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Dos Santos I, Paiva VH, Norte AC, Churlaud C, Ceia FR, Pais de Faria J, Pereira JM, Cerveira LR, Laranjeiro MI, Veríssimo SN, Ramos JA, Bustamante P. Assessing the impacts of trace element contamination on the physiology and health of seabirds breeding along the western and southern coasts of Portugal. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 358:124528. [PMID: 38992829 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.124528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2024] [Revised: 06/08/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
Coastal seabirds serve as sentinels of ecosystem health due to their vulnerability to contamination from human activities. However, our understanding on how contaminant burdens affect the physiological and health condition of seabirds is still scarce, raising the uncertainty on the species' vulnerability vs tolerance to environmental contamination. Here, we quantified 15 Trace Elements (TE) in the blood of gull (yellow-legged gull Larus michahellis and Audouin's gull Ichthyaetus audouinii) and shearwater (Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis) adults, breeding in five colonies along the Portuguese coastline. Additionally, stable isotopes of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) were quantified to elucidate foraging habitat and trophic ecology of adults, to identify potential patterns of TE contamination among colonies. We used immuno-haematological parameters as response variables to assess the influence of TE concentrations, stable isotope values, and breeding colony on adults' physiological and health condition. Remarkably, we found blood mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb) concentrations to exceed reported toxicity thresholds in 25% and 13% of individuals, respectively, raising ecotoxicological concerns for these populations. The breeding colony was the primary factor explaining variation in five out of six models, underlining the influence of inherent species needs on immuno-haematological parameters. Model selection indicated a negative relationship between erythrocyte sedimentation rate and both Hg and selenium (Se) concentrations, but a positive relationship with δ13C. The number of immature erythrocyte counts was positively related to Hg and Se, particularly in yellow-legged gulls from one colony, highlighting the colony-site context's influence on haematological parameters. Further research is needed to determine whether essential TE concentrations, particularly copper (Cu) and Se, are falling outside the normal range for seabirds or meet species-specific requirements. Continuous monitoring of non-essential TE concentrations like aluminium (Al), Hg, and Pb, is crucial due to their potential hazardous concentrations, as observed in our study colonies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivo Dos Santos
- University of Coimbra, MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre / ARNET - Aquatic Research Network, Department of Life Sciences ,Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal; Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266, CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000 La Rochelle, France.
| | - Vitor H Paiva
- University of Coimbra, MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre / ARNET - Aquatic Research Network, Department of Life Sciences ,Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Ana C Norte
- University of Coimbra, MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre / ARNET - Aquatic Research Network, Department of Life Sciences ,Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Carine Churlaud
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266, CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000 La Rochelle, France
| | - Filipe R Ceia
- University of Coimbra, MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre / ARNET - Aquatic Research Network, Department of Life Sciences ,Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Joana Pais de Faria
- University of Coimbra, MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre / ARNET - Aquatic Research Network, Department of Life Sciences ,Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Jorge M Pereira
- University of Coimbra, MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre / ARNET - Aquatic Research Network, Department of Life Sciences ,Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Lara R Cerveira
- University of Coimbra, MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre / ARNET - Aquatic Research Network, Department of Life Sciences ,Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Maria I Laranjeiro
