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Leignel V, Pillot L, Gerpe MS, Caurant F. Assessment of Knowledge on Metal Trace Element Concentrations and Metallothionein Biomarkers in Cetaceans. TOXICS 2023; 11:toxics11050454. [PMID: 37235268 DOI: 10.3390/toxics11050454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Cetaceans are recognized as bioindicators of pollution in oceans. These marine mammals are final trophic chain consumers and easily accumulate pollutants. For example, metals are abundant in oceans and commonly found in the cetacean tissues. Metallothioneins (MTs) are small non-enzyme proteins involved in metal cell regulation and are essential in many cellular processes (cell proliferation, redox balance, etc.). Thus, the MT levels and the concentrations of metals in cetacean tissue are positively correlated. Four types of metallothioneins (MT1, 2, 3, and 4) are found in mammals, which may have a distinct expression in tissues. Surprisingly, only a few genes or mRNA-encoding metallothioneins are characterized in cetaceans; molecular studies are focused on MT quantification, using biochemical methods. Thus, we characterized, in transcriptomic and genomic data, more than 200 complete sequences of metallothioneins (mt1, 2, 3, and 4) in cetacean species to study their structural variability and to propose to the scientific research community Mt genes dataset to develop in future molecular approaches which will study the four types of metallothioneins in diversified organs (brain, gonad, intestine, kidney, stomach, etc.).
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Leignel
- Laboratoire BIOSSE, Le Mans Université, Avenue O Messiaen, 72000 Le Mans, France
| | - Louis Pillot
- Laboratoire BIOSSE, Le Mans Université, Avenue O Messiaen, 72000 Le Mans, France
| | - Marcela Silvia Gerpe
- Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Funes 3350, Mar del Plata CP. 7600, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Godoy Cruz 2290, Argentina
| | - Florence Caurant
- Observatoire Pelagis, UAR3462 La Rochelle University,5 all. De l'océan, 17000 La Rochelle, France
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
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Queirós JP, Machado JF, Pereira E, Bustamante P, Carvalho L, Soares E, Stevens DW, Xavier JC. Antarctic toothfish Dissostichus mawsoni as a bioindicator of trace and rare earth elements in the Southern Ocean. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 321:138134. [PMID: 36780994 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138134] [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: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The Antarctic toothfish Dissostichus mawsoni is a Southern Ocean long-lived top predator which is regularly captured on an annual fishery operating in the region. By its biological and ecological characteristics, it is a potential bioindicator for the concentrations of trace and rare earth elements in the Antarctic. As these elements are mainly transferred through the diet and a deficiency or excess of these elements can lead to diverse health problems, it is important to measure their concentrations on the organisms. This study provides, for the first time, the concentration of 27 trace (major essential, minor essential and non-essential) and rare earth elements in the muscle of D. mawsoni captured in three areas of the Amundsen and Dumont D'Urville Seas (Antarctica). Major essential elements had the highest concentrations, with potassium (K) as the most concentrated, and rare earth elements the lowest. Significant differences between areas were found for most of the studied elements. No bioaccumulation nor biomagnification potential was found for the studied elements, with several elements decreasing concentrations towards larger individuals. Decreasing trends are related with the different habitats occupied by D. mawsoni through their life, suggesting that elements' concentrations in the water is determinant for the concentrations in this top predator, and/or there is a dilution effect as the fish grows. Our results also support that Se presents a detoxification potential for Hg in D. mawsoni, but only when Hg concentrations are higher to unhealthy levels. This study supports D. mawsoni as a potential bioindicator for the concentrations of the different trace and rare earth elements in the Southern Ocean, though only when comparing individuals of similar size/age, but also to evaluate annual changes on their concentrations. Furthermore, D. mawsoni can be a good source of major essential elements to humans with concentrations of major essential elements above some of other marine fish worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- José P Queirós
- University of Coimbra, Marine and Environmental Research Centre (MARE)/ Aquatic Research Network (ARNET), Department of Life Sciences, 3000-456, Coimbra, Portugal; British Antarctic Survey (BAS), Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), High Cross, Madingley Road, CB3 0ET, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
| | - João F Machado
- University of Coimbra, Marine and Environmental Research Centre (MARE)/ Aquatic Research Network (ARNET), Department of Life Sciences, 3000-456, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Eduarda Pereira
- Departamento de Química & Laboratório Central de Análises, LAQV-REQUIMTE - Associated Laboratory for Green Chemistry, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Paco Bustamante
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS - La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000, La Rochelle, France; Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), 1 Rue Descartes, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Lina Carvalho
- Departamento de Química & Laboratório Central de Análises, LAQV-REQUIMTE - Associated Laboratory for Green Chemistry, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Eugénio Soares
- Departamento de Química & Laboratório Central de Análises, LAQV-REQUIMTE - Associated Laboratory for Green Chemistry, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Darren W Stevens
- National Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), 401 Evans Bay Parade, Hataitai, 6021, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - José C Xavier
