The goals of the project were to determine the distribution of selected contaminants in fish from Maine lakes, to determine risk to human and wildlife consumers of fish from Maine lakes, and to identify factors that affect the distribution of contaminants in fish tissue. A group of 'target species' were determined based on the species' desirability as game fish, and other factors. Field protocols targeted fish that were comparable age, legal length limit, 'desirability' as game species, and likelihood of capture. In the laboratory, the fish fillet (muscle) of each fish was extracted. The fillets from each lake were ground up, combined and homogenized, and then the tissue was subsampled to analyze for mercury levels. A goal of the study examined external stressors and other factors potentially responsible for elevated levels of mercury in fish. The information would be used to gain insights on conditions and sources that could be used in managing any problem detected.

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