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Hamilton CD, Lydersen C, Aars J, Acquarone M, Atwood T, Baylis A, Biuw M, Boltunov AN, Born EW, Boveng P, Brown TM, Cameron M, Citta J, Crawford J, Dietz R, Elias J, Ferguson SH, Fisk A, Folkow LP, Frost KJ, Glazov DM, Granquist SM, Gryba R, Harwood L, Haug T, Heide‐Jørgensen MP, Hussey NE, Kalinek J, Laidre KL, Litovka DI, London JM, Loseto LL, MacPhee S, Marcoux M, Matthews CJD, Nilssen K, Nordøy ES, O’Corry‐Crowe G, Øien N, Olsen MT, Quakenbush L, Rosing‐Asvid A, Semenova V, Shelden KEW, Shpak OV, Stenson G, Storrie L, Sveegaard S, Teilmann J, Ugarte F, Von Duyke AL, Watt C, Wiig Ø, Wilson RR, Yurkowski DJ, Kovacs KM. Marine mammal hotspots across the circumpolar Arctic. DIVERS DISTRIB 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
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2
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Ogloff WR, Anderson RA, Yurkowski DJ, Debets CD, Anderson WG, Ferguson SH. OUP accepted manuscript. J Mammal 2022; 103:1208-1220. [PMID: 36262800 PMCID: PMC9562108 DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyac047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - David J Yurkowski
- Freshwater Institute, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 501 University Crescent, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N6, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, 66 Chancellors Circle, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Cassandra D Debets
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, 66 Chancellors Circle, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - W Gary Anderson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, 66 Chancellors Circle, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Steven H Ferguson
- Freshwater Institute, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 501 University Crescent, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N6, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, 66 Chancellors Circle, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
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3
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Hauser DDW, Frost KJ, Burns JJ. Ringed seal (Pusa hispida) breeding habitat on the landfast ice in northwest Alaska during spring 1983 and 1984. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0260644. [PMID: 34843596 PMCID: PMC8629220 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
There has been significant sea ice loss associated with climate change in the Pacific Arctic, with unquantified impacts to the habitat of ice-obligate marine mammals such as ringed seals (Pusa hispida). Ringed seals maintain breathing holes and excavate subnivean lairs on sea ice to provide protection from weather and predators during birthing, nursing, and resting. However, there is limited baseline information on the snow and ice habitat, distribution, density, and configuration of ringed seal structures (breathing holes, simple haul-out lairs, and pup lairs) in Alaska. Here, we describe historic field records from two regions of the eastern Chukchi Sea (Kotzebue Sound and Ledyard Bay) collected during spring 1983 and 1984 to quantify baseline ringed seal breeding habitat and map the distribution of ringed seal structures using modern geospatial tools. Of 490 structures located on pre-established study grids by trained dogs, 29% were pup lairs (25% in Kotzebue Sound and 33% in Ledyard Bay). Grids in Ledyard Bay had greater overall density of seal structures than those in Kotzebue Sound (8.6 structures/km2 and 7.1 structures/km2), but structures were larger in Kotzebue Sound. Pup lairs were located in closer proximity to other structures and characterized by deeper snow and greater ice deformation than haul-out lairs or simple breathing holes. At pup lairs, snow depths averaged 74.9 cm (range 37–132 cm), with ice relief nearby averaging 76 cm (range 31–183 cm), and ice deformation 29.9% (range 5–80%). We compare our results to similar studies conducted in other geographic regions and discuss our findings in the context of recent declines in extent and duration of seasonal cover of landfast sea ice and snow deposition on sea ice. Ultimately, additional research is needed to understand the effects of recent environmental changes on ringed seals, but our study establishes a baseline upon which future research can measure pup habitat in northwest Alaska.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donna D. W. Hauser
- International Arctic Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Kathryn J. Frost
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game (retired), Kailua Kona, Hawaii, United States of America
| | - John J. Burns
- Living Resources, Inc., Fairbanks, Alaska, United States of America
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4
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Lindsay JM, Laidre KL, Conn PB, Moreland EE, Boveng PL. Modeling ringed seal Pusa hispida habitat and lair emergence timing in the eastern Bering and Chukchi Seas. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2021. [DOI: 10.3354/esr01140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Ringed seals Pusa hispida are reliant on snow and sea ice for denning, and a better understanding of ringed seal habitat selection and timing of emergence from snow dens (also called lairs) is needed to quantify and predict effects of climate change in the Arctic. We used generalized additive models to assess relationships between ringed seal counts, from spring aerial surveys in the Bering Sea (2012 and 2013) and Chukchi Sea (2016), and spatiotemporal covariates including survey date, remotely sensed snow and sea-ice values, and short-term weather data. We produced separate models for total ringed seal counts and for pup counts within each region. Our models showed that in both areas, total ringed seal counts increased over the course of the spring, especially after 15 May, indicating emergence from lairs and/or the onset of basking behavior. For the more northerly Chukchi Sea, we found a substantial unimodal effect of snow melt progression and a positive effect of snow depth on total ringed seal counts. In contrast, Bering Sea total ringed seal counts and pup counts in both regions were affected much more strongly by date than by habitat variables. Overall, our findings demonstrate that snow depth and melt play an important role in the timing of ringed seal den emergence, particularly in the Chukchi Sea, and suggest that ringed seal denning may be affected by continued shifts in melt and snow depth associated with climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- JM Lindsay
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - KL Laidre
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
- Polar Science Center, Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - PB Conn
- Marine Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, WA 98115, USA
| | - EE Moreland
- Marine Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, WA 98115, USA
| | - PL Boveng
- Marine Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, WA 98115, USA
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5
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HELMINTH FAUNA OF ICE SEALS IN THE ALASKAN BERING AND CHUKCHI SEAS, 2006-15. J Wildl Dis 2021; 56:863-872. [PMID: 32502360 DOI: 10.7589/2019-09-228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 03/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Climate warming may affect the distribution of helminth parasites, allowing endemic species to increase in prevalence and new species to appear. We analyzed tissues from 141 ice-associated seals collected in the Alaskan (US) Bering and Chukchi seas during 2006-15 for internal helminth parasites and compared results with past studies. Specimens were collected from: ringed seals (Pusa hispida), bearded seals (Erignathus barbatus), spotted seals (Phoca largha), and ribbon seals (Histriophoca fasciata). Helminths were present in 94% (133/141) of the seals sampled. Nematodes were most prevalent in bearded (97%, 72/74) and spotted seals (93%, 13/14). Cestodes were most prevalent in bearded seals (82%, 61/74) and absent in ribbon seals, trematodes were only found in bearded (64%, 47/74) and ringed (5%, 2/44) seals, and acanthocephalans were mostly found in ringed (61%, 27/44) and spotted (64%, 9/14) seals. Although no helminths were new to the Bering-Chukchi Seas region, this study found a previously unreported host record for the lungworm Parafilaroides (Filaroides) gymnurus in a ribbon seal. We also found the lungworm Otostrongylus circumlitus in a ribbon seal and P. (F.) gymnurus in bearded seals, representing location records previously unreported from the Bering-Chukchi Seas region (although they have been reported from the Sea of Okhotsk). We found the cestode genus Pyramicocephalus in bearded seals (3%, 2/74) at a lower prevalence than was reported previously for Pyramicocephalus phocarum (44-100%) in the Bering-Chukchi Seas region. We found no species of the acanthocephalan genus Bolbosoma, although the genus was previously identified in ringed, spotted, and ribbon seals. This study yielded no new helminths and no increases in the prevalence of endemic parasites in these seal species.