- University of Coimbra, MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre / ARNET - Aquatic Research Network, Department of Life Sciences ,Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal; MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre & ARNET - Aquatic Research Network, ESTM, Politécnico de Leiria, 2520-641 Peniche, Portugal; Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM), CSIC, Passeig Maritim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sara N Veríssimo
- University of Coimbra, MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre / ARNET - Aquatic Research Network, Department of Life Sciences ,Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Jaime A Ramos
- University of Coimbra, MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre / ARNET - Aquatic Research Network, Department of Life Sciences ,Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Paco Bustamante
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266, CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000 La Rochelle, France
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Picone M, Giurin A, Distefano GG, Corami F, Turetta C, Volpi Ghirardini A, Basso M, Panzarin L, Farioli A, Bacci M, Sebastanelli C, Morici F, Artese C, De Sanctis A, Galuppi M, Imperio S, Serra L. Mercury and rare earth elements (REEs) show different spatial trends in feathers of Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) breeding along the Adriatic Sea coast, Italy. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 252:119140. [PMID: 38751003 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119140] [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: 01/22/2024] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
Feather analysis is an ethical and effective method for assessing the exposure of wild birds to environmental contamination due to trace elements and organic pollutants. We used feather to monitor the exposure to three toxic and non-essential metals (Hg, Cd, and Pb) and rare earth elements (REEs) of Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) breeding in different coastal areas (Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Marche, Abruzzo, and Apulia) along the Italian coast of the Adriatic Sea. Feathers (n = 113) were collected from April to June. Feather concentrations evidenced a significant exposure to Hg (13.05 ± 1.71 mg kg-1 dw) and REEs (447.3 ± 52.8 ng g-1 dw) in the Kentish plover breeding in Veneto (n = 21) compared to the other coastal areas, with several individuals showing Hg concentrations above the adverse effect (5 mg kg-1 dw) and high-risk (9.14 mg kg-1 dw) thresholds reported for birds. Higher REE concentrations compared to Marche (n = 29), Abruzzo (n = 11) and Apulia (n = 13) were also reported for birds breeding in Emilia-Romagna (474.9 ± 41.9 ng g-1 dw; n = 29). The exposure to Cd and Pb was low in all the coastal areas, and only a few samples (n = 6 and n = 4 for Cd and Pb, respectively) exceeded the adverse effect thresholds (0.1 and 4 mg kg-1 for Cd and Pb, respectively). A significant sex-related difference was observed for REE-concentrations, with females showing higher concentration than males. These data highlight the need to monitor the exposure of the Kentish plover to Hg and REEs, especially in the northern basin of the Adriatic Sea, since these elements might negatively affect species' reproductive success and threaten its conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Picone
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics, and Statistics, Ca' Foscari University Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172, Venezia-Mestre, Italy.
| | - Alessia Giurin
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics, and Statistics, Ca' Foscari University Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172, Venezia-Mestre, Italy
| | - Gabriele Giuseppe Distefano
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics, and Statistics, Ca' Foscari University Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172, Venezia-Mestre, Italy
| | - Fabiana Corami
- National Council for the Research - Institute of Polar Sciences, Via Torino 155, 30172, Venezia-Mestre, Italy
| | - Clara Turetta
- National Council for the Research - Institute of Polar Sciences, Via Torino 155, 30172, Venezia-Mestre, Italy
| | - Annamaria Volpi Ghirardini
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics, and Statistics, Ca' Foscari University Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172, Venezia-Mestre, Italy
| | - Marco Basso
- Via Gianbattista Verci, 25/4, 35128, Padua, Italy
| | - Lucio Panzarin
- Via Giacomo Leopardi 5, 30020, Torre di Mosto, VE, Italy
| | - Alessio Farioli
- Associazione Ornitologi Dell'Emilia Romagna, Via Giovanni Boccaccio 23, 40026, Imola, BO, Italy
| | - Mattia Bacci
- Associazione Ornitologi Dell'Emilia Romagna, Via Giovanni Boccaccio 23, 40026, Imola, BO, Italy
| | | | - Francesca Morici
- Ornitologi Marchigiani ETS, Via Giuseppe Verdi 10/A, 62100, Macerata, Italy