- University of Coimbra, Marine and Environmental Research Centre (MARE)/ Aquatic Research Network (ARNET), Department of Life Sciences, 3000-456, Coimbra, Portugal; British Antarctic Survey (BAS), Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), High Cross, Madingley Road, CB3 0ET, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Betty EL, Stockin KA, Hinton B, Bollard BA, Orams MB, Murphy S. Age- and sex-specific survivorship of the Southern Hemisphere long-finned pilot whale ( Globicephala melas edwardii). J Mammal 2022; 104:39-48. [PMID: 36818685 PMCID: PMC9936501 DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyac085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Biodiversity loss is a major global challenge of the 21st century. Ultimately, extinctions of species are determined by birth and death rates; thus, conservation management of at-risk species is dependent on robust demographic data. In this study, data gathered from 381 (227 females, 154 males) long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas edwardii) that died in 14 stranding events on the New Zealand coast between 2006 and 2017 were used to construct the first age- and sex-specific life tables for the subspecies. Survivorship curves were fitted to these data using (1) a traditional maximum likelihood approach, and (2) Siler's competing-risk model. Life table construction and subsequent survival curves revealed distinct differences in the age- and sex-specific survival rates, with females outliving males. Both sexes revealed slightly elevated rates of mortality among the youngest age-classes (<2 years) with postweaning mortality rates decreasing and remaining relatively low until the average life expectancy is reached; 11.3 years for males and 14.7 years for females. Overall (total) mortality is estimated to be 8.8% and 6.8% per annum for males and females, respectively. The mortality curve resembles that of other large mammals, with high calf mortality, lower postweaning mortality, and an exponentially increasing risk of senescent mortality. An accelerated mortality rate was observed in mature females, in contrast to the closely related short-finned pilot whale (G. macrorhynchus), which selects for an extension to the postreproductive life span. The reason for the observed differences in the mortality rate acceleration and postreproductive life span between the two pilot whale species have not been established and warrant further investigation. Obtaining robust information on the life history of long-lived species is challenging, but essential to improve our understanding of population dynamics and help predict how future pressures may impact populations. This study illustrates how demographic data from cetacean stranding events can improve knowledge of species survival rates, thus providing essential information for conservation management.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Karen A Stockin
- Cetacean Ecology Research Group, School of Natural Sciences, College of Sciences, Massey University, Auckland 0745, New Zealand
| | - Bethany Hinton
- Cetacean Ecology Research Group, School of Natural Sciences, College of Sciences, Massey University, Auckland 0745, New Zealand
| | - Barbara A Bollard
- School of Engineering, Mathematical and Computational Sciences, Faculty of Design and Creative Technologies, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Mark B Orams
- Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland 0627, New Zealand
| | - Sinéad Murphy
- Marine and Freshwater Research Centre, Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, School of Science and Computing, Atlantic Technological University, ATU Galway City, Galway, Ireland,Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London NW1 4RY, United Kingdom
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Hinton B, Stockin KA, Bury SJ, Peters KJ, Betty EL. Isotopic Niche Analysis of Long-Finned Pilot Whales (Globicephala melas edwardii) in Aotearoa New Zealand Waters. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11101414. [PMID: 36290319 PMCID: PMC9598128 DOI: 10.3390/biology11101414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Isotopic niche analyses can elucidate a species’ foraging ecology. Using isotopic values of δ13C, δ15N and δ34S, the isotopic niche of long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas edwardii) in Aotearoa New Zealand was investigated for animals that stranded in six different events across two locations between 2009 and 2017. Generalised additive models revealed that stranding event was a stronger predictor for δ13C and δ15N values than body length, sex, or reproductive status, indicating that spatiotemporal differences explained isotopic variation of G. m. edwardii in New Zealand waters better than ontogenetic factors. Abstract The quantification of a species’ trophic niche is important to understand the species ecology and its interactions with the ecosystem it resides in. Despite the high frequency of long-finned pilot whale (Globicephala melas edwardii) strandings on the Aotearoa New Zealand coast, their trophic niche remains poorly understood. To assess the isotopic niche of G. m. edwardii within New Zealand, ontogenetic (sex, total body length, age, maturity status, reproductive group) and spatiotemporal (stranding location, stranding event, and stranding year) variation were investigated. Stable isotopes of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) were examined from skin samples of 125 G. m. edwardii (67 females and 58 males) collected at mass-stranding events at Onetahua Farewell Spit in 2009 (n = 20), 2011 (n = 20), 2014 (n = 27) and 2017 (n = 20) and at Rakiura Stewart Island in 2010 (n = 19) and 2011 (n = 19). Variations in δ34S values were examined for a subset of 36 individuals. General additive models revealed that stranding event was the strongest predictor for δ13C and δ15N values, whilst sex was the strongest predictor of δ34S isotopic values. Although similar within years, δ13C values were lower in 2014 and 2017 compared to all other years. Furthermore, δ15N values were higher within Farewell Spit 2017 compared to any other stranding event. This suggests that the individuals stranded in Farewell Spit in 2017 may have been feeding at a higher trophic level, or that the nitrogen baseline may have been higher in 2017 than in other years. Spatiotemporal differences explained isotopic variation of G. m. edwardii in New Zealand waters better than ontogenetic factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bethany Hinton
- Cetacean Ecology Research Group, School of Natural Sciences, Massey University, Auckland 0745, New Zealand
- Correspondence: (B.H.); (E.L.B.)
