1
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Dedman S, Moxley JH, Papastamatiou YP, Braccini M, Caselle JE, Chapman DD, Cinner JE, Dillon EM, Dulvy NK, Dunn RE, Espinoza M, Harborne AR, Harvey ES, Heupel MR, Huveneers C, Graham NAJ, Ketchum JT, Klinard NV, Kock AA, Lowe CG, MacNeil MA, Madin EMP, McCauley DJ, Meekan MG, Meier AC, Simpfendorfer CA, Tinker MT, Winton M, Wirsing AJ, Heithaus MR. Ecological roles and importance of sharks in the Anthropocene Ocean. Science 2024; 385:adl2362. [PMID: 39088608 DOI: 10.1126/science.adl2362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 08/03/2024]
Abstract
In ecosystems, sharks can be predators, competitors, facilitators, nutrient transporters, and food. However, overfishing and other threats have greatly reduced shark populations, altering their roles and effects on ecosystems. We review these changes and implications for ecosystem function and management. Macropredatory sharks are often disproportionately affected by humans but can influence prey and coastal ecosystems, including facilitating carbon sequestration. Like terrestrial predators, sharks may be crucial to ecosystem functioning under climate change. However, large ecosystem effects of sharks are not ubiquitous. Increasing human uses of oceans are changing shark roles, necessitating management consideration. Rebuilding key populations and incorporating shark ecological roles, including less obvious ones, into management efforts are critical for retaining sharks' functional value. Coupled social-ecological frameworks can facilitate these efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Dedman
- Institute of Environment, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, North Miami, FL 33181, USA
| | - Jerry H Moxley
- Institute of Environment, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, North Miami, FL 33181, USA
| | - Yannis P Papastamatiou
- Institute of Environment, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, North Miami, FL 33181, USA
| | - Matias Braccini
- Western Australian Fisheries and Marine Research Laboratories, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, North Beach, WA 6920, Australia
| | - Jennifer E Caselle
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Demian D Chapman
- Sharks and Rays Conservation Research Program, Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, FL 34236, USA
| | - Joshua Eli Cinner
- Thriving Oceans Research Hub, School of Geosciences, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Erin M Dillon
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Republic of Panama
| | - Nicholas K Dulvy
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Ruth Elizabeth Dunn
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, UK
- The Lyell Centre, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4BA, UK
| | - Mario Espinoza
- Centro de Investigación en Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro de Montes de Oca, San José 2060-11501, Costa Rica
- Escuela de Biología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro de Montes de Oca, San José 2060-11501, Costa Rica
- MigraMar, Bodega Bay, CA 94923, USA
| | - Alastair R Harborne
- Institute of Environment, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, North Miami, FL 33181, USA
| | - Euan S Harvey
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, WA, Australia
| | - Michelle R Heupel
- Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7000, Australia
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD, Australia
- Integrated Marine Observing System, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - Charlie Huveneers
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | | | - James T Ketchum
- MigraMar, Bodega Bay, CA 94923, USA
- Pelagios Kakunjá, La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste (CIBNOR), La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico
| | - Natalie V Klinard
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Alison A Kock
- Cape Research Centre, South African National Parks, Cape Town, South Africa
- South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB), Makhanda (Grahamstown), South Africa
| | - Christopher G Lowe
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University Long Beach, Long Beach, CA 90840, USA
| | - M Aaron MacNeil
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Elizabeth M P Madin
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Kāne'ohe, HI 96744, USA
| | - Douglas J McCauley
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Mark G Meekan
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Amelia C Meier
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Kāne'ohe, HI 96744, USA
| | - Colin A Simpfendorfer
- Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7000, Australia
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, 1 James Cook Drive, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - M Tim Tinker
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
- US Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Megan Winton
- Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, North Chatham, MA 02650, USA
| | - Aaron J Wirsing
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Michael R Heithaus
- Institute of Environment, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, North Miami, FL 33181, USA
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2
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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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3
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Le Croizier G, Hoyos-Padilla M, Amezcua-Martínez F, Aquino-Baleytó M, Besnard L, Le Grand F, Le Loc'h F, Mathieu-Resuge M, Munaron JM, Ory A, Sardenne F, Schaal G, Lorrain A. Can biochemical tracers reveal ontogenetic trophic shift and individual prey selection in white sharks from Guadalupe Island, Northeast Pacific? ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024:119507. [PMID: 38944105 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/01/2024]
Abstract
Refining the role of apex predators in marine food webs is a necessary step in predicting the consequences of their global decline under the footprint of fishing activities. White sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) are vulnerable predators, performing large migrations and able to forage on a variety of prey in different habitats. In the Northeast Pacific, juvenile and adult white sharks are found seasonally at the same aggregation sites, such as Guadalupe Island off Mexico. While adults are thought to target local pinniped colonies, very few prey-predator interactions have been documented and the diet of juveniles in this area remains poorly understood. Here we used carbon/nitrogen stable isotopes and fatty acids to characterize the trophic ecology of white sharks at Guadalupe Island. In contrast to the ontogenetic trophic shift paradigm, we detected no influence of size on muscle stable isotope and fatty acid composition, revealing no significant dietary variation between juvenile and adult sharks. Stable isotopes did not allow definitive conclusions to be drawn regarding the diet of white sharks at Guadalupe Island, due to significant variability in the contribution of different potential prey depending on the trophic discrimination factors used. However, most sharks were rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (such as long-chain omega 3), suggesting a local diet of mainly pelagic prey (potentially large fish or cephalopods). A few individuals appeared to show recent consumption of pinnipeds, with higher proportions of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids. These individual differences in fatty acid composition could reflect an ecological trade-off between consumption of prey rich in fat (marine mammals) versus prey rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (pelagic prey), respectively meeting the energetic and physiological needs of white sharks. Although ontogenetic trophic changes were not able to be discerned, our results thus provide new insights into the physiological drivers of predator-prey interactions, which can benefit the definition of conservation strategies in a changing ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaël Le Croizier
- Univ Brest, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, LEMAR, F-29280 Plouzané, France.
