A new report is one of few to measure mercury contamination in songbirds, which rely on insects for food. Until recently, scientists believed mercury contamination was mostly a problem for aquatic birds that eat fish. The report says "the scope and intensity of the impact of mercury on fish and wildlife in the Great Lakes region is much greater than previously recognized."

The Star Tribune reports that this summer a team of Minnesota scientists, with some funding from the state's taconite industry, have quietly launched a $900,000 research project in an effort to solve an environmental mystery that has puzzled them for years: Why are mercury levels in Minnesota fish among the highest in the Great Lakes region?

The DNR says the walleye population has reached its second-lowest level since the agency started taking the measurements in 1983. Over the long-term, male walleye have been declining on Lake Mille Lacs. Northern pike numbers are also falling.

State pollution officials intercepted 64 pounds of mercury that a Craigslist seller found in his late grandfather's garage. The seller in Floodwood, Minn., posted an ad to sell the elemental mercury for $650, and an alert Craigslist browser contacted authorities. Elemental mercury is toxic to human kidneys and the nervous system.

President Barack Obama has requested $350 million more for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative next year. More than 650 grants have been awarded for projects to clean polluted sites, restore wildlife habitat and fight invasive species.

Health officials are warning consumers to stop using certain skin-lightening products that contain dangerous levels of mercury. "The products are manufactured abroad and sold illegally in the United States—often in shops in Latino, Asian, African or Middle Eastern neighborhoods and online," according to a news release from the FDA.

An ongoing research project, the first large-scale objective measurement of wetland quality in Minnesota, is under way to size up the health of roughly 10 million acres of wetlands in the state, roughly 20 percent of Minnesota's landcover. Wetlands face a variety of threats, including agricultural development and invasive species.

After sweeping the Mercury in the Western Conference, the Lynx now await the winner of the Indiana-Atlanta series that will be decided Tuesday night. The final series begins next week at the Target Center.