| | - Karen A. Stockin
- Cetacean Ecology Research Group, School of Natural Sciences, Massey University, Auckland 0745, New Zealand
| | - Sarah J. Bury
- Environmental Isotopes and Molecular Biology Group, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Wellington 6021, New Zealand
| | - Katharina J. Peters
- Cetacean Ecology Research Group, School of Natural Sciences, Massey University, Auckland 0745, New Zealand
- School of Earth and Environment, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand
- Evolutionary Genetics Group, Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Global Ecology, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia
| | - Emma L. Betty
- Cetacean Ecology Research Group, School of Natural Sciences, Massey University, Auckland 0745, New Zealand
- Correspondence: (B.H.); (E.L.B.)
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Jeong H, Ra K. Seagrass and green macroalgae Halimeda as biomonitoring tools for metal contamination in Chuuk, Micronesia: Pollution assessment and bioaccumulation. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2022; 178:113625. [PMID: 35381460 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2022] [Revised: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we evaluated metal accumulation in different species and tissues of seagrasses and green macroalgae Halimeda and assessed metal pollution levels in Chuuk, Micronesia. In seagrass, the concentrations of Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, and Hg were higher in leaves than in roots, whereas Cr and As concentrations were higher in roots. Halimeda had higher concentrations of Ni than of the other metals, and the mean Ni concentration was approximately 2.1 times higher in Halimeda than in seagrass leaves. The concentrations of Cr, As, Cu, Pb, and Hg in Halimeda were similar to those in seagrasses, whereas the Zn and Cd concentrations in Halimeda were very low. Significant correlations in metal concentrations between sediment and both seagrasses and Halimeda were observed for Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Pb. This study suggests that seagrasses and Halimeda are useful indicators for monitoring metal pollution in coastal environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyeryeong Jeong
- Marine Environmental Research Center, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST), Busan 49111, Republic of Korea
| | - Kongtae Ra
- Marine Environmental Research Center, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST), Busan 49111, Republic of Korea; Department of Ocean Science (Oceanography), KIOST School, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon 34113, Republic of Korea.
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Stockin KA, Yi S, Northcott GL, Betty EL, Machovsky-Capuska GE, Jones B, Perrott MR, Law RJ, Rumsby A, Thelen MA, Graham L, Palmer EI, Tremblay LA. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), trace elements and life history parameters of mass-stranded common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) in New Zealand. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2021; 173:112896. [PMID: 34601248 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Profiles of 33 PFAS analytes and 12 essential and non-essential trace elements were measured in livers of stranded common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) from New Zealand. PFAS concentrations reported were largely comparable to those measured in other marine mammal species globally and composed mostly of long-chain compounds including perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoDA), perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA) and perfluorooctanesulfonamide (FOSA). PFAS profiles did not vary significantly by location, body condition, or life history. Notably, significant positive correlations were observed within respective PFAS and trace elements. However, only negative correlations were evident between these two contaminant types, suggesting different exposure and metabolic pathways. Age-associated concentrations were found for PFTrDA and four trace elements, i.e. silver, mercury, cadmium, selenium, indicating differences in the bioaccumulation biomagnification mechanisms. Overall, our results contribute to global understanding of accumulation of PFAS by offering first insights of PFAS exposure in cetaceans living within South Pacific Australasian waters.
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Affiliation(s)
- K A Stockin
- Cetacean Ecology Research Group, School of Natural Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 102 904, Auckland 0745, New Zealand.
| | - S Yi
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - G L Northcott
- Northcott Research Consultants Limited, 20 River Oaks Place, Hamilton 3200, New Zealand
| | - E L Betty
- Cetacean Ecology Research Group, School of Natural Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 102 904, Auckland 0745, New Zealand
| | - G E Machovsky-Capuska
- Cetacean Ecology Research Group, School of Natural Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 102 904, Auckland 0745, New Zealand; The Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - B Jones
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, PO Box 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - M R Perrott
- School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Private Bag 11 222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
| | - R J Law
- Cetacean Ecology Research Group, School of Natural Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 102 904, Auckland 0745, New Zealand; Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Pakefield Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk NR33 0HT, United Kingdom
| | - A Rumsby
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - M A Thelen
- Cetacean Ecology Research Group, School of Natural Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 102 904, Auckland 0745, New Zealand
| | - L Graham
- AsureQuality Limited, PO Box 31 242, Lower Hutt, New Zealand
| | - E I Palmer
- Cetacean Ecology Research Group, School of Natural Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 102 904, Auckland 0745, New Zealand
| | - L A Tremblay
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, PO Box 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand; Cawthron Institute, Private Bag 2, Nelson 7042, New Zealand
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