| | - Mauricio Hoyos-Padilla
- Pelagios-Kakunjá A.C. Sinaloa 1540. Col. Las Garzas. C.P. 23070. La Paz, B.C.S., México; Fins Attached: Marine Research and Conservation 19675 Still Glen Drive Colorado Springs, CO 80908, USA.
| | - Felipe Amezcua-Martínez
- Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Av. Joel Montes Camarena S/N. Mazatlán, Sin. México, 82040
| | - Marc Aquino-Baleytó
- Pelagios-Kakunjá A.C. Sinaloa 1540. Col. Las Garzas. C.P. 23070. La Paz, B.C.S., México
| | - Lucien Besnard
- Division of Environmental Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, 77 Cheongam-Ro, Nam-Gu, Pohang 37673, South Korea
| | | | | | | | | | - Arthur Ory
- Univ Brest, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, LEMAR, F-29280 Plouzané, France
| | - Fany Sardenne
- Univ Brest, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, LEMAR, F-29280 Plouzané, France
| | - Gauthier Schaal
- Univ Brest, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, LEMAR, F-29280 Plouzané, France
| | - Anne Lorrain
- Univ Brest, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, LEMAR, F-29280 Plouzané, France
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4
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Baek K, Park C, Sakong J. Increase of blood mercury level with shark meat consumption: A repeated-measures study before and after Chuseok, Korean holiday. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 344:140317. [PMID: 37775060 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140317] [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: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
Sharks are known to contain high levels of mercury in their meat. However, few studies have directly assessed the changes in mercury concentration in the human body according to shark meat intake. One hundred and ninety-seven participants that traditionally consume shark meat during the Chuseok holiday were recruited from two areas of Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea to examine their blood mercury level before and after the holiday season. Blood mercury levels were measured before and after the holiday season. Characteristics such as the consumption of shark meat, intake amount, and the effect on mercury concentration were assessed during the survey. Univariable and multivariable analysis (Linear Mixed Model) were done for assessing the association between shark meat consumption of holiday season and blood mercury level. Among the total participants, 83 consumed shark meat during holiday. In the univariable analysis, a significant increase in blood mercury levels before and after Chuseok was observed only for the group that consumed shark meat during holiday. The multivariable analysis (adjusted for identified confounders that affect both exposure and outcome considering repeated measurements) showed that consuming shark meat was significantly associated with increased blood mercury levels by 3.56 μg/L (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.64-4.67 μg/L). In the model considering the amount consumed as two group, the level of increase was 2.61 μg/L (95% CI, 1.63-3.58 μg/L) for those consuming <100 g, and 6.20 μg/L (95% CI, 4.77-7.62 μg/L) for those consuming ≥100 g compared to group without consuming shark meat. Considering amount consumed as continuous value, 0.02 μg/L (95% CI, 0.01-0.02 μg/L) of blood mercury increase was significantly associated with consuming 1 g. Consumption of shark meat significantly elevated blood mercury levels, exceeding commonly suggested reference concentrations in less than 2 weeks. These findings suggest the need for public health warnings and regulations regarding shark meat consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiook Baek
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Yeungnam University Hospital, Daegu, South Korea; Department of Medicine, Graduate School of Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea
| | - Chulyong Park
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Yeungnam University Hospital, Daegu, South Korea; Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Daegu, South Korea
| | - Joon Sakong
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Yeungnam University Hospital, Daegu, South Korea; Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Daegu, South Korea.
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Le Croizier G, Lorrain A, Hoyos-Padilla M, Ketchum JT, Amezcua-Martínez F, Le Loc'h F, Munaron JM, Schaal G, Point D. Do marine protected areas influence mercury exposure? Insights from a shark community in the tropical Northeast Pacific. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 336:122352. [PMID: 37562525 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Biomass depletion caused by overfishing is likely to alter the structure of food webs and impact mercury transfer to marine predators. Although marine protected areas (MPAs) are spared from fishing pressure, their influence on biota mercury levels is poorly understood. Here, we used carbon and nitrogen stable isotope compositions as well as mercury concentrations in fin clips to characterize foraging habitat and mercury exposure of a shark community composed of migratory and resident species of the Revillagigedo archipelago, an offshore MPA in the Northeast Pacific off Mexico. We found that the probability of finding migratory sharks in the isotopic niche of Revillagigedo-resident sharks was low, likely reflecting the use of habitats outside the archipelago by highly mobile species. Community-wide variations in mercury were primarily explained by shark length, revealing that bioaccumulation was the main driver of Hg concentrations. We failed to detect a clear effect of foraging habitat on shark mercury exposure, which may be related to migratory species using both exploited and protected areas when moving outside the Revillagigedo MPA. More similar studies on the potential mitigation of Hg contamination by MPAs are needed in the future if fishing pressure increases to satisfy the growing global human population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaël Le Croizier
- Instituto de Ciencias Del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Joel Montes Camarena S/N, Mazatlán, Sin, 82040, Mexico.
