due to its role as a mid-level predator, stands to experience significant biomagnification of toxins, making it the most

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