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6
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Lang AR, Boveng P, Quakenbush L, Robertson K, Lauf M, Rode KD, Ziel H, Taylor BL. Re-examination of population structure in Arctic ringed seals using DArTseq genotyping. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2021. [DOI: 10.3354/esr01087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Although Arctic ringed seals Phoca hispida hispida are currently abundant and broadly distributed, their numbers are projected to decline substantially by the year 2100 due to climate warming. While understanding population structure could provide insight into the impact of environmental changes on this subspecies, detecting demographically important levels of exchange can be difficult in taxa with high abundance. We used a next-generation sequencing approach (DArTseq) to genotype ~5700 single nucleotide polymorphisms in 79 seals from 4 Pacific Arctic regions. Comparison of the 2 most geographically separated strata (eastern Bering vs. northeastern Chukchi-Beaufort Seas) revealed a statistically significant level of genetic differentiation (FST = 0.001, p = 0.005) that, while small, was 1 to 2 orders of magnitude greater than expected based on divergence estimated for similarly sized populations connected by low (1% yr-1) dispersal. A relatively high proportion (72 to 88%) of individuals within these strata could be genetically assigned to their stratum of origin. These results indicate that demographically important structure may be present among Arctic ringed seals breeding in different areas, increasing the risk that declines in the number of seals breeding in areas most negatively affected by environmental warming could occur.
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Affiliation(s)
- AR Lang
- Ocean Associates, Inc., Arlington, VA 22207, USA, under contract to the Southwest Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - P Boveng
- Marine Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries, Seattle, WA 98115, USA
| | - L Quakenbush
- Arctic Marine Mammal Program, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Fairbanks, AK 99701, USA
| | - K Robertson
- Marine Mammal and Turtle Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - M Lauf
- Ocean Associates, Inc., Arlington, VA 22207, USA, under contract to the Southwest Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - KD Rode
- Alaska Science Center, US Geological Survey, Anchorage, AK 99508, USA
| | - H Ziel
- Marine Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries, Seattle, WA 98115, USA
| | - BL Taylor
- Marine Mammal and Turtle Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
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7
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Movement, diving, and haul-out behaviors of juvenile bearded seals in the Bering, Chukchi and Beaufort seas, 2014–2018. Polar Biol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-020-02710-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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8
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9
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Von Duyke AL, Douglas DC, Herreman JK, Crawford JA. Ringed seal ( Pusa hispida) seasonal movements, diving, and haul-out behavior in the Beaufort, Chukchi, and Bering Seas (2011-2017). Ecol Evol 2020; 10:5595-5616. [PMID: 32607177 PMCID: PMC7319173 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2019] [Revised: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Continued Arctic warming and sea-ice loss will have important implications for the conservation of ringed seals, a highly ice-dependent species. A better understanding of their spatial ecology will help characterize emerging ecological trends and inform management decisions. We deployed satellite transmitters on ringed seals in the summers of 2011, 2014, and 2016 near Utqiaġvik (formerly Barrow), Alaska, to monitor their movements, diving, and haul-out behavior. We present analyses of tracking and dive data provided by 17 seals that were tracked until at least January of the following year. Seals mostly ranged north of Utqiaġvik in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas during summer before moving into the southern Chukchi and Bering Seas during winter. In all seasons, ringed seals occupied a diversity of habitats and spatial distributions, from near shore and localized, to far offshore and wide-ranging in drifting sea ice. Continental shelf waters were occupied for >96% of tracking days, during which repetitive diving (suggestive of foraging) primarily to the seafloor was the most frequent activity. From mid-summer to early fall, 12 seals made ~1-week forays off-shelf to the deep Arctic Basin, most reaching the retreating pack-ice, where they spent most of their time hauled out. Diel activity patterns suggested greater allocation of foraging efforts to midday hours. Haul-out patterns were complementary, occurring mostly at night until April-May when midday hours were preferred. Ringed seals captured in 2011-concurrent with an unusual mortality event that affected all ice-seal species-differed morphologically and behaviorally from seals captured in other years. Speculations about the physiology of molting and its role in energetics, habitat use, and behavior are discussed; along with possible evidence of purported ringed seal ecotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jason K. Herreman
- Department of Wildlife ManagementNorth Slope BoroughBarrowAKUSA
- Present address:
Alaska Department of Fish and GameHomerAKUSA
| | - Justin A. Crawford
- Alaska Department of Fish and GameArctic Marine Mammal ProgramFairbanksAKUSA
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10
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Reimer JR, Caswell H, Derocher AE, Lewis MA. Ringed seal demography in a changing climate. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2019; 29:e01855. [PMID: 30672632 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2018] [Revised: 10/09/2018] [Accepted: 11/13/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is affecting species' distributions and abundances worldwide. Baseline population estimates, against which future observations may be compared, are necessary if we are to detect ecological change. Arctic sea ice ecosystems are changing rapidly and we lack baseline population estimates for many ice-associated species. Provided we can detect them, changes in Arctic marine ecosystems may be signaled by changes in indicator species such as ringed seals (Pusa hispida). Ringed seal monitoring has provided estimates of survival and fertility rates, but these have not been used for population-level inference. Using matrix population models, we synthesized existing demographic parameters to obtain estimates of historical ringed seal population growth and structure in Amundsen Gulf and Prince Albert Sound, Canada. We then formalized existing hypotheses about the effects of emerging environmental stressors (i.e., earlier spring ice breakup and reduced snow depth) on ringed seal pup survival. Coupling the demographic model to ice and snow forecasts available