| | - Anne Lorrain
- Univ Brest, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, LEMAR, F-29280, Plouzané, France
| | - Mauricio Hoyos-Padilla
- Pelagios-Kakunjá A.C, Sinaloa 1540, Col. Las Garzas, C.P. 23070, La Paz, B.C.S., Mexico; Fins Attached: Marine Research and Conservation, 19675 Still Glen Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80908, USA
| | - James T Ketchum
- Pelagios-Kakunjá A.C, Sinaloa 1540, Col. Las Garzas, C.P. 23070, La Paz, B.C.S., Mexico; MigraMar, Bodega Bay, CA, USA; Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Noroeste (CIBNOR), La Paz, B.C.S., Mexico
| | - Felipe Amezcua-Martínez
- Instituto de Ciencias Del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Joel Montes Camarena S/N, Mazatlán, Sin, 82040, Mexico
| | | | | | - Gauthier Schaal
- Univ Brest, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, LEMAR, F-29280, Plouzané, France
| | - David Point
- UMR Géosciences Environnement Toulouse (GET), Observatoire Midi Pyrénées (OMP), 14 Avenue Edouard Belin, 31400, Toulouse, France
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6
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Consales G, Bottaro M, Mancusi C, Neri A, Sartor P, Voliani A, D'Agostino A, Marsili L. Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in three bathyal chondrichthyes from the North-Western Mediterranean Sea. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2023; 196:115647. [PMID: 37832499 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
The deep-sea can act as a sink for legacy contaminants such as organochlorines (OCs), causing damages in its inhabitants for their persistence and their prolonged effects in the organisms. HCB, DDT and its isomers, and 28 PCBs congeners were detected in muscle and embryonic tissues of three deep-sea chondrichthyes Chimaera monstrosa (n = 16), Dalatias licha (n = 12) and Etmopterus spinax (n = 51) sampled in Ligurian and Tyrrhenian Sea (Mediterranean Sea). Contaminant distribution in E. spinax and C. monstrosa was PCBs > DDTs ≫ HCB while in D. licha was DDTs > PCBs ≫ HCB. Statistically significant differences were highlighted in OC levels among the species, but no such differences were found among sexes. Ratios between DDT isomers highlighted an historical input of the pesticide in the environment. For the first time was also demonstrated maternal transfer in deep water chondrichthyes, specifically in E. spinax where was highlighted that transfer of contaminants increases with increasing compound's Log Kow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guia Consales
- Department of Physical Sciences, Earth and Environment, University of Siena, Via Mattioli 4, Siena 53100, Italy; Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Genoa Marine Centre, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Italian National Institute for Marine Biology, Ecology and Biotechnology, Villa del Principe, Piazza del Principe 4, 16126 Genoa, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Bottaro
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Genoa Marine Centre, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Italian National Institute for Marine Biology, Ecology and Biotechnology, Villa del Principe, Piazza del Principe 4, 16126 Genoa, Italy.
| | - Cecilia Mancusi
- Department of Physical Sciences, Earth and Environment, University of Siena, Via Mattioli 4, Siena 53100, Italy; ARPAT Regional Agency for Environmental Protection of Tuscany, Via Marradi 114, 57126 Livorno, Italy
| | - Alessandra Neri
- Department of Physical Sciences, Earth and Environment, University of Siena, Via Mattioli 4, Siena 53100, Italy; Consortium for the Inter-University Center of Marine Biology and Applied Ecology "G.Bacci", Viale Nazario Sauro 4, 57128, Livorno, Italy
| | - Paolo Sartor
- Consortium for the Inter-University Center of Marine Biology and Applied Ecology "G.Bacci", Viale Nazario Sauro 4, 57128, Livorno, Italy
| | - Alessandro Voliani
- ARPAT Regional Agency for Environmental Protection of Tuscany, Via Marradi 114, 57126 Livorno, Italy
| | | | - Letizia Marsili
- Department of Physical Sciences, Earth and Environment, University of Siena, Via Mattioli 4, Siena 53100, Italy; Inter-University Center of Cetacean Research (CIRCE), Via Mattioli 4, Siena 53100, Italy
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7
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Arostegui MC, Muhling B, Culhane E, Dewar H, Koch SS, Braun CD. A shallow scattering layer structures the energy seascape of an open ocean predator. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadi8200. [PMID: 37792940 PMCID: PMC10550225 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adi8200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
Large predators frequent the open ocean where subsurface light drives visually based trophic interactions. However, we lack knowledge on how predators achieve energy balance in the unproductive open ocean where prey biomass is minimal in well-lit surface waters but high in dim midwaters in the form of scattering layers. We use an interdisciplinary approach to assess how the bioenergetics of scattering layer forays by a model predator vary across biomes. We show that the mean metabolic cost rate of daytime deep foraging dives to scattering layers decreases as much as 26% from coastal to pelagic biomes. The more favorable energetics offshore are enabled by the addition of a shallow scattering layer that, if not present, would otherwise necessitate costlier dives to deeper layers. The unprecedented importance of this shallow scattering layer challenges assumptions that the globally ubiquitous primary deep scattering layer constitutes the only mesopelagic resource regularly targeted by apex predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin C. Arostegui
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - Barbara Muhling
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
- Fisheries Resources Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Emmett Culhane
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - Heidi Dewar
- Fisheries Resources Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Stephanie S. Koch
- Department of Biological Sciences, Thomas More University, Crestview Hills, KY, USA
