US EditionCicadas Emerge After 17 Years Underground. Why Researchers Test Them for Mercury.
- Cicadas emerged on Cape Cod in 2025 after spending 17 years underground and will remain above ground for four to six weeks as part of their life cycle.
- Scientists at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution are collecting cicadas to analyze their mercury content and compare these findings with data from a study conducted 17 years earlier.
- The scientists aim to determine if mercury levels have increased over time and how much mercury originates naturally versus from human activities, using cicadas as a model for environmental contamination.
- Laura Motta, WHOI Assistant Scientist, explained that cicadas serve as an interesting comparison to marine environments, and researchers are investigating how mercury builds up over time due to human-caused emissions.
- This research may clarify how mercury pollutants persist and spread in forest ecosystems, suggesting ongoing concerns about environmental contamination and its public health impacts.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Cicadas are emerging in Pennsylvania, but you may not be hearing them yet. Here's why
People in the central and southeastern part of the state are starting to see cicadas but not hearing any sounds coming from them. It has to do with sexual maturity. Cicadas are now emerging in central and southeastern Pennsylvania, and people should expect to see them before being able to hear their unique singing sounds. Michael Skvarla, assistant research professor of arthropod identification at Penn State University, said on May 28 that he ha…
More Than 12 States Are Being 'Invaded' By Rare Insects
The 5 Worst Hurricanes In The History Of The USA (1:57) If you thought that last year's cicada invasion across the United States was annoying then get ready for the sequel.According to USA Today, over a dozen U.S. states are being invaded by cicadas right now as Brood XIV began emerging in the spring. Through the month of May, the primary areas where they've been spotted are North Carolina, Kentucky and Tennessee. But as the annoying insects con…
Cicadas emerge after 17 years underground. Why researchers test them for mercury. | News Channel 3-12
By Mike Sullivan Click here for updates on this story CAPE COD, Massachusetts (WBZ) — After 17 years underground, cicadas are emerging on Cape Cod. The noisy bugs will spend the next four to six weeks above ground as part of their life cycle. When underground, they feed on nutrients and pollutants from nearby trees. The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) is capturing the insects to test them for heightened mercury levels. “We are lo…
Cicadas emerge after 17 years underground. Why researchers test them for mercury.
WBZ By Mike Sullivan Click here for updates on this story CAPE COD, Massachusetts (WBZ) — After 17 years underground, cicadas are emerging on Cape Cod. The noisy bugs will spend the next four to six weeks above ground as part of their life cycle. When underground, they feed on nutrients and pollutants from nearby trees. The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) is capturing the insects to test them for heightened mercury levels. “We ar…
Cicada Swarm Begins Rare Emergence In Eastern US After 17 Years Underground - Nemos News Network
A rare mass emergence of cicadas is underway across the eastern United States as Brood XIV—one of the largest 17-year periodical cicada broods—surfaces for the first time since 2008. Found only in eastern North America, periodical cicadas are known for their long underground life cycles, synchronized mass emergences, and piercing mating calls, according to researchers at the University of Connecticut. As Chase Smith reports for The Epoch Times, …
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