from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project resulted in projections of ringed seal population size and structure up to the year 2100. These projections showed median declines in population size ranging from 50% to 99%. Corresponding to these projected declines were substantial changes in population structure, with increasing proportions of ringed seal pups and adults and declining proportions of juveniles. We explored if currently collected, harvest-based data could be used to detect the projected changes in population stage structure. Our model suggests that at a present sample size of 100 seals per year, the projected changes in stage structure would only be reliably detected by mid-century, even for the most extreme climate models. This modeling process revealed inconsistencies in existing estimates of ringed seal demographic rates. Mathematical population models such as these can contribute both to understanding past population trends as well as predicting future ones, both of which are necessary if we are to detect and interpret future observations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jody R Reimer
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta , T6G 2E9, Canada
- Department of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2G1, Canada
| | - Hal Caswell
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1090, The Netherlands
| | - Andrew E Derocher
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta , T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Mark A Lewis
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta , T6G 2E9, Canada
- Department of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2G1, Canada
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11
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Scharf HR, Hooten MB, Wilson RR, Durner GM, Atwood TC. Accounting for phenology in the analysis of animal movement. Biometrics 2019; 75:810-820. [PMID: 30859552 DOI: 10.1111/biom.13052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2018] [Accepted: 02/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The analysis of animal tracking data provides important scientific understanding and discovery in ecology. Observations of animal trajectories using telemetry devices provide researchers with information about the way animals interact with their environment and each other. For many species, specific geographical features in the landscape can have a strong effect on behavior. Such features may correspond to a single point (eg, dens or kill sites), or to higher dimensional subspaces (eg, rivers or lakes). Features may be relatively static in time (eg, coastlines or home-range centers), or may be dynamic (eg, sea ice extent or areas of high-quality forage for herbivores). We introduce a novel model for animal movement that incorporates active selection for dynamic features in a landscape. Our approach is motivated by the study of polar bear (Ursus maritimus) movement. During the sea ice melt season, polar bears spend much of their time on sea ice above shallow, biologically productive water where they hunt seals. The changing distribution and characteristics of sea ice throughout the year mean that the location of valuable habitat is constantly shifting. We develop a model for the movement of polar bears that accounts for the effect of this important landscape feature. We introduce a two-stage procedure for approximate Bayesian inference that allows us to analyze over 300 000 observed locations of 186 polar bears from 2012 to 2016. We use our model to estimate a spatial boundary of interest to wildlife managers that separates two subpopulations of polar bears from the Beaufort and Chukchi seas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry R Scharf
- Department of Statistics, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Mevin B Hooten
- Department of Statistics, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado.,Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Ryan R Wilson
- Marine Mammals Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Anchorage, Alaska
| | - George M Durner
- Alaska Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Anchorage, Alaska
| | - Todd C Atwood
- Alaska Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Anchorage, Alaska
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12
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Dudarev AA, Chupakhin VS, Vlasov SV, Yamin-Pasternak S. Traditional Diet and Environmental Contaminants in Coastal Chukotka II: Legacy POPs. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 16:ijerph16050695. [PMID: 30818744 PMCID: PMC6427156 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16050695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2018] [Revised: 12/25/2018] [Accepted: 12/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The article is the second in the series of four that present the results of a study on environmental contaminants in coastal Chukotka, conducted in the context of a multi-disciplinary investigation of indigenous foodways in the region. The article presents the results of the analysis of legacy Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) found in the samples of locally harvested food and indoor matters, collected in 2016 in coastal Chukotka. Temporal trends and circumpolar comparisons of POPs in food have been carried out. Estimated daily intakes (EDIs) of POPs by local food consumption were calculated based on the food intake frequencies (questionnaire data). Concentrations of the studied legacy POPs in marine mammal blubber were relatively high (up to 100–200 µg/kg ww) but not exceeding the allowable limits. Gray whale blubber and whale mantak were the most contaminated foods, followed by the ringed, spotted and bearded seal blubber, then by walrus blubber and fermented walrus (deboned walrus parts aged in subterranean pits, typically over a period of 6 months). At the backdrop of general decrease or invariability (compared to the previous coastal Chukotka study 15 years ago) of the majority of POPs, an increasing tendency of HCB, mainly in marine mammals, were noted. Legacy POPs in marine mammals sampled in Chukotka were generally much lower than in those sampled in Alaska and northern Canada. We suggest that the Alaska Coastal Current from the Bering Sea plays a major role in this phenomenon. Analyses of the additional sources of in-home food contamination (home-brewed alcohol, domestic insecticides) have revealed relatively high levels of HCHs, DDTs and PCBs, which still represent a share of dietary exposure of local people to POPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexey A Dudarev
- Department of Arctic Environmental Health, Northwest Public Health Research Center, 191036 St-Petersburg, Russia.
| | - Valery S Chupakhin
- Department of Arctic Environmental Health, Northwest Public Health Research Center, 191036 St-Petersburg, Russia.
| | - Sergey V Vlasov
- Northwest Branch of Research and Production Association "Typhoon" (RPA "Typhoon"), 199397 St-Petersburg, Russia.
| | - Sveta Yamin-Pasternak
- Department of Anthropology, Institute of Northern Engineering, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA.