| | - Camrin D. Braun
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA
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8
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Bustamante P, Le Verge T, Bost CA, Brault-Favrou M, Le Corre M, Weimerskirch H, Cherel Y. Mercury contamination in the tropical seabird community from Clipperton Island, eastern Pacific Ocean. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2023; 32:1050-1061. [PMID: 37615819 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-023-02691-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) pollution is a global problem affecting remote areas of the open ocean, but the bioaccumulation of this neurotoxic pollutant in tropical top predators remains poorly documented. The objective of this study was to determine Hg contamination of the seabird community nesting on Clipperton Island using blood and feathers to investigate short and longer-term contamination, respectively. We examined the significance of various factors (species, sex, feeding habitat [δ13C] and trophic position [δ15N]) on Hg concentrations in six seabird species. Among species, Great Frigatebirds had the highest Hg concentrations in blood and feathers, boobies had intermediate values, and Brown Noddies and Sooty Terns the lowest. At the interspecific level, although δ13C values segregated boobies from frigatebirds and noddies/terns, Hg concentrations were explained by neither δ13C nor δ15N values. At the intraspecific level, both Hg concentrations in blood and feathers show relatively small variations (16-32 and 26-74%, respectively), suggesting that feeding ecology had low seasonal variation among individuals. Despite most species being sexually dimorphic, differences in Hg contamination according to sex was detected only in Brown Boobies during the breeding period. Indeed, female Brown Boobies feed at a higher trophic level and in a different area than males during this period, resulting in higher blood Hg concentrations. The present study also shows that most of the seabirds sampled at Clipperton Island had little or no exposure to Hg toxicity, with 30% in the no risk category and 70% in the low risk category.
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Affiliation(s)
- 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.
| | - Thibault Le Verge
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000, La Rochelle, France
| | - Charles-André Bost
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Maud Brault-Favrou
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000, La Rochelle, France
| | - Matthieu Le Corre
- UMR ENTROPIE (Université de La Réunion, IRD, CNRS, IFREMER, Université de Nouvelle-Calédonie), Université de La Réunion, 15 Avenue René Cassin, CS92003, Saint Denis cedex, 997744, La Réunion, France
| | - Henri Weimerskirch
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Yves Cherel
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France
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9
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Crichton KA, Wilson JD, Ridgwell A, Boscolo-Galazzo F, John EH, Wade BS, Pearson PN. What the geological past can tell us about the future of the ocean's twilight zone. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2376. [PMID: 37105972 PMCID: PMC10140295 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37781-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Paleontological reconstructions of plankton community structure during warm periods of the Cenozoic (last 66 million years) reveal that deep-dwelling 'twilight zone' (200-1000 m) plankton were less abundant and diverse, and lived much closer to the surface, than in colder, more recent climates. We suggest that this is a consequence of temperature's role in controlling the rate that sinking organic matter is broken down and metabolized by bacteria, a process that occurs faster at warmer temperatures. In a warmer ocean, a smaller fraction of organic matter reaches the ocean interior, affecting food supply and dissolved oxygen availability at depth. Using an Earth system model that has been evaluated against paleo observations, we illustrate how anthropogenic warming may impact future carbon cycling and twilight zone ecology. Our findings suggest that significant changes are already underway, and without strong emissions mitigation, widespread ecological disruption in the twilight zone is likely by 2100, with effects spanning millennia thereafter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine A Crichton
- School of Earth and Environmental Science, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
- Now at Department of Geography, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
| | - Jamie D Wilson
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Andy Ridgwell
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Flavia Boscolo-Galazzo
- School of Earth and Environmental Science, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
- Now at MARUM, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Eleanor H John
- School of Earth and Environmental Science, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Bridget S Wade
- Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Paul N Pearson
- School of Earth and Environmental Science, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
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10
