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Laird LS, Craig EC, Clucas G, Taylor VF, Chen CY. Mercury bioaccumulation in three colonial seabird species in the Gulf of Maine. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 947:174438. [PMID: 38960193 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Revised: 06/25/2024] [Accepted: 06/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
The methylated form of mercury, MeHg, is a neurotoxin that bioaccumulates and biomagnifies through aquatic food webs, reaching high concentrations in top trophic species. Many seabird species are wide-ranging and feed on forage fish, so they can be used as sentinel species to assess the level of mercury in pelagic or coastal food webs because they integrate the signal from large areas and from lower trophic levels. The Gulf of Maine provides habitat for many seabirds, including endangered roseate terns (Sterna dougalii), common terns (Sterna hirundo), and the southernmost breeding population of black guillemots (Cepphus grylle). Hg levels were assessed in down of newly hatched chicks of three seabird species to determine pre-hatching Hg exposure. Stable isotopes (δ15N, δ13C) in down and chick contour feathers grown after hatching were used as indicators of adult female diet in the period before laying the egg (down) and pre-fledging chick diet (contour feathers). Black guillemot down THg concentrations were 10.07 ± 2.88 μg/g (mean ± 1SD), 5.5× higher than common tern down (1.82 ± 0.436 μg /g), and 7.4× higher than roseate tern down (1.37 ± 0.518 μg/g). Black guillemots also had higher down feather δ15N values (15.1 ± 0.52 ‰) compared to common (13.0 ± 0.72 ‰) or roseate terns (12.8 ± 0.25 ‰), and in black guillemot down feathers, higher Hg concentrations were correlated with δ15N, an indicator of trophic level. Repeated testing of the same tissue types across multiple years is needed to monitor THg exposure for seabirds in the Gulf of Maine; additionally, monitoring species composition and Hg presence in prey species of the black guillemot population would help to determine the source of high THg concentrations in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenny S Laird
- Dartmouth College, Department of Biological Sciences, LSC 6044, Hanover, NH 03755, USA.
| | - Elizabeth C Craig
- Shoals Marine Laboratory (Joint Program of University of New Hampshire and Cornell University), 8 College Rd., Durham, NH 03824, USA
| | - Gemma Clucas
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Viven F Taylor
- Dartmouth College, Department of Earth Sciences, 6105 Fairchild, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
| | - Celia Y Chen
- Dartmouth College, Department of Biological Sciences, LSC 6044, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
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McKellar AE, Clements SJ. First-ever satellite tracking of Black Terns ( Chlidonias niger): Insights into home range and habitat selection. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10716. [PMID: 38020688 PMCID: PMC10651349 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding animal movement across the annual cycle is critical for developing appropriate conservation plans, but the large size and high cost of tracking devices can limit the spatial and temporal resolution at which movement data can be collected, especially for small avian species. Furthermore, for species with low breeding site fidelity, the ability to obtain tracking data from small, archival tags is hindered by low recapture rates. We deployed satellite tracking devices on four adult Black Terns (Chlidonias niger), a declining waterbird with low site fidelity, to examine space use and selection of resources within individual breeding home ranges. We also provide a preliminary assessment of habitat use during fall stopover. We found that home ranges were extensive (mean 283.7 km2) and distances travelled from the nest substantially larger (up to 35 km) than previously thought (~2.5 km). Terns showed selection for wetlands and open water on the breeding grounds, but also showed selection for developed areas. This may reflect humans selecting similar landscape features for recreation and development as terns, and suggests that terns can tolerate the light degree of development (e.g. cottages, boat launches, etc.) within our study area. Despite a small sample size, this is the first study to track individual Black Terns at a high resolution with implications for conservation and wetland management practices relevant to the spatial scales at which habitat is used by the species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann E. McKellar
- Environment and Climate Change CanadaWildlife Research DivisionSaskatoonSaskatchewanCanada
- Department of BiologyUniversity of SaskatchewanSaskatoonSaskatchewanCanada
| | - Sarah J. Clements
- School of Natural ResourcesUniversity of MissouriColumbiaMissouriUSA
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, & Conservation Biology, Nutting HallUniversity of MaineOronoMaineUSA