| | - Carlo Artese
- Servizio Scientifico Parco Nazionale Del Gran Sasso e Monti Della Laga, Via Del Convento 1, 67010, Assergi, AQ, Italy
| | - Augusto De Sanctis
- Stazione Ornitologica Abruzzese, Via Antonio De Nino 3, 65126, Pescara, Italy
| | - Mirko Galuppi
- Via Antonio De Marinis 110, 70021, Acquaviva Delle Fonti, BA, Italy
| | - Simona Imperio
- Area Avifauna Migratrice, Istituto Superiore per La Protezione e La Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA), Via Ca' Fornacetta 9, 40064, Ozzano Emilia, BO, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Serra
- Area Avifauna Migratrice, Istituto Superiore per La Protezione e La Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA), Via Ca' Fornacetta 9, 40064, Ozzano Emilia, BO, Italy
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Evers DC, Ackerman JT, Åkerblom S, Bally D, Basu N, Bishop K, Bodin N, Braaten HFV, Burton MEH, Bustamante P, Chen C, Chételat J, Christian L, Dietz R, Drevnick P, Eagles-Smith C, Fernandez LE, Hammerschlag N, Harmelin-Vivien M, Harte A, Krümmel EM, Brito JL, Medina G, Barrios Rodriguez CA, Stenhouse I, Sunderland E, Takeuchi A, Tear T, Vega C, Wilson S, Wu P. Global mercury concentrations in biota: their use as a basis for a global biomonitoring framework. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2024; 33:325-396. [PMID: 38683471 PMCID: PMC11213816 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-024-02747-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
An important provision of the Minamata Convention on Mercury is to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the adopted measures and its implementation. Here, we describe for the first time currently available biotic mercury (Hg) data on a global scale to improve the understanding of global efforts to reduce the impact of Hg pollution on people and the environment. Data from the peer-reviewed literature were compiled in the Global Biotic Mercury Synthesis (GBMS) database (>550,000 data points). These data provide a foundation for establishing a biomonitoring framework needed to track Hg concentrations in biota globally. We describe Hg exposure in the taxa identified by the Minamata Convention: fish, sea turtles, birds, and marine mammals. Based on the GBMS database, Hg concentrations are presented at relevant geographic scales for continents and oceanic basins. We identify some effective regional templates for monitoring methylmercury (MeHg) availability in the environment, but overall illustrate that there is a general lack of regional biomonitoring initiatives around the world, especially in Africa, Australia, Indo-Pacific, Middle East, and South Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Temporal trend data for Hg in biota are generally limited. Ecologically sensitive sites (where biota have above average MeHg tissue concentrations) have been identified throughout the world. Efforts to model and quantify ecosystem sensitivity locally, regionally, and globally could help establish effective and efficient biomonitoring programs. We present a framework for a global Hg biomonitoring network that includes a three-step continental and oceanic approach to integrate existing biomonitoring efforts and prioritize filling regional data gaps linked with key Hg sources. We describe a standardized approach that builds on an evidence-based evaluation to assess the Minamata Convention's progress to reduce the impact of global Hg pollution on people and the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C Evers
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME, 04103, USA.
| | - Joshua T Ackerman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, 800 Business Park Drive, Suite D, Dixon, CA, 95620, USA
| | | | - Dominique Bally
- African Center for Environmental Health, BP 826 Cidex 03, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Nil Basu
- Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Kevin Bishop
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Upsalla, Sweden
| | - Nathalie Bodin
- Research Institute for Sustainable Development Seychelles Fishing Authority, Victoria, Seychelles
| | | | - Mark E H Burton
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME, 04103, USA
| | - Paco Bustamante
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000, La Rochelle, France
| | - Celia Chen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
| | - John Chételat
- Environment and Cliamte Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Linroy Christian
- Department of Analytical Services, Dunbars, Friars Hill, St John, Antigua and Barbuda
| | - Rune Dietz
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Department of Ecoscience, P.O. Box 358, DK-4000, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Paul Drevnick
- Teck American Incorporated, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Collin Eagles-Smith