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13
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Niemi M, Liukkonen L, Koivuniemi M, Auttila M, Rautio A, Kunnasranta M. Winter behavior of Saimaa ringed seals: Non-overlapping core areas as indicators of avoidance in breeding females. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0210266. [PMID: 30608980 PMCID: PMC6319809 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0210266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2018] [Accepted: 12/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change, together with increasing human activity, poses a threat to the breeding success of endangered landlocked ringed seals (Phoca hispida saimensis). In this study, we estimated the spatial ecology of Saimaa ringed seals during the breeding season in the ice-covered period of December-April. The telemetry data on tagged seals (n = 20), with a total of 25 separate tracking periods and birth lair locations (n = 59) of non-tagged seals, were studied to estimate the movement ecology and breeding density. The movements of the ringed seals were more restricted during the ice-covered season; the total home range size (average 7.4 km2) in winter was 13 times smaller than that in summer. Individual tagged seals occupied an average of 5 ± 3 SD subnivean haul outs (snow lairs or ice cavities), and the mean distance between the haul outs was 1.6 ± 1.1 SD km (range 0.2–5.9 km). Moreover, our data indicated that ringed seal females likely exhibited breeding time avoidance of each other’s core areas, which may indicate some degree of territoriality. This was supported by the findings that the core areas (mean 1.2 km2) of tagged adult females (n = 9), did not overlap with each other. Also data on non-tagged seals showed that females did not give birth to pups within the core area radius of other parturient females. This study, together with earlier findings on the home ranges of nursed pups and perinatal mortality rates, has implications into land usage planning in Lake Saimaa by highlighting the need of undisturbed area between seal lairs and anthropogenic disturbances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marja Niemi
- University of Eastern Finland, Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Joensuu, Finland
- * E-mail:
| | - Lauri Liukkonen
- University of Eastern Finland, Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Joensuu, Finland
| | - Meeri Koivuniemi
- University of Eastern Finland, Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Joensuu, Finland
| | - Miina Auttila
- Metsähallitus, Parks & Wildlife Finland, Savonlinna, Finland
| | - Anni Rautio
- University of Eastern Finland, Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Joensuu, Finland
| | - Mervi Kunnasranta
- University of Eastern Finland, Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Joensuu, Finland
- Natural Resources Institute Finland, Joensuu, Finland
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14
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Seasonal and diel differences in dive and haul-out behavior of adult and subadult ringed seals (Pusa hispida) in the Bering and Chukchi seas. Polar Biol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-018-2399-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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15
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Hamilton CD, Kovacs KM, Ims RA, Lydersen C. Haul-out behaviour of Arctic ringed seals (Pusa hispida): inter-annual patterns and impacts of current environmental change. Polar Biol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-018-2260-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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16
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Habitat selection and seasonal movements of young bearded seals (Erignathus barbatus) in the Bering Sea. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0192743. [PMID: 29489846 PMCID: PMC5830299 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0192743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2017] [Accepted: 01/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The first year of life is typically the most critical to a pinniped's survival, especially for Arctic phocids which are weaned at only a few weeks of age and left to locate and capture prey on their own. Their seasonal movements and habitat selection are therefore important factors in their survival. During a cooperative effort between scientists and subsistence hunters in October 2004, 2005, and 2006, 13 female and 13 male young (i.e., age <2) bearded seals (Erignathus barbatus) were tagged with satellite-linked dive recorders (SDRs) in Kotzebue Sound, Alaska. Shortly after being released, most seals moved south with the advancing sea-ice through the Bering Strait and into the Bering Sea where they spent the winter and early spring. The SDRs of 17 (8 female and 9 male) seals provided frequent high-quality positions in the Bering Sea; their data were used in our analysis. To investigate habitat selection, we simulated 20 tracks per seal by randomly selecting from the pooled distributions of the absolute bearings and swim speeds of the tagged seals. For each point in the observed and simulated tracks, we obtained the depth, sea-ice concentration, and the distances to sea-ice, open water, the shelf break and coastline. Using logistic regression with a stepwise model selection procedure, we compared the simulated tracks to those of the tagged seals and obtained a model for describing habitat selection. The regression coefficients indicated that the bearded seals in our study selected locations near the ice edge. In contrast, aerial surveys of the bearded seal population, predominantly composed of adults, indicated higher abundances in areas farther north and in heavier pack ice. We hypothesize that this discrepancy is the result of behavioral differences related to age. Ice concentration was also shown to be a statistically significant variable in our model. All else being equal, areas of higher ice concentration are selected for up to about 80%. The effects of sex and bathymetry were not statistically significant. The close association of young bearded seals to the ice edge in the Bering Sea is important given the likely effects of climate warming on the extent of sea-ice and subsequent changes in ice edge habitat.
