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Grant ML, Bond AL, Reichman SM, Lavers JL. Seabird transported contaminants are dispersed in island ecosystems. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 361:142483. [PMID: 38825246 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.142483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Seabirds are long-range transporters of nutrients and contaminants, linking marine feeding areas with terrestrial breeding and roosting sites. By depositing nutrient-rich guano, which acts as a fertiliser, seabirds can substantially influence the terrestrial environment in which they reside. However, increasing pollution of the marine environment has resulted in guano becoming similarly polluted. Here, we determined metal and metalloid concentrations (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb) in Flesh-footed Shearwater (Ardenna carneipes) guano, soil, terrestrial flora, and primary consumers and used an ecological approach to assess whether the trace elements in guano were bioaccumulating and contaminating the surrounding environment. Concentrations in guano were higher than those of other Procellariiformes documented in the literature, which may be influenced by the high amounts of plastics that this species of shearwater ingests. Soil samples from shearwater colonies had significantly higher concentrations of all metals, except for Pb, than soils from control sites and formerly occupied areas. Concentrations in terrestrial primary producers and primary consumers were not as marked, and for many contaminants there was no significant difference observed across levels of ornithogenic input. We conclude that Flesh-footed Shearwaters are transporters of marine derived contaminants to the Lord Howe Island terrestrial environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan L Grant
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, School Road, Newnham, Tasmania, 7248, Australia.
| | - Alexander L Bond
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, School Road, Newnham, Tasmania, 7248, Australia; Bird Group, The Natural History Museum, Akeman Street, Tring, Hertfordshire, HP23 6AP, United Kingdom
| | - Suzie M Reichman
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia
| | - Jennifer L Lavers
- Bird Group, The Natural History Museum, Akeman Street, Tring, Hertfordshire, HP23 6AP, United Kingdom; Gulbali Institute, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, 2678, Australia
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Mutillod C, Baumberger T, Prudent P, Saatkamp A, Vidal E, Le-Mire-Pecheux L, Affre L. Yellow-legged gull populations (Larus michahellis) link the history of landfills to soil eutrophication and time-related vegetation changes on small Mediterranean islands. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 878:162948. [PMID: 36948306 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Seabird colonies have a strong influence on both the physical and chemical soil parameters and plant communities of the islands where they settle to nest. Scientists have studied the effects of the demographic explosion of seabird populations, but few have explored the long-term effects when the colonies were in decline. The aim of this study was to investigate diachronic changes over a 24 year period of soil parameters, floristic composition and plant functionnal types (Raunkiaer growth forms and Grime life strategies) up to the decrease of the number of nesting yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis Naumann, 1840) on Mediterranean islands. We used 78 permanent plots to survey the vegetation and the soil parameters on 9 islands and one mainland area within the Calanques National Park (south east of France), for three periods (i.e., 1997, 2008, 2021). Since 1997, the increase of nesting gulls has caused a nitrogen and pH increase and organic carbon and C/N ratio decrease, although the values were still higher than mainland plots without nesting gulls. This has led to changes in plant species composition e.g., higher values of N favouring the development of ruderal plant species, still present in high frequency in 2021. Furthermore, plant species highly tolerant to disturbances (i.e., R Grime strategy) in harsh environments were still favoured even after the decline of gull abundance. However, both the frequency of the chamaephytes and the vegetation cover has increased with the decline of gull colony. In 2021, measures of trace elements' concentrations and calculation of pollution load index (Cu, Pb and Zn) reveals relatively low multi-contamination levels on the mainland and the archipelagos. On naturally oligotrophic and semi-arid Mediterranean islands, gull colonies induce a persistent alteration in soil characteristics that still influences plant communities (composition and functional types), 11 years after the decline in bird abundance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clémentine Mutillod
- Aix Marseille Univ, Avignon Université, CNRS, IRD, IMBE Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Écologie marine et continentale, Marseille, France.