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Spaet JLY, Butcher PA, Manica A, Lam CH. Spatial Dynamics and Fine-Scale Vertical Behaviour of Immature Eastern Australasian White Sharks ( Carcharodon carcharias). BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11121689. [PMID: 36552199 PMCID: PMC9774733 DOI: 10.3390/biology11121689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Knowledge of the 3-dimensional space use of large marine predators is central to our understanding of ecosystem dynamics and for the development of management recommendations. Horizontal movements of white sharks, Carcharodon carcharias, in eastern Australian and New Zealand waters have been relatively well studied, yet vertical habitat use is less well understood. We dual-tagged 27 immature white sharks with Pop-Up Satellite Archival Transmitting (PSAT) and acoustic tags in New South Wales coastal shelf waters. In addition, 19 of these individuals were also fitted with Smart Position or Temperature Transmitting (SPOT) tags. PSATs of 12 sharks provided useable data; four tags were recovered, providing highly detailed archival data recorded at 3-s intervals. Horizontal movements ranged from southern Queensland to southern Tasmania and New Zealand. Sharks made extensive use of the water column (0-632 m) and experienced a broad range of temperatures (7.8-28.9 °C). Archival records revealed pronounced diel-patterns in distinct fine-scale oscillatory behaviour, with sharks occupying relatively constant depths during the day and exhibiting pronounced yo-yo diving behaviour (vertical zig-zag swimming through the water column) during the night. Our findings provide valuable new insights into the 3-dimensional space use of Eastern Australasian (EA) white sharks and contribute to the growing body on the general ecology of immature white sharks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia L. Y. Spaet
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
- Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour, NSW 2450, Australia
- Correspondence:
| | - Paul A. Butcher
- Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour, NSW 2450, Australia
- Fisheries NSW, NSW Department of Primary Industries, National Marine Science Centre, Coffs Harbour, NSW 2450, Australia
| | - Andrea Manica
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Chi Hin Lam
- Large Pelagics Research Center, Gloucester, MA 01931, USA
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11
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Xavier JC, Golikov AV, Queirós JP, Perales-Raya C, Rosas-Luis R, Abreu J, Bello G, Bustamante P, Capaz JC, Dimkovikj VH, González AF, Guímaro H, Guerra-Marrero A, Gomes-Pereira JN, Hernández-Urcera J, Kubodera T, Laptikhovsky V, Lefkaditou E, Lishchenko F, Luna A, Liu B, Pierce GJ, Pissarra V, Reveillac E, Romanov EV, Rosa R, Roscian M, Rose-Mann L, Rouget I, Sánchez P, Sánchez-Márquez A, Seixas S, Souquet L, Varela J, Vidal EAG, Cherel Y. The significance of cephalopod beaks as a research tool: An update. Front Physiol 2022; 13:1038064. [PMID: 36467695 PMCID: PMC9716703 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.1038064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of cephalopod beaks in ecological and population dynamics studies has allowed major advances of our knowledge on the role of cephalopods in marine ecosystems in the last 60 years. Since the 1960's, with the pioneering research by Malcolm Clarke and colleagues, cephalopod beaks (also named jaws or mandibles) have been described to species level and their measurements have been shown to be related to cephalopod body size and mass, which permitted important information to be obtained on numerous biological and ecological aspects of cephalopods in marine ecosystems. In the last decade, a range of new techniques has been applied to cephalopod beaks, permitting new kinds of insight into cephalopod biology and ecology. The workshop on cephalopod beaks of the Cephalopod International Advisory Council Conference (Sesimbra, Portugal) in 2022 aimed to review the most recent scientific developments in this field and to identify future challenges, particularly in relation to taxonomy, age, growth, chemical composition (i.e., DNA, proteomics, stable isotopes, trace elements) and physical (i.e., structural) analyses. In terms of taxonomy, new techniques (e.g., 3D geometric morphometrics) for identifying cephalopods from their beaks are being developed with promising results, although the need for experts and reference collections of cephalopod beaks will continue. The use of beak microstructure for age and growth studies has been validated. Stable isotope analyses on beaks have proven to be an excellent technique to get valuable information on the ecology of cephalopods (namely habitat and trophic position). Trace element analyses is also possible using beaks, where concentrations are significantly lower than in other tissues (e.g., muscle, digestive gland, gills). Extracting DNA from beaks was only possible in one study so far. Protein analyses can also be made using cephalopod beaks. Future challenges in research using cephalopod beaks are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- José C. Xavier
- Department of Life Sciences, Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre/ ARNET–Aquatic Research Network, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - José P. Queirós
- Department of Life Sciences, Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre/ ARNET–Aquatic Research Network, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - José Abreu
- Department of Life Sciences, Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre/ ARNET–Aquatic Research Network, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Paco Bustamante
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, La Rochelle, France
- Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), Paris, France
| | - Juan C. Capaz
- Center of Marine Sciences, University of Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro, Portugal
| | - Valerie H. Dimkovikj
- Department of Marine Science, Coastal Carolina University, Conway, SC, United States
| | | | - Hugo Guímaro
- Department of Life Sciences, Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre/ ARNET–Aquatic Research Network, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Airam Guerra-Marrero
- IU-ECOAQUA, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Edf. Ciencias Básicas, Campus de Tafira, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
| | | | | | | | - Vladimir Laptikhovsky
- Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), Lowestoft, United Kingdom
| | | | - Fedor Lishchenko
- Laboratory for Ecology and Morphology of Marine Invertebrates, A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Amanda Luna
- Department of Ecology and Animal Biology, Faculty of Marine Sciences, University of Vigo, Vigo, Spain
| | - Bilin Liu
- College of Marine Sciences, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