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Bertram J, Kürten N, Bichet C, Schupp PJ, Bouwhuis S. Mercury contamination level is repeatable and predicted by wintering area in a long-distance migratory seabird. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 313:120107. [PMID: 36089143 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120107] [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: 04/09/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The environmental presence of mercury has dramatically increased over the past century, leading to increased uptake, especially by top predators such as seabirds. Understanding the exact sources of contamination requires an individual-level approach, which is especially challenging for species that migrate. We took such an approach and located the wintering areas of 80 common terns (Sterna hirundo) through tracking, and, across years, collected feathers grown in those areas to assess their mercury levels using atomic absorption spectrometry. Although feathers of males and females did not differ in their mercury level, we found the average feather mercury level to be highest in birds wintering in the Canary Current (3.87 μg g-1), medium in birds wintering in the Guinea Current (2.27 μg g-1) and lowest in birds wintering in the Benguela Current (1.96 μg g-1). Furthermore, we found considerable inter-annual fluctuations in feather mercury levels, a within-individual repeatability of 41%, that the mercury levels of 17% of feather samples exceeded the admitted toxicity threshold of 5 μg g-1, and that the overall mean concentration of 3.4 μg g-1 exceeded that of other published reports for the species. Further studies therefore should assess whether these levels lead to individual-level carry-over effects on survival and reproductive performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine Bertram
- Institute of Avian Research, An der Vogelwarte 21, D-26386, Wilhelmshaven, Germany.
| | - Nathalie Kürten
- Institute of Avian Research, An der Vogelwarte 21, D-26386, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Coraline Bichet
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372 CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Peter J Schupp
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment, University of Oldenburg, Schleusenstraße 1, D-26382, Wilhelmshaven, Germany; Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity, University of Oldenburg, Ammerländer Heerstraße 231, D-26129, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Sandra Bouwhuis
- Institute of Avian Research, An der Vogelwarte 21, D-26386, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
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Jouanneau W, Sebastiano M, Rozen-Rechels D, Harris SM, Blévin P, Angelier F, Brischoux F, Gernigon J, Lemesle JC, Robin F, Cherel Y, Bustamante P, Chastel O. Blood mercury concentrations in four sympatric gull species from South Western France: Insights from stable isotopes and biologging. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 308:119619. [PMID: 35709917 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119619] [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: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is a toxic trace element widely distributed in the environment, which particularly accumulates in top predators, including seabirds. Among seabirds, large gulls (Larus sp) are generalist feeders, foraging in both terrestrial and marine habitats, making them relevant bioindicators of local coastal Hg contamination. In the present study, we reported blood Hg concentrations in adults and chicks of four different gull species breeding on the French Atlantic coast: the European herring gull (Larus argentatus), the Lesser black-backed gull (L. fuscus), the Great black-backed gull (L. marinus) and the Yellow-legged gull (L. michahellis). We also investigated the potential role of foraging ecology in shaping Hg contamination across species, using the unique combination of three dietary tracers (carbon, nitrogen and sulfur stable isotopes) and biologging (GPS tracking). A high concentration of Hg was associated with high trophic position and a marine diet in gulls, which was corroborated by birds' space use strategy during foraging trips. Adults of all four species reached Hg concentrations above reported toxicity thresholds. Specifically, adults of Great black-backed gulls had a high trophic marine specialized diet and significantly higher Hg concentrations than the three other species. Blood Hg was 4-7 times higher in adults than in chicks, although chicks of all species received mainly marine and high trophic position prey, which is expected to be the cause of blood Hg concentrations of toxic concern. By using both stable isotopes and GPS tracking, the present study provides compelling insights on the main feeding habits driving Hg contamination in a seabird assemblage feeding in complex coastal environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Jouanneau
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS & La Rochelle Université, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France.