| | | | - Pascale Prudent
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, LCE Laboratoire de Chimie de l'Environnement, Marseille, France
| | - Arne Saatkamp
- Aix Marseille Univ, Avignon Université, CNRS, IRD, IMBE Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Écologie marine et continentale, Marseille, France
| | - Eric Vidal
- Aix Marseille Univ, Avignon Université, CNRS, IRD, IMBE Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Écologie marine et continentale, Marseille, France; UMR ENTROPIE (IRD, Université de la Réunion, IFREMER, Université de la Nouvelle-Calédonie, CNRS), BP A5, Nouméa CEDEX 98848, New Caledonia
| | | | - Laurence Affre
- Aix Marseille Univ, Avignon Université, CNRS, IRD, IMBE Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Écologie marine et continentale, Marseille, France
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McIntyre JA, O'Driscoll NJ, Spooner I, Robertson GJ, Smol JP, Mallory ML. Scavenging gulls are biovectors of mercury from industrial wastes in Nova Scotia, Canada. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 304:135279. [PMID: 35691403 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.135279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 05/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Seabirds are important biovectors of contaminants, like mercury, moving them from marine to terrestrial environments around breeding colonies. This transfer of materials can have marked impacts on receiving environments and biota. Less is known about biotransport of contaminants by generalist seabirds that exploit anthropogenic wastes compared to other seabird species. In this study, we measured total mercury (THg) in O-horizon soils at four herring gull (Larus smithsoniansus) breeding colonies in southern Nova Scotia, Canada. At colonies with dry substrate, THg was significantly higher in soils collected from gull colonies compared to nearby reference soils with no nesting gulls. Further, THg was distinct in soils among study colonies and was likely influenced by biotransport from other nesting seabird species, most notably Leach's storm-petrels (Hydrobates leucorhous). Our research suggests gulls that scavenge on anthropogenic wastes at local industrial sites are biovectors moving THg acquired at these sites to their colonies and may increase the spatial footprint of contaminants from these industries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessie A McIntyre
- Biology, Acadia University, 33 Westwood Avenue, Wolfville, NS, B4P 2R6, Canada.
| | - Nelson J O'Driscoll
- Earth & Environmental Science, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS, B4P 2R6, Canada
| | - Ian Spooner
- Earth & Environmental Science, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS, B4P 2R6, Canada
| | - Gregory J Robertson
- Wildlife Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 6 Bruce Street, Mount Pearl, NL, A1N 4T3, Canada
| | - John P Smol
- Paleoecological Environmental Assessment and Research Laboratory, Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Mark L Mallory
- Biology, Acadia University, 33 Westwood Avenue, Wolfville, NS, B4P 2R6, Canada
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Grant ML, Bond AL, Lavers JL. The influence of seabirds on their breeding, roosting, and nesting grounds: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Anim Ecol 2022; 91:1266-1289. [PMID: 35395097 PMCID: PMC9324971 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Seabird species worldwide are integral to both marine and terrestrial environments, connecting the two systems by transporting vast quantities of marine-derived nutrients and pollutants to terrestrial breeding, roosting, and nesting grounds via the deposition of guano and other allochthonous inputs (e.g., eggs, feathers). We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis and provide insight into what types of nutrients and pollutants seabirds are transporting, the influence these subsidies are having on recipient environments, with a particular focus on soil, and what may happen if seabird populations decline. The addition of guano to colony soils increased nutrient levels compared to control soils for all seabirds studied, with cascading positive effects observed across a range of habitats. Deposited guano sometimes led to negative impacts, such a guanotrophication, or guano-induced eutrophication, which was often observed where there was an excess of guano or in areas with high seabird densities. While the literature describing nutrients transported by seabirds is extensive, literature regarding pollutant transfer is comparatively limited, with a focus on toxic and bioaccumulative metals. Research on persistent organic pollutants and plastics transported by seabirds is likely to increase in coming years. Studies were limited geographically, with hotspots of research activity in a few locations, but data were lacking from large regions around the world. Studies were also limited to seabird species listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. As seabird populations are impacted by multiple threats and steep declines have been observed for many species worldwide, gaps in the literature are particularly concerning. The loss of seabirds will impact nutrient cycling at localised levels and potentially on a global scale as well, yet it is unknown what may truly happen to areas that rely on seabirds if these populations disappear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan L Grant
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, School Road, Newnham, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Alexander L Bond
- Bird Group, Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, Akeman Street, Tring, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom.,Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, 20 Castray Esplanade, Battery Point, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Jennifer L Lavers