| | | | - Vasco Pissarra
- MARE—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre/ARNET–Aquatic Research Network, Laboratório Marítimo da Guia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Cascais, Portugal
| | - Elodie Reveillac
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, La Rochelle, France
| | - Evgeny V. Romanov
- Centre Technique de Recherche et de Valorisation des Milieux Aquatiques (CITEB), Le Port, Île de la Réunion, France
| | - Rui Rosa
- MARE—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre/ARNET–Aquatic Research Network, Laboratório Marítimo da Guia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Cascais, Portugal
| | - Marjorie Roscian
- Centre de Recherche en Paléontologie-Paris (CR2P), CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Lisa Rose-Mann
- University of South Florida, College of Marine Science, St. Petersburg, FL, United States
| | - Isabelle Rouget
- Centre de Recherche en Paléontologie-Paris (CR2P), CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Pilar Sánchez
- Institut de Ciènces del Mar, CSIC, Psg. Marítim de la Barceloneta, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Sónia Seixas
- Department of Life Sciences, Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre/ ARNET–Aquatic Research Network, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Universidade Aberta, Rua Escola Politécnica, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Louise Souquet
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Science, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jaquelino Varela
- MARE—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre/ARNET–Aquatic Research Network, Laboratório Marítimo da Guia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Cascais, Portugal
| | - Erica A. G. Vidal
- Center for Marine Studies—Federal University of Parana (UFPR), Pontal do Paraná, PR, Brazil
| | - Yves Cherel
- Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372 du CNRS-La Rochelle Université, Villiers-en-Bois, France
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12
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Le Croizier G, Sonke JE, Lorrain A, Serre S, Besnard L, Schaal G, Amezcua-Martinez F, Point D. Mercury stable isotopes suggest reduced foraging depth in oxygen minimum zones for blue sharks. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2022; 181:113892. [PMID: 35810652 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Oxygen minimum zones (OMZs) are currently expanding across the global ocean due to climate change, leading to a compression of usable habitat for several marine species. Mercury stable isotope compositions provide a spatially and temporally integrated view of marine predator foraging habitat and its variability with environmental conditions. Here, we analyzed mercury isotopes in blue sharks Prionace glauca from normoxic waters in the northeastern Atlantic and from the world's largest and shallowest OMZ, located in the northeastern Pacific (NEP). Blue sharks from the NEP OMZ area showed higher Δ199Hg values compared to sharks from the northeastern Atlantic, indicating a reduction in foraging depth of approximately 200 m. Our study suggests for the first time that blue shark feeding depth is altered by expanding OMZs and illustrates the use of mercury isotopes to assess the impacts of ocean deoxygenation on the vertical foraging habitat of pelagic predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaël Le Croizier
- Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Joel Montes Camarena S/N, Mazatlán 82040, Sin., México.
| | - Jeroen E Sonke
- UMR Géosciences Environnement Toulouse (GET), Observatoire Midi Pyrénées (OMP), 14 avenue Edouard Belin, 31400 Toulouse, France
| | - Anne Lorrain
- Univ Brest, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, LEMAR, F-29280 Plouzané, France
| | - Sandrine Serre
- Univ Brest, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, LEMAR, F-29280 Plouzané, France
| | - Lucien Besnard
- Univ Brest, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, LEMAR, F-29280 Plouzané, France
| | - Gauthier Schaal
- Univ Brest, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, LEMAR, F-29280 Plouzané, France
| | - Felipe Amezcua-Martinez
- Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Joel Montes Camarena S/N, Mazatlán 82040, Sin., México
| | - David Point
- UMR Géosciences Environnement Toulouse (GET), Observatoire Midi Pyrénées (OMP), 14 avenue Edouard Belin, 31400 Toulouse, France
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13
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Le Croizier G, Point D, Renedo M, Munaron JM, Espinoza P, Amezcua-Martinez F, Lanco Bertrand S, Lorrain A. Mercury concentrations, biomagnification and isotopic discrimination factors in two seabird species from the Humboldt Current ecosystem. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2022; 177:113481. [PMID: 35245770 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Assessing mercury (Hg) biomagnification requires the description of prey-predator relationships, for each species and ecosystem, usually based on carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses. Here, we analyzed two seabirds from the Humboldt Current ecosystem, the Guanay cormorant (Phalacrocorax bougainvillii) and the Peruvian booby (Sula variegata), as well as their main prey, the Peruvian anchovy (Engraulis ringens). We reported Hg concentrations, Hg biomagnification (BMF) and isotopic discrimination factors (Δ13C and Δ15N) in seabird whole blood. BMFs and Δ13C in our study (on wild birds where diet was not controlled) were similar to other piscivorous seabirds previously studied in captive settings, but Δ15N were lower than most captive experiments. We observed lower Hg concentrations in Humboldt seabirds compared to other oligotrophic ecosystems, possibly due to Hg biodilution in the high biomass of the first trophic levels. This work calls for a better characterization of Hg trophic dynamics in productive upwelling ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaël Le Croizier
- Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Joel Montes Camarena S/N, Mazatlán, Sin. México 82040, Mexico.