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Ware JV, Rode KD, Bromaghin JF, Douglas DC, Wilson RR, Regehr EV, Amstrup SC, Durner GM, Pagano AM, Olson J, Robbins CT, Jansen HT. Habitat degradation affects the summer activity of polar bears. Oecologia 2017; 184:87-99. [PMID: 28247129 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-017-3839-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2016] [Accepted: 02/09/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Understanding behavioral responses of species to environmental change is critical to forecasting population-level effects. Although climate change is significantly impacting species' distributions, few studies have examined associated changes in behavior. Polar bear (Ursus maritimus) subpopulations have varied in their near-term responses to sea ice decline. We examined behavioral responses of two adjacent subpopulations to changes in habitat availability during the annual sea ice minimum using activity data. Location and activity sensor data collected from 1989 to 2014 for 202 adult female polar bears in the Southern Beaufort Sea (SB) and Chukchi Sea (CS) subpopulations were used to compare activity in three habitat types varying in prey availability: (1) land; (2) ice over shallow, biologically productive waters; and (3) ice over deeper, less productive waters. Bears varied activity across and within habitats with the highest activity at 50-75% sea ice concentration over shallow waters. On land, SB bears exhibited variable but relatively high activity associated with the use of subsistence-harvested bowhead whale carcasses, whereas CS bears exhibited low activity consistent with minimal feeding. Both subpopulations had fewer observations in their preferred shallow-water sea ice habitats in recent years, corresponding with declines in availability of this substrate. The substantially higher use of marginal habitats by SB bears is an additional mechanism potentially explaining why this subpopulation has experienced negative effects of sea ice loss compared to the still-productive CS subpopulation. Variability in activity among, and within, habitats suggests that bears alter their behavior in response to habitat conditions, presumably in an attempt to balance prey availability with energy costs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmine V Ware
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-7620, USA.
| | - Karyn D Rode
- Alaska Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, 4210 University Dr., Anchorage, AK, 99508, USA
| | - Jeffrey F Bromaghin
- Alaska Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, 4210 University Dr., Anchorage, AK, 99508, USA
| | - David C Douglas
- Alaska Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, 250 Egan Drive, Juneau, AK, 99801, USA
| | - Ryan R Wilson
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1011 East Tudor Road, MS 341, Anchorage, AK, 99503, USA
| | - Eric V Regehr
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1011 East Tudor Road, MS 341, Anchorage, AK, 99503, USA
| | | | - George M Durner
- Alaska Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, 4210 University Dr., Anchorage, AK, 99508, USA
| | - Anthony M Pagano
- Alaska Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, 4210 University Dr., Anchorage, AK, 99508, USA
| | - Jay Olson
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, 5049 LSB, Provo, UT, 84602, USA
| | - Charles T Robbins
- School of the Environment and School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-4236, USA
| | - Heiko T Jansen
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-7620, USA
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Lefebvre KA, Quakenbush L, Frame E, Huntington KB, Sheffield G, Stimmelmayr R, Bryan A, Kendrick P, Ziel H, Goldstein T, Snyder JA, Gelatt T, Gulland F, Dickerson B, Gill V. Prevalence of algal toxins in Alaskan marine mammals foraging in a changing arctic and subarctic environment. HARMFUL ALGAE 2016; 55:13-24. [PMID: 28073526 PMCID: PMC8276754 DOI: 10.1016/j.hal.2016.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2015] [Revised: 01/14/2016] [Accepted: 01/19/2016] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Current climate trends resulting in rapid declines in sea ice and increasing water temperatures are likely to expand the northern geographic range and duration of favorable conditions for harmful algal blooms (HABs), making algal toxins a growing concern in Alaskan marine food webs. Two of the most common HAB toxins along the west coast of North America are the neurotoxins domoic acid (DA) and saxitoxin (STX). Over the last 20 years, DA toxicosis has caused significant illness and mortality in marine mammals along the west coast of the USA, but has not been reported to impact marine mammals foraging in Alaskan waters. Saxitoxin, the most potent of the paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins, has been well-documented in shellfish in the Aleutians and Gulf of Alaska for decades and associated with human illnesses and deaths due to consumption of toxic clams. There is little information regarding exposure of Alaskan marine mammals. Here, the spatial patterns and prevalence of DA and STX exposure in Alaskan marine mammals are documented in order to assess health risks to northern populations including those species that are important to the nutritional, cultural, and economic well-being of Alaskan coastal communities. In this study, 905 marine mammals from 13 species were sampled including; humpback whales, bowhead whales, beluga whales, harbor porpoises, northern fur seals, Steller sea lions, harbor seals, ringed seals, bearded seals, spotted seals, ribbon seals, Pacific walruses, and northern sea otters. Domoic acid was detected in all 13 species examined and had the greatest prevalence in bowhead whales (68%) and harbor seals (67%). Saxitoxin was detected in 10 of the 13 species, with the highest prevalence in humpback whales (50%) and bowhead whales (32%). Pacific walruses contained the highest concentrations of both STX and DA, with DA concentrations similar to those detected in California sea lions exhibiting clinical signs of DA toxicosis (seizures) off the coast of Central California, USA. Forty-six individual marine mammals contained detectable concentrations of both toxins emphasizing the potential for combined exposure risks. Additionally, fetuses from a beluga whale, a harbor porpoise and a Steller sea lion contained detectable concentrations of DA documenting maternal toxin transfer in these species. These results provide evidence that HAB toxins are present throughout Alaska waters at levels high enough to be detected in marine mammals and have the potential to impact marine mammal health in the Arctic marine environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathi A Lefebvre
- Northwest Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Lori Quakenbush
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Arctic Marine Mammal Program, 1300 College Road, Fairbanks, AK, USA
| | - Elizabeth Frame
- Northwest Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Kathy Burek Huntington
- Alaska Veterinary Pathology Services (AVPS), 23834 The Clearing Drive, Eagle River, AK, USA
| | - Gay Sheffield
- University of Alaska Fairbanks, Alaska Sea Grant, Marine Advisory Program, PO Box 400, Nome, AK, USA
| | - Raphaela Stimmelmayr
- North Slope Borough Department of Wildlife Management, PO Box 69, Barrow, AK, USA
| | - Anna Bryan
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Arctic Marine Mammal Program, 1300 College Road, Fairbanks, AK, USA
| | - Preston Kendrick