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, 20 Castray Esplanade, Battery Point, Tasmania, Australia
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Jota Baptista C, Seixas F, Gonzalo-Orden JM, Oliveira PA. Biomonitoring metals and metalloids in wild mammals: invasive versus non-invasive sampling. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:18398-18407. [PMID: 35032272 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-18658-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Heavy metal and metalloid pollution is a matter of concern in animal, human and environmental health (One Health) and also in wildlife conservation worldwide. Studying wild mammals in toxicology has been contributing significantly to our knowledge, namely to find out the most critical regions, to understand bioaccumulation and biomagnification phenomena or to evaluate their toxic effects. However, not all the animal tissues and organs provide the same information or should be interpreted in the same way. The best sample to use will depend on the objectives and conditions of the study. This review aims to compare invasive and non-invasive samples to biomonitor heavy metals, providing a brief resume of their advantages, limitations and examples of use. Further research, using a wider range of mammalian species, is required to establish what information can be obtained in biomonitoring studies that use non-invasive samples (such as hair, faeces and parasites) and/or invasive samples (such as blood, liver, kidney, bone and other organs).
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Affiliation(s)
- Catarina Jota Baptista
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, School of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences (ECAV), University of Trás-Os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Quinta de Prados, 5001-801, Vila Real, Portugal.
- Centre for Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), Inov4Agro, University of Trás-Os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Quinta de Prados, 5000-801, Vila Real, Portugal.
- Institute of Biomedicine (IBIOMED), University of León, 24071, Leon, Spain.
| | - Fernanda Seixas
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, School of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences (ECAV), University of Trás-Os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Quinta de Prados, 5001-801, Vila Real, Portugal
- Veterinary and Animal Research Center (CECAV), AL4Animals, University of Trás-Os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Quinta de Prados, 5000-801, Vila Real, Portugal
| | | | - Paula A Oliveira
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, School of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences (ECAV), University of Trás-Os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Quinta de Prados, 5001-801, Vila Real, Portugal
- Centre for Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), Inov4Agro, University of Trás-Os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Quinta de Prados, 5000-801, Vila Real, Portugal
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Shoji A, Elliott KH, Watanuki Y, Basu N, Whelan S, Cunningham J, Hatch S, Mizukawa H, Nakayama SMM, Ikenaka Y, Ishizuka M, Aris-Brosou S. Geolocators link marine mercury with levels in wild seabirds throughout their annual cycle: Consequences for trans-ecosystem biotransport. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 284:117035. [PMID: 33932830 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Seabirds are widely used as indicators of marine pollution, including mercury (Hg), because they track contaminant levels across space and time. However, many seabirds are migratory, and it is difficult to understand the timing and location of their Hg accumulation. Seabirds may obtain Hg thousands of kilometers away, during their non-breeding period, and deposit that Hg into their terrestrial breeding colonies. We predicted that Hg concentration in rectrices reflects exposure during the previous breeding season, in body feathers reflects non-breeding exposure, and in blood collected during breeding reflects exposure during current breeding. To test this hypothesis, we measured total Hg concentration in these three tissues, which reflect different timepoints during the annual cycle of rhinoceros auklets (Cerorhinca monocerata) breeding on both sides of the North Pacific (Middleton Island in Alaska and Teuri Island in Hokkaido), and tracked their wintering movement patterns with biologging devices. We (i) identify the wintering patterns of both populations, (ii) examine Hg levels in different tissues representing exposure at different time periods, (iii) test how environmental Hg exposure during the non-breeding season affects bird contamination, and (iv) assess whether variation in Hg levels during the non-breeding season influences levels accumulated in terrestrial plants. Individuals from both populations followed a figure-eight looping migration pattern. We confirm the existence of a pathway from environmental Hg to plant roots via avian tissues, as Hg concentrations were higher in plants within the auklet colonies than at control sites. Hg concentrations of breast feathers were higher in Alaskan than in Japanese auklets, but Hg concentrations in rectrices and blood were similar. Moreover, we found evidence that tissues with different turnover rates could record local anthropogenic Hg emission rates of areas visited during winter. In conclusion, Hg was transported across thousands of kilometers by seabirds and transferred to local plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akiko Shoji
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, 305-8572, Japan.