| | - David Point
- UMR Géosciences Environnement Toulouse (GET), Observatoire Midi Pyrénées (OMP), 14 avenue Edouard Belin, 31400 Toulouse, France
| | - Marina Renedo
- UMR Géosciences Environnement Toulouse (GET), Observatoire Midi Pyrénées (OMP), 14 avenue Edouard Belin, 31400 Toulouse, France
| | | | - Pepe Espinoza
- Laboratorio de Ecología Trófica, Instituto del Mar del Perú, Esquina Gamarra y General Valle S/N Chucuito Callao, Lima, Peru; Carrera de Biología Marina, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Biológicas, Universidad Científica del Sur, Lima, Peru
| | - Felipe Amezcua-Martinez
- Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Joel Montes Camarena S/N, Mazatlán, Sin. México 82040, Mexico
| | - Sophie Lanco Bertrand
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), MARBEC (Univ. Montpellier, Ifremer, CNRS, IRD), Avenue Jean Monnet, 34200 Sète, France
| | - Anne Lorrain
- Univ Brest, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, LEMAR, F-29280 Plouzané, France
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14
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Le Croizier G, Sonke JE, Lorrain A, Renedo M, Hoyos-Padilla M, Santana-Morales O, Meyer L, Huveneers C, Butcher P, Amezcua-Martinez F, Point D. Foraging plasticity diversifies mercury exposure sources and bioaccumulation patterns in the world's largest predatory fish. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2022; 425:127956. [PMID: 34986563 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/28/2021] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Large marine predators exhibit high concentrations of mercury (Hg) as neurotoxic methylmercury, and the potential impacts of global change on Hg contamination in these species remain highly debated. Current contaminant model predictions do not account for intraspecific variability in Hg exposure and may fail to reflect the diversity of future Hg levels among conspecific populations or individuals, especially for top predators displaying a wide range of ecological traits. Here, we used Hg isotopic compositions to show that Hg exposure sources varied significantly between and within three populations of white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) with contrasting ecology: the north-eastern Pacific, eastern Australasian, and south-western Australasian populations. Through Δ200Hg signatures in shark tissues, we found that atmospheric Hg deposition pathways to the marine environment differed between coastal and offshore habitats. Discrepancies in δ202Hg and Δ199Hg signatures among white sharks provided evidence for intraspecific exposure to distinct sources of marine methylmercury, attributed to population and ontogenetic shifts in foraging habitat and prey composition. We finally observed a strong divergence in Hg accumulation rates between populations, leading to three times higher Hg concentrations in large Australasian sharks compared to north-eastern Pacific sharks, and likely due to different trophic strategies adopted by adult sharks across populations. This study illustrates the variety of Hg exposure sources and bioaccumulation patterns that can be found within a single species and suggests that intraspecific variability needs to be considered when assessing future trajectories of Hg levels in marine predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaël Le Croizier
- UMR Géosciences Environnement Toulouse (GET), Observatoire Midi Pyrénées (OMP), 14 avenue Edouard Belin, 31400 Toulouse, France; Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Joel Montes Camarena S/N, Mazatlán, Sin 82040, Mexico.
| | - Jeroen E Sonke
- UMR Géosciences Environnement Toulouse (GET), Observatoire Midi Pyrénées (OMP), 14 avenue Edouard Belin, 31400 Toulouse, France
| | - Anne Lorrain
- Univ Brest, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, LEMAR, F-29280 Plouzané, France
| | - Marina Renedo
- UMR Géosciences Environnement Toulouse (GET), Observatoire Midi Pyrénées (OMP), 14 avenue Edouard Belin, 31400 Toulouse, France
| | - Mauricio Hoyos-Padilla
- Pelagios-Kakunjá A.C, Sinaloa 1540, Col. Las Garzas, C.P. 23070 La Paz, B.C.S., Mexico; Fins Attached: Marine Research and Conservation, 19675 Still Glen Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80908, USA
| | | | - Lauren Meyer
- Southern Shark Ecology Group, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA 5042, Australia; Georgia Aquarium, Atlanta, GA 30313, USA
| | - Charlie Huveneers
- Southern Shark Ecology Group, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA 5042, Australia
| | - Paul Butcher
- NSW Department of Primary Industries, National Marine Science Centre, Coffs Harbour, NSW 2450, Australia
| | - Felipe Amezcua-Martinez
- Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Joel Montes Camarena S/N, Mazatlán, Sin 82040, Mexico
| | - David Point
- UMR Géosciences Environnement Toulouse (GET), Observatoire Midi Pyrénées (OMP), 14 avenue Edouard Belin, 31400 Toulouse, France
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15
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Braun CD, Arostegui MC, Thorrold SR, Papastamatiou YP, Gaube P, Fontes J, Afonso P. The Functional and Ecological Significance of Deep Diving by Large Marine Predators. ANNUAL REVIEW OF MARINE SCIENCE 2022; 14:129-159. [PMID: 34416123 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-marine-032521-103517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Many large marine predators make excursions from surface waters to the deep ocean below 200 m. Moreover, the ability to access meso- and bathypelagic habitats has evolved independently across marine mammals, reptiles, birds, teleost fishes, and elasmobranchs. Theoretical and empirical evidence suggests a number of plausible functional hypotheses for deep-diving behavior. Developing ways to test among these hypotheses will, however, require new ways to quantify animal behavior and biophysical oceanographic processes at coherent spatiotemporal scales. Current knowledge gaps include quantifying ecological links between surface waters and mesopelagic habitats and the value of ecosystem services provided by biomass in the ocean twilight zone. Growing pressure for ocean twilight zone fisheries creates an urgent need to understand the importance of the deep pelagic ocean to large marine predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camrin D Braun
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, USA;
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Martin C Arostegui
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, USA;
- Air-Sea Interaction and Remote Sensing Department, Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98105, USA
| | - Simon R Thorrold
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, USA;
| | - Yannis P Papastamatiou
- Institute of Environment, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33181, USA
| | - Peter Gaube
- Air-Sea Interaction and Remote Sensing Department, Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98105, USA
| | - Jorge Fontes
- Okeanos and Institute of Marine Research, University of the Azores, 9901-862 Horta, Portugal
