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Carravieri A, Burthe SJ, de la Vega C, Yonehara Y, Daunt F, Newell MA, Jeffreys RM, Lawlor AJ, Hunt A, Shore RF, Pereira MG, Green JA. Interactions between Environmental Contaminants and Gastrointestinal Parasites: Novel Insights from an Integrative Approach in a Marine Predator. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2020; 54:8938-8948. [PMID: 32551599 PMCID: PMC7467638 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c03021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Environmental contaminants and parasites are ubiquitous stressors that can affect animal physiology and derive from similar dietary sources (co-exposure). To unravel their interactions in wildlife, it is thus essential to quantify their concurring drivers. Here, the relationship between blood contaminant residues (11 trace elements and 17 perfluoroalkyl substances) and nonlethally quantified gastrointestinal parasite loads was tested while accounting for intrinsic (sex, age, and mass) and extrinsic factors (trophic ecology inferred from stable isotope analyses and biologging) in European shags Phalacrocorax aristotelis. Shags had high mercury (range 0.65-3.21 μg g-1 wet weight, ww) and extremely high perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) residues (3.46-53 and 4.48-44 ng g-1 ww, respectively). Males had higher concentrations of arsenic, mercury, PFOA, and PFNA than females, while the opposite was true for selenium, perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA), and perfluooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS). Individual parasite loads (Contracaecum rudolphii) were higher in males than in females. Females targeted pelagic-feeding prey, while males relied on both pelagic- and benthic-feeding organisms. Parasite loads were not related to trophic ecology in either sex, suggesting no substantial dietary co-exposure with contaminants. In females, parasite loads increased strongly with decreasing selenium:mercury molar ratios. Females may be more susceptible to the interactive effects of contaminants and parasites on physiology, with potential fitness consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Carravieri
- School
of Environmental Sciences, University of
Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GP, U.K.
- ,
| | - Sarah J. Burthe
- UK
Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik EH26 0QB, U.K.
| | - Camille de la Vega
- School
of Environmental Sciences, University of
Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GP, U.K.
| | - Yoshinari Yonehara
- Atmosphere
and Ocean Research Institute, University
of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8564, Japan
| | - Francis Daunt
- UK
Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik EH26 0QB, U.K.
| | - Mark A. Newell
- UK
Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik EH26 0QB, U.K.
| | - Rachel M. Jeffreys
- School
of Environmental Sciences, University of
Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GP, U.K.
| | - Alan J. Lawlor
- UK
Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster
Environment Centre, Library
Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4AP, U.K
| | - Alexander Hunt
- UK
Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster
Environment Centre, Library
Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4AP, U.K
| | - Richard F. Shore
- UK
Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster
Environment Centre, Library
Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4AP, U.K
| | - M. Glória Pereira
- UK
Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster
Environment Centre, Library
Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4AP, U.K
| | - Jonathan A. Green
- School
of Environmental Sciences, University of
Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GP, U.K.
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Normandeau J, Kutz SJ, Hebblewhite M, Merrill EH. Living with liver flukes: Does migration matter? INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-PARASITES AND WILDLIFE 2020; 12:76-84. [PMID: 32477863 PMCID: PMC7251301 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2020.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Revised: 05/03/2020] [Accepted: 05/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Migration is typically thought to be an evolved trait driven by responses to forage or predation, but recent studies have demonstrated avoidance of parasitism can also affect success of migratory tactics within a population. We evaluated hypotheses of how migration alters parasite exposure in a partially migratory elk (Cervus canadensis) population in and adjacent to Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada. Equal numbers of elk remain year-round on the winter range or migrate to summer range. We quantified diversity and abundance of parasites in faecal elk pellets, and prevalence (number of infected individuals) and intensity (egg counts) of giant liver fluke eggs (Fascioloides magna) in faeces across migratory tactics. We tested whether giant liver fluke intensity in faeces was affected by elk use of wetlands, elevation, forage biomass, and elk concentration in the previous summer. We rejected the "migratory escape" hypothesis that suggests migration allowed elk to escape parasite exposure because migrant elk had the highest richness and evenness of parasite groups. We also rejected the hypothesis that prevalence was highest at highest summer densities because higher-density resident elk had the lowest diversity and giant liver fluke egg presence and intensity. Instead, the high prevalence and intensity of giant liver flukes in migrants was consistent with both the hypothesis of "environmental tracking", because elk that migrated earlier may expose themselves to favourable parasite conditions, and with the "environmental sampling" hypothesis, because giant liver fluke intensity increased with increased exposure to secondary host habitat (i.e., wetland). Our results indicate that differential exposure of different migratory tactics that leave the winter range has a greater influence on parasites than the concentration of elk that reside on the winter range year-round.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Susan J Kutz
- Department of Ecosystem and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4Z6, Canada
| | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, 59812, United States
| | - Evelyn H Merrill
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2R3, Canada
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Hicks O, Green JA, Daunt F, Cunningham EJA, Newell M, Butler A, Burthe SJ. Sublethal effects of natural parasitism act through maternal, but not paternal, reproductive success in a wild population. Ecology 2019; 100:e02772. [PMID: 31165474 PMCID: PMC6851849 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2018] [Revised: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 05/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Parasites are a major component of all animal populations. Males and females often differ in their levels of parasite prevalence, potentially leading to sex differences in the impact of parasitism on fitness, with important implications for the evolution of parasite and host traits including resistance, tolerance, and virulence. However, quantitative measures of the impact of parasitism under free‐living conditions are extremely rare, as they require detailed host demographic data with measures of parasite burden over time. Here, we use endoscopy for direct quantification of natural‐parasite burdens and relate these to reproductive success over 7 yr in a wild population of seabirds. Contrary to predictions, only female burdens were associated with negative impacts of parasitism on breeding success, despite males having significantly higher burdens. Female reproductive success declined by 30% across the range of natural parasite burdens. These effects persisted when accounting for interannual population differences in breeding success. Our results provide quantitative estimates of profound sub‐lethal effects of parasitism on the population. Importantly, they highlight how parasites act unpredictably to shape ecological and evolutionary processes in different components of the same population, with implications for demography and selection on host and parasite traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Hicks
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Nicholson Building, Liverpool, L69 3BX, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan A Green
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Nicholson Building, Liverpool, L69 3BX, United Kingdom
| | - Francis Daunt
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian, EH26 0QB, United Kingdom
| | - Emma J A Cunningham
- School of Biology, Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Centre for Immunity, Infection and Evolution, University of Edinburgh, Ashworth Laboratories King's Buildings, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JT, United Kingdom
| | - Mark Newell
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian, EH26 0QB, United Kingdom
| | - Adam Butler
- Biomathematics and Statistics Scotland, James Clerk Maxwell Building, The King's Buildings, Peter Guthrie Tait Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FD, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah J Burthe
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian, EH26 0QB, United Kingdom
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