| | - Kyle H Elliott
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H9X 3V9, Canada
| | - Yutaka Watanuki
- Department of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University, Hakodate, 041-8611, Japan
| | - Niladri Basu
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H9X 3V9, Canada
| | - Shannon Whelan
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H9X 3V9, Canada
| | - Joshua Cunningham
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Scott Hatch
- Institute for Seabird Research and Conservation, Anchorage, AK, 99516, USA
| | - Hazuki Mizukawa
- Department of Environmental Veterinary Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0818, Japan
| | - Shouta M M Nakayama
- Department of Environmental Veterinary Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0818, Japan
| | - Yoshinori Ikenaka
- Department of Environmental Veterinary Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0818, Japan; Translational Research Unit, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita-18 Nishi-9, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0818, Japan
| | - Mayumi Ishizuka
- Department of Environmental Veterinary Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0818, Japan
| | - Stéphane Aris-Brosou
- Departments of Biology, Mathematics and Statistics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada.
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Grant ML, Lavers JL, Hutton I, Bond AL. Seabird breeding islands as sinks for marine plastic debris. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 276:116734. [PMID: 33621733 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Seabirds are apex predators in the marine environment and well-known ecosystem engineers, capable of changing their terrestrial habitats by introducing marine-derived nutrients via deposition of guano and other allochthonous inputs. However, with the health of the world's oceans under threat due to anthropogenic pressures such as organic, inorganic, and physical pollutants, seabirds are depositing these same pollutants wherever they come to land. Using data from 2018 to 2020, we quantify how the Flesh-footed Shearwater (Ardenna carneipes) has inadvertently introduced physical pollutants to their colonies on Lord Howe Island, a UNESCO World Heritage site in the Tasman Sea and their largest breeding colony, through a mix of regurgitated pellet (bolus) deposition and carcasses containing plastic debris. The density of plastics within the shearwater colonies ranged between 1.32 and 3.66 pieces/m2 (mean ± SE: 2.18 ± 0.32), and a total of 688,480 (95% CI: 582,409-800,877) pieces are deposited on the island each year. Our research demonstrates that seabirds are a transfer mechanism for marine-derived plastics, reintroducing items back into the terrestrial environment, thus making seabird colonies a sink for plastic debris. This phenomenon is likely occurring in seabird colonies across the globe and will increase in severity as global plastic production and marine plastic pollution accelerates without adequate mitigation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan L Grant
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, School Road, Newnham, Tasmania, 7248, Australia
| | - Jennifer L Lavers
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, 20 Castray Esplanade, Battery Point, Tasmania, 7004, Australia.