- Northwest Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Heather Ziel
- Marine Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NOAA, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Tracey Goldstein
- One Health Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Jonathan A Snyder
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Marine Mammals Management, 1011 East Tudor Rd., Anchorage, AK, USA
| | - Tom Gelatt
- Marine Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NOAA, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Frances Gulland
- The Marine Mammal Center, 2000 Bunker Road, Fort Cronkhite, Sausalito, CA, USA
| | - Bobette Dickerson
- Marine Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NOAA, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Verena Gill
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Marine Mammals Management, 1011 East Tudor Rd., Anchorage, AK, USA
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Wang SW, Springer AM, Budge SM, Horstmann L, Quakenbush LT, Wooller MJ. Carbon sources and trophic relationships of ice seals during recent environmental shifts in the Bering Sea. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2016; 26:830-845. [PMID: 27411254 DOI: 10.1890/14-2421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Dramatic multiyear fluctuations in water temperature and seasonal sea ice extent and duration across the Bering-Chukchi continental shelf have occurred in this century, raising a pressing ecological question: Do such environmental changes alter marine production processes linking primary producers to upper trophic-level predators? We examined this question by comparing the blubber fatty acid (FA) composition and stable carbon isotope ratios of individual FA (δ¹³CFA) of adult ringed seals (Pusa hispida), bearded seals (Erignathus barbatus), spotted seals (Phoca largha), and ribbon seals (Histriophoca fasciata), collectively known as "ice seals," sampled during an anomalously warm, low sea ice period in 2002-2005 in the Bering Sea and a subsequent cold, high sea ice period in 2007-2010. δ¹³C(FA) values, used to estimate the contribution to seals of carbon derived from sea ice algae (sympagic production) relative to that derived from water column phytoplankton (pelagic production), indicated that during the cold period, sympagic production accounted for 62-80% of the FA in the blubber of bearded seals, 51-62% in spotted seals, and 21-60% in ringed seals. Moreover, the δ¹³CFA values of bearded seals indicated a greater incorporation of sympagic FAs during the cold period than the warm period. This result provides the first empirical evidence of an ecosystem-scale effect of a putative change in sympagic production in the Western Arctic. The FA composition of ice seals showed clear evidence of resource partitioning among ringed, bearded, and spotted seals, and little niche separation between spotted and ribbon seals, which is consistent with previous studies. Despite interannual variability, the FA composition of ringed and bearded seals showed little evidence of differences in diet between the warm and cold periods. The findings that sympagic production contributes significantly to food webs supporting ice seals, and that the contribution apparently is less in warm years with low sea ice, raise an important concern: Will the projected warming and continuing loss of seasonal sea ice in the Arctic, and the associated decline of organic matter input from sympagic production, be compensated for by pelagic production to satisfy both pelagic and benthic carbon and energy needs?
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Yamamoto T, Watanuki Y, Hazen EL, Nishizawa B, Sasaki H, Takahashi A. Statistical integration of tracking and vessel survey data to incorporate life history differences in habitat models. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2015; 25:2394-2406. [PMID: 26910963 DOI: 10.1890/15-0142.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Habitat use is often examined at a species or population level, but patterns likely differ within a species, as a function of the sex, breeding colony, and current breeding status of individuals. Hence, within-species differences should be considered in habitat models when analyzing and predicting species distributions, such as predicted responses to expected climate change scenarios. Also, species' distribution data obtained by different methods (vessel-survey and individual tracking) are often analyzed separately rather than integrated to improve predictions. Here, we eventually fit generalized additive models for Streaked Shearwaters Calonectris leuconelas using tracking data from two different breeding colonies in the Northwestern Pacific and visual observer data collected during a research cruise off the coast of western Japan. The tracking-based models showed differences among patterns of relative density distribution as a function of life history category (colony, sex, and breeding conditions). The integrated tracking-based and vessel-based bird count model incorporated ecological states rather than predicting a single surface for the entire species. This study highlights both the importance of including ecological and life history data and integrating multiple data types (tag-based tracking and vessel count) when examining species-environment relationships, ultimately advancing the capabilities of species distribution models.
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Oksanen SM, Niemi M, Ahola MP, Kunnasranta M. Identifying foraging habitats of Baltic ringed seals using movement data. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2015; 3:33. [PMID: 26401285 PMCID: PMC4580415 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-015-0058-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2015] [Accepted: 09/06/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Identification of key foraging habitats of aquatic top predators is essential for designing effective management and conservation strategies. The Baltic ringed seal (Phoca hispida botnica) interacts with anthropogenic activities and knowledge of its spatial ecology is needed for planning population management and mitigating interactions with coastal fisheries. We investigated habitat use and foraging habitats of ringed seals (n = 26) with satellite telemetry in the northern Baltic Sea during autumn, which is important time for foraging for ringed seals. We used first passage time (FPT) approach to identify the areas of high residency corresponding to foraging areas. RESULTS Tracked seals showed considerable movement; mean (±SD) home ranges (95 % adaptive local nearest-neighbour convex hull, a-LoCoH) were 8030 ± 4796 km(2). Two seals moved randomly and foraging areas could not be identified for them. The majority (24/26) of the studied seals occupied 1-6 main foraging areas, where they spent 47 ± 22 % of their total time. Typically the foraging areas of individuals had a mean distance of 254 ± 194 km. Most of the seals (n = 17) were "long-range foragers" which occupied several spatially remote foraging areas (mean distance 328 ± 180 km) or, in the case of two individuals, did not concentrate foraging to any particular area. The other seals (n = 9) were "local foragers" having only one foraging area or the mean distance between several areas was shorter (67 ± 26 km). Foraging areas of all seals were characterised by shallow bathymetry (median ± SD: 13 ± 49 m) and proximity to the mainland (10 ± 14 km), partly overlapping with protected areas and coastal fisheries. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that in general the ringed seals range over large areas and concentrate feeding to different-often remote-areas during the open water season. Therefore, removal of individuals near the fishing gear may not be a locally effective method to mitigate seal depredation. Overlap of foraging areas with protected areas indicate that management of key foraging and resting habitats could to some extent be implemented within the existing network of marine protected areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sari M. Oksanen