| | - Manrico Sebastiano
- Unité Physiologie Moléculaire et Adaptation, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, UMR 7221 CNRS/MNHN, 7 Rue Cuvier, 75005, Paris, France; Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - David Rozen-Rechels
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, IRD, INRAE, Université Paris Est Créteil, Institut d'écologie et des Sciences de l'environnement de Paris (iEES-Paris), Paris, France
| | - Stephanie M Harris
- School of Ocean Sciences, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Bangor University, Menai Bridge, LL59 5AB, United Kingdom; Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, USA
| | - Pierre Blévin
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS & La Rochelle Université, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France; Akvaplan-niva AS, Fram Centre, P.O. Box 6606 Langnes, 9296, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Frédéric Angelier
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS & La Rochelle Université, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - François Brischoux
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS & La Rochelle Université, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Julien Gernigon
- Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux (LPO), 17300, Rochefort, France
| | | | - Frédéric Robin
- Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux (LPO), 17300, Rochefort, France
| | - Yves Cherel
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS & La Rochelle Université, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Paco Bustamante
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés, LIENSs, Univ. La Rochelle, CNRS, 17000, La Rochelle, France; Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), 1 Rue Descartes, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Chastel
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS & La Rochelle Université, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France
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Scholz S, Nichols JW, Escher BI, Ankley GT, Altenburger R, Blackwell B, Brack W, Burkhard L, Collette TW, Doering JA, Ekman D, Fay K, Fischer F, Hackermüller J, Hoffman JC, Lai C, Leuthold D, Martinovic-Weigelt D, Reemtsma T, Pollesch N, Schroeder A, Schüürmann G, von Bergen M. The Eco-Exposome Concept: Supporting an Integrated Assessment of Mixtures of Environmental Chemicals. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2022; 41:30-45. [PMID: 34714945 PMCID: PMC9104394 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Organisms are exposed to ever-changing complex mixtures of chemicals over the course of their lifetime. The need to more comprehensively describe this exposure and relate it to adverse health effects has led to formulation of the exposome concept in human toxicology. Whether this concept has utility in the context of environmental hazard and risk assessment has not been discussed in detail. In this Critical Perspective, we propose-by analogy to the human exposome-to define the eco-exposome as the totality of the internal exposure (anthropogenic and natural chemicals, their biotransformation products or adducts, and endogenous signaling molecules that may be sensitive to an anthropogenic chemical exposure) over the lifetime of an ecologically relevant organism. We describe how targeted and nontargeted chemical analyses and bioassays can be employed to characterize this exposure and discuss how the adverse outcome pathway concept could be used to link this exposure to adverse effects. Available methods, their limitations, and/or requirement for improvements for practical application of the eco-exposome concept are discussed. Even though analysis of the eco-exposome can be resource-intensive and challenging, new approaches and technologies make this assessment increasingly feasible. Furthermore, an improved understanding of mechanistic relationships between external chemical exposure(s), internal chemical exposure(s), and biological effects could result in the development of proxies, that is, relatively simple chemical and biological measurements that could be used to complement internal exposure assessment or infer the internal exposure when it is difficult to measure. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:30-45. © 2021 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Scholz
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research—UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
- Address correspondence to
| | - John W. Nichols
- Office of Research and Development, Great Lakes Ecology and Toxicology Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Duluth, Minnesota
| | - Beate I. Escher
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research—UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
- Environmental Toxicology, Center for Applied Geoscience, Eberhard Karls University Tubingen, Tubingen, Germany
| | - Gerald T. Ankley
- Office of Research and Development, Great Lakes Ecology and Toxicology Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Duluth, Minnesota
| | - Rolf Altenburger
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research—UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute for Environmental Research, Biologie V, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Brett Blackwell
- Office of Research and Development, Great Lakes Ecology and Toxicology Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Duluth, Minnesota
| | - Werner Brack
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research—UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Environmental Toxicology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Lawrence Burkhard
- Office of Research and Development, Great Lakes Ecology and Toxicology Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Duluth, Minnesota
| | - Timothy W. Collette
- Office of Research and Development, Ecosystem Processes Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Athens, Georgia
| | - Jon A. Doering
- National Research Council, US Environmental Protection Agency, Duluth, Minnesota
| | - Drew Ekman
- Office of Research and Development, Ecosystem Processes Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Athens, Georgia
| | - Kellie Fay
- Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Risk Assessment Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC
| | - Fabian Fischer
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research—UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Joel C. Hoffman
- Office of Research and Development, Great Lakes Ecology and Toxicology Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Duluth, Minnesota
| | - Chih Lai
- College of Arts and Sciences, University of Saint Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - David Leuthold
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research—UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | | | - Nathan Pollesch
- Office of Research and Development, Great Lakes Ecology and Toxicology Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Duluth, Minnesota
| | | | - Gerrit Schüürmann
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research—UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Technische Universitat Bergakademie Freiberg, Freiberg, Germany
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