| | - Ian Hutton
- Lord Howe Island Museum, Lord Howe Island, New South Wales, 2898, Australia
| | - Alexander L Bond
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, 20 Castray Esplanade, Battery Point, Tasmania, 7004, Australia; Bird Group, Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, Akeman Street, Tring, Hertfordshire, HP23 6AP, United Kingdom
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Hipfner JM, Prill MM, Studholme KR, Domalik AD, Tucker S, Jardine C, Maftei M, Wright KG, Beck JN, Bradley RW, Carle RD, Good TP, Hatch SA, Hodum PJ, Ito M, Pearson SF, Rojek NA, Slater L, Watanuki Y, Will AP, Bindoff AD, Crossin GT, Drever MC, Burg TM. Geolocator tagging links distributions in the non-breeding season to population genetic structure in a sentinel North Pacific seabird. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0240056. [PMID: 33166314 PMCID: PMC7652296 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0240056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
We tested the hypothesis that segregation in wintering areas is associated with population differentiation in a sentinel North Pacific seabird, the rhinoceros auklet (Cerorhinca monocerata). We collected tissue samples for genetic analyses on five breeding colonies in the western Pacific Ocean (Japan) and on 13 colonies in the eastern Pacific Ocean (California to Alaska), and deployed light-level geolocator tags on 12 eastern Pacific colonies to delineate wintering areas. Geolocator tags were deployed previously on one colony in Japan. There was strong genetic differentiation between populations in the eastern vs. western Pacific Ocean, likely due to two factors. First, glaciation over the North Pacific in the late Pleistocene might have forced a southward range shift that historically isolated the eastern and western populations. And second, deep-ocean habitat along the northern continental shelf appears to act as a barrier to movement; abundant on both sides of the North Pacific, the rhinoceros auklet is virtually absent as a breeder in the Aleutian Islands and Bering Sea, and no tagged birds crossed the North Pacific in the non-breeding season. While genetic differentiation was strongest between the eastern vs. western Pacific, there was also extensive differentiation within both regional groups. In pairwise comparisons among the eastern Pacific colonies, the standardized measure of genetic differentiation (FꞌST) was negatively correlated with the extent of spatial overlap in wintering areas. That result supports the hypothesis that segregation in the non-breeding season is linked to genetic structure. Philopatry and a neritic foraging habit probably also contribute to the structuring. Widely distributed, vulnerable to anthropogenic stressors, and exhibiting extensive genetic structure, the rhinoceros auklet is fully indicative of the scope of the conservation challenges posed by seabirds.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Mark Hipfner
- Wildlife Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Delta, British Columbia, Canada
- * E-mail:
| | - Marie M. Prill
- Department of Biology, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | | | - Alice D. Domalik
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Strahan Tucker
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Mark Maftei
- Wildlife Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Delta, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Kenneth G. Wright
- Wildlife Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Delta, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jessie N. Beck
- Oikonos Ecosystems Knowledge, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - Russell W. Bradley
- Point Blue Conservation Science, Petaluma, California, United States of America
| | - Ryan D. Carle
- Oikonos Ecosystems Knowledge, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - Thomas P. Good
- Northwest Fisheries Science Centre, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Scott A. Hatch
- Institute for Seabird Research and Conservation, Anchorage, Alaska, United States of America
| | - Peter J. Hodum
- Department of Biology, University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, Washington, United States of America
| | - Motohiro Ito
- Department of Applied Biosciences, Toyo University, Bunkyō-ku, Japan
| | - Scott F. Pearson
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Olympia, Washington, United States of America
| | - Nora A. Rojek
- United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Homer, Alaska, United States of America
| | - Leslie Slater
- United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Homer, Alaska, United States of America
| | - Yutaka Watanuki
- Graduate School of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University, Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Alexis P. Will
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, United States of America
| | - Aidan D. Bindoff
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Glenn T. Crossin
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Mark C. Drever
- Wildlife Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Delta, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Theresa M. Burg
- Department of Biology, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
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Marleau JN, Peller T, Guichard F, Gonzalez A. Converting Ecological Currencies: Energy, Material, and Information Flows. Trends Ecol Evol 2020; 35:1068-1077. [PMID: 32919798 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2020.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2020] [Revised: 07/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Understanding how the three currencies of life - energy, material, and information - interact is a key step towards synthesis in ecology and evolution. However, current theory focuses on the role of matter as a resource and energy, and typically ignores how the same matter can have other important effects as a carrier of information or modifier of the environment. Here we present the hypothesis that the dynamic conversion of matter by organisms among its three currencies mediates the structure and function of ecosystems, and that these effects can even supersede the effects of matter as a resource. Humans are changing the information in the environment and this is altering species interactions and flows of matter within and among ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin N Marleau