- />Department of Biology, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland
| | - Marja Niemi
- />Department of Biology, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland
| | - Markus P. Ahola
- />The Natural Resources Institute Finland, Itäinen Pitkäkatu 3, FI-20520 Turku, Finland
| | - Mervi Kunnasranta
- />Department of Biology, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland
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Masbou J, Point D, Sonke JE, Frappart F, Perrot V, Amouroux D, Richard P, Becker PR. Hg Stable Isotope Time Trend in Ringed Seals Registers Decreasing Sea Ice Cover in the Alaskan Arctic. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2015; 49:8977-85. [PMID: 26132925 DOI: 10.1021/es5048446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Decadal time trends of mercury (Hg) concentrations in Arctic biota suggest that anthropogenic Hg is not the single dominant factor modulating Hg exposure to Arctic wildlife. Here, we present Hg speciation (monomethyl-Hg) and stable isotopic composition (C, N, Hg) of 53 Alaskan ringed seal liver samples covering a period of 14 years (1988-2002). In vivo metabolic effects and foraging ecology explain most of the observed 1.6 ‰ variation in liver δ(202)Hg, but not Δ(199)Hg. Ringed seal habitat use and migration were the most likely factors explaining Δ(199)Hg variations. Average Δ(199)Hg in ringed seal liver samples from Barrow increased significantly from +0.38 ± 0.08‰ (±SE, n = 5) in 1988 to +0.59 ± 0.07‰ (±SE, n = 7) in 2002 (4.1 ± 1.2% per year, p < 0.001). Δ(199)Hg in marine biological tissues is thought to reflect marine Hg photochemistry before biouptake and bioaccumulation. A spatiotemporal analysis of sea ice cover that accounts for the habitat of ringed seals suggests that the observed increase in Δ(199)Hg may have been caused by the progressive summer sea ice disappearance between 1988 and 2002. While changes in seal liver Δ(199)Hg values suggests a mild sea ice control on marine MMHg breakdown, the effect is not large enough to induce measurable HgT changes in biota. This suggests that Hg trends in biota in the context of a warming Arctic are likely controlled by other processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérémy Masbou
- †Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées, Laboratoire Géosciences Environnement Toulouse, CNRS/IRD/Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse 3, 14 avenue Edouard Belin, 31400 Toulouse, France
| | - David Point
- †Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées, Laboratoire Géosciences Environnement Toulouse, CNRS/IRD/Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse 3, 14 avenue Edouard Belin, 31400 Toulouse, France
| | - Jeroen E Sonke
- †Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées, Laboratoire Géosciences Environnement Toulouse, CNRS/IRD/Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse 3, 14 avenue Edouard Belin, 31400 Toulouse, France
| | - Frédéric Frappart
- †Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées, Laboratoire Géosciences Environnement Toulouse, CNRS/IRD/Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse 3, 14 avenue Edouard Belin, 31400 Toulouse, France
| | - Vincent Perrot
- ‡Laboratoire de Chimie Analytique Bio-Inorganique et Environnement, Institut Pluridisciplinaire de Recherche sur l'Environnement et les Matériaux, CNRS-UPPA-UMR-5254, Hélioparc, 2 Avenue du Président Pierre Angot, Pau, 64053, France
| | - David Amouroux
- ‡Laboratoire de Chimie Analytique Bio-Inorganique et Environnement, Institut Pluridisciplinaire de Recherche sur l'Environnement et les Matériaux, CNRS-UPPA-UMR-5254, Hélioparc, 2 Avenue du Président Pierre Angot, Pau, 64053, France
| | - Pierre Richard
- §UMR Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, Institut du Littoral et de l'Environnement, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000 La Rochelle, France
| | - Paul R Becker
- ∥National Institute of Standards and Technology, Analytical Chemistry Division, Hollings Marine Laboratory, 331 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, South Carolina 29412 United States
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Pilfold NW, Derocher AE, Stirling I, Richardson E. Multi-temporal factors influence predation for polar bears in a changing climate. OIKOS 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.02000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrew E. Derocher
- Dept of Biological Sciences; Univ. of Alberta; Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9 Canada
| | - Ian Stirling
- Dept of Biological Sciences; Univ. of Alberta; Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9 Canada
- Wildlife Research Division; Science and Technology Branch, Environment Canada; Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9 Canada
| | - Evan Richardson
- Wildlife Research Division; Science and Technology Branch, Environment Canada; Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9 Canada
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Martinez-Bakker ME, Sell SK, Swanson BJ, Kelly BP, Tallmon DA. Combined genetic and telemetry data reveal high rates of gene flow, migration, and long-distance dispersal potential in Arctic ringed seals (Pusa hispida). PLoS One 2013; 8:e77125. [PMID: 24130843 PMCID: PMC3794998 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0077125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2012] [Accepted: 09/06/2013] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Ringed seals (Pusa hispida) are broadly distributed in seasonally ice covered seas, and their survival and reproductive success is intricately linked to sea ice and snow. Climatic warming is diminishing Arctic snow and sea ice and threatens to endanger ringed seals in the foreseeable future. We investigated the population structure and connectedness within and among three subspecies: Arctic (P. hispida hispida), Baltic (P. hispida botnica), and Lake Saimaa (P. hispida saimensis) ringed seals to assess their capacity to respond to rapid environmental changes. We consider (a) the geographical scale of migration, (b) use of sea ice, and (c) the amount of gene flow between subspecies. Seasonal movements and use of sea ice were determined for 27 seals tracked via satellite telemetry. Additionally, population genetic analyses were conducted using 354 seals representative of each subspecies and 11 breeding sites. Genetic analyses included sequences from two mitochondrial regions and genotypes of 9 microsatellite loci. We found that ringed seals disperse on a pan-Arctic scale and both males and females may migrate long distances during the summer months when sea ice extent is minimal. Gene flow among Arctic breeding sites and between the Arctic and the Baltic Sea subspecies was high; these two subspecies are interconnected as are breeding sites within the Arctic subspecies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Micaela E. Martinez-Bakker
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
- Biology and Marine Biology Program, University of Alaska Southeast, Juneau, Alaska, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Stephanie K. Sell