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, 3200 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| | - Luis E Fernandez
- Sabin Center for Environment and Sustainability and Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, 29106, USA
- Centro de Innovación Científica Amazonica (CINCIA), Puerto Maldonado, Madre de Dios, Peru
| | - Neil Hammerschlag
- Shark Research Foundation Inc, 29 Wideview Lane, Boutiliers Point, NS, B3Z 0M9, Canada
| | - Mireille Harmelin-Vivien
- Aix-Marseille Université, Université de Toulon, CNRS/INSU/IRD, Institut Méditerranéen d'Océanologie (MIO), UM 110, Campus de Luminy, case 901, 13288, Marseille, cedex 09, France
| | - Agustin Harte
- Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions Secretariat, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Chem. des Anémones 15, 1219, Vernier, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Eva M Krümmel
- Inuit Circumpolar Council-Canada, Ottawa, Canada and ScienTissiME Inc, Barry's Bay, ON, Canada
| | - José Lailson Brito
- Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rua Sao Francisco Xavier, 524, Sala 4002, CEP 20550-013, Maracana, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Gabriela Medina
- Director of Basel Convention Coordinating Centre, Stockholm Convention Regional Centre for Latin America and the Caribbean, Hosted by the Ministry of Environment, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | | | - Iain Stenhouse
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME, 04103, USA
| | - Elsie Sunderland
- Harvard University, Pierce Hall 127, 29 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Akinori Takeuchi
- National Institute for Environmental Studies, Health and Environmental Risk Division, 16-2 Onogawa Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8506, Japan
| | - Tim Tear
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME, 04103, USA
| | - Claudia Vega
- Centro de Innovaccion Cientifica Amazonica (CINCIA), Jiron Ucayali 750, Puerto Maldonado, Madre de Dios, 17001, Peru
| | - Simon Wilson
- Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) Secretariat, N-9296, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Pianpian Wu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
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Padilha JAG, Santos S, Willems T, Souza-Kasprzyk J, Leite A, Cunha LST, Costa ES, Pessôa AR, Eens M, E P, Torres JPM, Das K, Lepoint G, Dorneles PR, Bervoets L, Groffen T. Assessing the trophic ecology and migration on the exposure of cape petrels and Wilson's storm petrels from Antarctica to perfluoroalkylated substances, trace and major elements. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 244:117827. [PMID: 38072112 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117827] [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: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Chemical pollution is a global concern as contaminants are transported and reach even the remote regions of Antarctica. Seabirds serve as important sentinels of pollution due to their high trophic position and wide distribution. This study examines the influence of migration and trophic ecology on the exposure of two Antarctic seabirds, Wilson's storm petrel (Oceanites oceanicus - Ooc), and Cape petrel (Daption capense - Dca), to chemical elements and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Our methodology involved assessing the concentration of these pollutants in feather samples obtained from carcasses, offering a practical means for monitoring contamination. Trace and major element concentrations were comparable in both species, suggesting that migratory patterns have a minimal impact on exposure levels. However, Ooc had higher concentration of PFAS compared to Dca (mean, ng g-1dry weight, PFOA: Ooc:0.710, Dca:0.170; PFTrDA: Ooc:0.550, Dca:0.360, and PFTeDA: Ooc:1.01, Dca:0.190), indicating that migration to the more polluted Northern Hemisphere significantly affects PFAS exposure. Furthermore, while no strong associations were found between either trace elements or PFAS and the three stable isotopes (δ13C, δ15N, and δ34S), a negative association was observed between PFUnDA and δ15N, hinting at potential biodilution. The research concludes that the migratory patterns of these seabird species affect their PFAS exposure, underscoring the critical need for further exploration and understanding of these relationships to better inform conservation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- J A G Padilha
- Biophysics Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; CBMA - Centre for Molecular and Environmental Biology/ARNET-Aquatic Research Network, Portugal; IB-S, Institute of Science and Innovation for Bio-Sustainability, Department of Biology, University of Minho, Campus Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal.