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
| | - Tianna Peller
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Andrew Gonzalez
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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10
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Miller A, Elliott JE, Wilson LK, Elliott KH, Drouillard KG, Verreault J, Lee S, Idrissi A. Influence of overwinter distribution on exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in seabirds, ancient murrelets (Synthliboramphus antiquus), breeding on the Pacific coast of Canada. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2020; 259:113842. [PMID: 31926389 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2019] [Revised: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Assessing the fate of both legacy and newer persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is an ongoing challenge. Top predators, including seabirds, are effective monitors of POPs because they forage over a range of marine habitats, integrating signals over space and time. However, migration patterns can make unravelling contaminant sources, and potentially assessments of the effectiveness of regulations, challenging if chemicals are acquired at distant sites. In 2014, we fitted geolocators on ancient murrelets (Synthliboramphus antiqueus) at four colonies on the Pacific Coast of Canada to obtain movement data throughout an annual cycle. All birds underwent a post-breeding moult in the Bering Sea. Around one-third then returned to overwinter on the British Columbia (BC) coast while the rest migrated to overwinter in waters along the north Asian coast. Such a stark difference in migration destination provided an opportunity to examine the influence of wintering location on contaminant signals. In summer 2015, we collected blood samples from returned geo-tagged birds and analyzed them for a suite of contaminants, including polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), non-PBDE halogenated flame retardants, perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), organochlorines, and mercury. Feathers were also collected and analyzed for stable isotopes (δ13C, δ15N, and δ34S). We found no significant differences in blood concentrations of any contaminant between murrelets from the two different overwinter areas, a result that indicates relatively rapid clearance of POPs accumulated during winter. Spatial variation in diet (i.e., δ13C) was associated with both BDE-47 and -99 concentrations. However, individual variation in trophic level had little influence on concentrations of any other examined contaminants. Thus, blood from these murrelets is a good indicator of recent, local contaminants, as most signals appear independent of overwintering location.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aroha Miller
- Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Directorate, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Delta, BC, Canada
| | - John E Elliott
- Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Directorate, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Delta, BC, Canada.
| | - Laurie K Wilson
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Delta, BC, Canada
| | | | | | - Jonathan Verreault
- Université du Québec à Montréal, P.O. Box 8888, Succursale Centre-ville, Montreal, QC, H3C 3P8, Canada
| | - Sandi Lee
- Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Directorate, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Delta, BC, Canada
| | - Abde Idrissi
- Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Directorate, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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Kristiansen SM, Leinaas HP, Herzke D, Hylland K, Gabrielsen GW, Harju M, Borgå K. Seabird-Transported Contaminants Are Reflected in the Arctic Tundra, But Not in Its Soil-Dwelling Springtails (Collembola). ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2019; 53:12835-12845. [PMID: 31589028 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b05316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Arctic-breeding seabirds contain high levels of many anthropogenic contaminants, which they deposit through guano to the tundra near their colonies. Nutrient-rich soil in vicinity to seabird colonies are favorable habitats for soil invertebrates, such as springtails (Collembola), which may result in exposure to seabird-derived contaminants. We quantified a wide range of lipid-soluble and protein-associated environmental contaminants in two springtail species (Megaphorura arctica and Hypogastrura viatica) and their respective habitats (soil/moss) collected underneath seabird cliffs. Although springtails are commonly used in laboratory toxicity tests, this is the first study to measure concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and mercury (Hg) in springtails from the field, and to study biotransportation of contaminants by seabirds to soil fauna. We categorized the sites a priori as of low, medium, or high seabird influence, based on the seabird abundance and species composition. This ranking was reflected in increasing δ15N values in soil/moss and springtails with increasing seabird influence. We found clear indications of seabirds impacting the terrestrial soil environments with organic contaminants, and that concentrations were higher in soil and moss close to the bird cliff, compared to farther away. However, we did not find a relationship between contaminant concentration in springtails and the concentrations in soil/moss, or with level of seabird influence. Our study indicates a low uptake of contaminants in the soil fauna, despite seabird-derived contamination of their habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hans P Leinaas
- Department of Biosciences , University of Oslo (UiO) , 0316 Oslo , Norway
| | - Dorte Herzke
- Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU) , Fram Centre , 9296 Tromsø , Norway
| | - Ketil Hylland
- Department of Biosciences , University of Oslo (UiO) , 0316 Oslo , Norway
| | - Geir W Gabrielsen
- Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI) , Fram Centre , 9296 Tromsø , Norway
| | - Mikael Harju
- Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU) , Fram Centre , 9296 Tromsø , Norway
| | - Katrine Borgå
- Department of Biosciences , University of Oslo (UiO) , 0316 Oslo , Norway
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