- Department of Biology, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Bradley J. Swanson
- Department of Biology, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Brendan P. Kelly
- Arctic Sciences Section, National Science Foundation, Arlington, Virginia, United States of America
| | - David A. Tallmon
- Biology and Marine Biology Program, University of Alaska Southeast, Juneau, Alaska, United States of America
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Pilfold NW, Derocher AE, Stirling I, Richardson E. Polar bear predatory behaviour reveals seascape distribution of ringed seal lairs. POPUL ECOL 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s10144-013-0396-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrew E. Derocher
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of AlbertaT6G 2E9EdmontonCanada
| | - Ian Stirling
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of AlbertaT6G 2E9EdmontonCanada
- Wildlife Research DivisionScience and Technology Branch, Environment CanadaT6H 3S5EdmontonCanada
| | - Evan Richardson
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of AlbertaT6G 2E9EdmontonCanada
- Wildlife Research DivisionScience and Technology Branch, Environment CanadaT6H 3S5EdmontonCanada
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26
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Carroll SS, Horstmann-Dehn L, Norcross BL. Diet history of ice seals using stable isotope ratios in claw growth bands. CAN J ZOOL 2013. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2012-0137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Climate change and sea-ice reduction may lead to modifications of food-web structure in the Arctic, and this may impact foraging of ice-associated predators. We examined the dietary history recorded in cornified claw sheaths of ringed seals (Pusa hispida (Schreber, 1775)) and bearded seals (Erignathus barbatus (Erxleben, 1777)) to describe potential seasonal and interannual changes in their foraging. Seasonal layers of cornified cells deposited in claws can document trophic history up to about 10 years; thereafter, the claws start to wear at the distal end. A total of 38 claws were collected during Alaska Native subsistence harvests in 2008–2010 and seasonal growth bands were examined for stable nitrogen and carbon isotope ratios to assess long-term diet patterns. During 2007 (record ice minimum), proportionally more ringed seals fed at a lower trophic level. Bearded seals may have been foraging more pelagically from 2008 to 2010. Interannual variations and high variability between the two ice seal species and among individual diets illustrate the opportunistic nature and flexibility of ice seals to changes in prey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara S. Carroll
- University of Alaska Fairbanks, School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
| | - Larissa Horstmann-Dehn
- University of Alaska Fairbanks, School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
| | - Brenda L. Norcross
- University of Alaska Fairbanks, School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
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27
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McKinney MA, McMeans BC, Tomy GT, Rosenberg B, Ferguson SH, Morris A, Muir DCG, Fisk AT. Trophic transfer of contaminants in a changing arctic marine food web: Cumberland Sound, Nunavut, Canada. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2012; 46:9914-9922. [PMID: 22957980 DOI: 10.1021/es302761p] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Contaminant dynamics in arctic marine food webs may be impacted by current climate-induced food web changes including increases in transient/subarctic species. We quantified food web organochlorine transfer in the Cumberland Sound (Nunavut, Canada) arctic marine food web in the presence of transient species using species-specific biomagnification factors (BMFs), trophic magnification factors (TMFs), and a multifactor model that included δ(15)N-derived trophic position and species habitat range (transient versus resident), and also considered δ(13)C-derived carbon source, thermoregulatory group, and season. Transient/subarctic species relative to residents had higher prey-to-predator BMFs of biomagnifying contaminants (1.4 to 62 for harp seal, Greenland shark, and narwhal versus 1.1 to 20 for ringed seal, arctic skate, and beluga whale, respectively). For contaminants that biomagnified in a transient-and-resident food web and a resident-only food web scenario, TMFs were higher in the former (2.3 to 10.1) versus the latter (1.7 to 4.0). Transient/subarctic species have higher tissue contaminant levels and greater BMFs likely due to higher energetic requirements associated with long-distance movements or consumption of more contaminated prey in regions outside of Cumberland Sound. These results demonstrate that, in addition to climate change-related long-range transport/deposition/revolatilization changes, increasing numbers of transient/subarctic animals may alter food web contaminant dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa A McKinney
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada.
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Pilfold NW, Derocher AE, Stirling I, Richardson E, Andriashek D. Age and sex composition of seals killed by polar bears in the eastern Beaufort Sea. PLoS One 2012; 7:e41429. [PMID: 22829949 PMCID: PMC3400654 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0041429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2012] [Accepted: 06/26/2012] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) of the Beaufort Sea enter hyperphagia in spring and gain fat reserves to survive periods of low prey availability. We collected information on seals killed by polar bears (n = 650) and hunting attempts on ringed seal (Pusa hispida) lairs (n = 1396) observed from a helicopter during polar bear mark-recapture studies in the eastern Beaufort Sea in spring in 1985–2011. We investigated how temporal shifts in ringed seal reproduction affect kill composition and the intraspecific vulnerabilities of ringed seals to polar bear predation. Principal Findings Polar bears primarily preyed on ringed seals (90.2%) while bearded seals (Erignathus barbatus) only comprised 9.8% of the kills, but 33% of the biomass. Adults comprised 43.6% (150/344) of the ringed seals killed, while their pups comprised 38.4% (132/344). Juvenile ringed seals were killed at the lowest proportion, comprising 18.0% (62/344) of the ringed seal kills. The proportion of ringed seal pups was highest between 2007–2011, in association with high ringed seal productivity. Half of the adult ringed seal kills were ≥21 years (60/121), and kill rates of adults increased following the peak of parturition. Determination of sex from DNA revealed that polar bears killed adult male and adult female ringed seals equally (0.50, n = 78). The number of hunting attempts at ringed seal subnivean lair sites was positively correlated with the number of pup kills (r2 = 0.30, P = 0.04), but was not correlated with the number of adult kills (P = 0.37). Conclusions/Significance Results are consistent with decadal trends in ringed seal productivity, with low numbers of pups killed by polar bears in spring in years of low pup productivity, and conversely when pup productivity was high. Vulnerability of adult ringed seals to predation increased in relation to reproductive activities and age, but not gender.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas W Pilfold
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
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