| | - S Santos
- CBMA - Centre for Molecular and Environmental Biology/ARNET-Aquatic Research Network, Portugal; IB-S, Institute of Science and Innovation for Bio-Sustainability, Department of Biology, University of Minho, Campus Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal
| | - T Willems
- ECOSPHERE, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020, Antwerp, Belgium; Integrated Molecular Plant Physiology Research (IMPRES), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - J Souza-Kasprzyk
- Biophysics Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University, Ul. Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 8, 61-614, Poznan, Poland
| | - A Leite
- CBMA - Centre for Molecular and Environmental Biology/ARNET-Aquatic Research Network, Portugal; IB-S, Institute of Science and Innovation for Bio-Sustainability, Department of Biology, University of Minho, Campus Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal
| | - L S T Cunha
- Biophysics Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - E S Costa
- Environment and Sustainability, State University of Rio Grande do Sul, Assis Brasil Street, 842, Downtown, São Francisco de Paula, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - A R Pessôa
- Biophysics Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - M Eens
- Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group (BECO), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Prinsen E
- Integrated Molecular Plant Physiology Research (IMPRES), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - J P M Torres
- Biophysics Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - K Das
- Freshwater and Oceanic ScienCes Unit of ReSearch (FOCUS), Laboratory of Oceanology, University of Liège, 4000, Liège, Belgium
| | - G Lepoint
- Freshwater and Oceanic ScienCes Unit of ReSearch (FOCUS), Laboratory of Trophic and Isotope Ecology, University of Liège, 4000, Liège, Belgium
| | - P R Dorneles
- Biophysics Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Freshwater and Oceanic ScienCes Unit of ReSearch (FOCUS), Laboratory of Oceanology, University of Liège, 4000, Liège, Belgium
| | - Lieven Bervoets
- ECOSPHERE, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - T Groffen
- ECOSPHERE, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020, Antwerp, Belgium; Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group (BECO), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
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5
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Catry T, Correia E, Gutiérrez JS, Bocher P, Robin F, Rousseau P, Granadeiro JP. Low migratory connectivity and similar migratory strategies in a shorebird with contrasting wintering population trends in Europe and West Africa. Sci Rep 2024; 14:4884. [PMID: 38418600 PMCID: PMC10901768 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-55501-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Migratory shorebird populations are declining worldwide, showing an apparent inability to respond to the interplaying challenges emerging along their flyways. Within the East Atlantic Flyway, non-breeding populations show moderate to strong declines in Sub-Saharan Africa, contrasting with stable or increasing trends in Europe. Local factors are insufficient to explain the opposite tendencies and, therefore, investigating migratory strategies and connectivity of these populations may help identifying the drivers of their demography. We followed the migratory journeys of 20 grey plovers (Pluvialis squatarola) from their wintering grounds in Guinea-Bissau (West Africa), Portugal and France (Europe) using tracking devices. Grey plovers wintering in Africa and Europe were found to share breeding grounds at European Russia and Western Siberia, revealing low migratory connectivity in the Eastern Atlantic population. All individuals followed a "skipping" migratory strategy, flying mostly mid-distance bouts, and using an unexpected large network of stopover sites to re-fuel usually for short periods. We identified 66 different stopover sites along the West African, European and Russian/Siberian coasts. All birds stopped at the Wadden Sea in both migratory periods, highlighting the importance of this region and the risk for a potential bottleneck. Low migratory connectivity and similar migratory strategies shared by grey plovers wintering in Europe and West Africa do not support their contrasting population trends.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Catry
- Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM), Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016, Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Edna Correia
- Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM), Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Jorge S Gutiérrez
- Departamento de Anatomía, Biología Celular y Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz, Spain
- Ecología en el Antropoceno, Unidad asociada CSIC-UEX, Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz, Spain
| | - Pierrick Bocher
- Laboratory Littoral Environnement et Sociétés UMR LIENSs 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle University, La Rochelle, France
| | - Frédéric Robin
- Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux (LPO), Rochefort, France
| | - Pierre Rousseau
- National Nature Reserve of Möeze-Oléron, Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux (LPO), Saint-Froult, France
| | - José P Granadeiro
- Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM), Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016, Lisbon, Portugal
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