Brown trout adapt to tolerate a river's poisons

Brown trout in the River Hayle have adapted to survive and breed despite lethal toxin levels, a legacy of the Cornish tin mining industry. A joint study by KCL and Exeter University has found that this population of brown trout has undergone rapid genetic changes and developed a tolerance to the toxin levels. This study clearly demonstrates the importance of trout being able to use the full range of genes in their genetic ​‘tool box’ and illustrates the dangers of stocking in diluting this resource (see the WTT Stocking page).

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