| | - Pedro Afonso
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, USA;
- Okeanos and Institute of Marine Research, University of the Azores, 9901-862 Horta, Portugal
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16
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Aquino‐Baleytó M, Leos‐Barajas V, Adam T, Hoyos‐Padilla M, Santana‐Morales O, Galván‐Magaña F, González‐Armas R, Lowe CG, Ketchum JT, Villalobos H. Diving deeper into the underlying white shark behaviors at Guadalupe Island, Mexico. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:14932-14949. [PMID: 34765151 PMCID: PMC8571628 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Fine-scale movement patterns are driven by both biotic (hunting, physiological needs) and abiotic (environmental conditions) factors. The energy balance governs all movement-related strategic decisions.Marine environments can be better understood by considering the vertical component. From 24 acoustic trackings of 10 white sharks in Guadalupe Island, this study linked, for the first time, horizontal and vertical movement data and inferred six different behavioral states along with movement states, through the use of hidden Markov models, which allowed to draw a comprehensive picture of white shark behavior.Traveling was the most frequent state of behavior for white sharks, carried out mainly at night and twilight. In contrast, area-restricted searching was the least used, occurring primarily in daylight hours.Time of day, distance to shore, total shark length, and, to a lesser extent, tide phase affected behavioral states. Chumming activity reversed, in the short term and in a nonpermanent way, the behavioral pattern to a general diel vertical pattern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Aquino‐Baleytó
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias MarinasLa PazMexico
| | | | - Timo Adam
- University of St AndrewsSt AndrewsUK
| | | | | | - Felipe Galván‐Magaña
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias MarinasLa PazMexico
| | - Rogelio González‐Armas
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias MarinasLa PazMexico
| | - Christopher G. Lowe
- Department of Biological SciencesCalifornia State University Long BeachLong BeachCaliforniaUSA
| | | | - Héctor Villalobos
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias MarinasLa PazMexico
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Besnard L, Le Croizier G, Galván-Magaña F, Point D, Kraffe E, Ketchum J, Martinez Rincon RO, Schaal G. Foraging depth depicts resource partitioning and contamination level in a pelagic shark assemblage: Insights from mercury stable isotopes. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 283:117066. [PMID: 33892372 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117066] [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: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The decline of shark populations in the world ocean is affecting ecosystem structure and function in an unpredictable way and new ecological information is today needed to better understand the role of sharks in their habitats. In particular, the characterization of foraging patterns is crucial to understand and foresee the evolution of dynamics between sharks and their prey. Many shark species use the mesopelagic area as a major foraging ground but the degree to which different pelagic sharks rely on this habitat remains overlooked. In order to depict the vertical dimension of their trophic ecology, we used mercury stable isotopes in the muscle of three pelagic shark species (the blue shark Prionace glauca, the shortfin mako shark Isurus oxyrinchus and the smooth hammerhead shark Sphyrna zygaena) from the northeastern Pacific region. The Δ199Hg values, ranging from 1.40 to 2.13‰ in sharks, suggested a diet mostly based on mesopelagic prey in oceanic habitats. We additionally used carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes (δ13C, δ15N) alone or in combination with Δ199Hg values, to assess resource partitioning between the three shark species. Adding Δ199Hg resulted in a decrease in trophic overlap estimates compared to those based on δ13C/δ15N alone, demonstrating that multi-isotope modeling is needed for accurate trophic description of the three species. Mainly, it reveals that they forage at different average depths and that resource partitioning is mostly expressed through the vertical dimension within pelagic shark assemblages. Concomitantly, muscle total mercury concentration (THg) differed between species and increased with feeding depth. Overall, this study highlights the key role of the mesopelagic zone for shark species foraging among important depth gradients and reports new ecological information on trophic competition using mercury isotopes. It also suggests that foraging depth may play a pivotal role in the differences between muscle THg from co-occurring high trophic level shark species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucien Besnard
- Univ Brest, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, LEMAR, F-29280 Plouzane, France.
| | - Gaël Le Croizier
- UMR Géosciences Environnement Toulouse (GET), Observatoire Midi Pyrénées (OMP), 14 Avenue Edouard Belin, 31400, Toulouse, France
| | - Felipe Galván-Magaña
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Av. IPN S/n, 23096, La Paz, B.C.S., Mexico
| | - David Point
- UMR Géosciences Environnement Toulouse (GET), Observatoire Midi Pyrénées (OMP), 14 Avenue Edouard Belin, 31400, Toulouse, France
| | - Edouard Kraffe
- Univ Brest, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, LEMAR, F-29280 Plouzane, France
| | - James Ketchum
- Pelagios-Kakunja, Cuauhtémoc 155, 23096, La Paz, B.C.S., Mexico
| | - Raul Octavio Martinez Rincon
- CONACyT-Centro de Investigaciónes Biológicas Del Noroeste, S.C. (CIBNOR), Av. IPN 195, 23096, La Paz, B.C.S., Mexico
| | - Gauthier Schaal
- Univ Brest, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, LEMAR, F-29280 Plouzane, France
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18
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García Barcia L, Pinzone M, Lepoint G, Pau C, Das K, Kiszka JJ. Factors affecting mercury concentrations in two oceanic cephalopods of commercial interest from the southern Caribbean. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2021; 168:112408. [PMID: 33965692 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Revised: 04/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) concentrations have significantly increased in oceans during the last century. This element accumulates in marine fauna and can reach toxic levels. Seafood consumption is the main pathway of methylmercury (MeHg) toxicity in humans. Here, we analyzed total Hg (T-Hg) concentrations in two oceanic squid species (Ommastrephes bartramii and Thysanoteuthis rhombus) of an increasing commercial interest off Martinique, French West Indies. Stable isotope ratios reveal a negative linear relationship between δ15N or δ13C in diamondback squid samples. No significant trend was observed between δ34S values and T-Hg concentrations, contrasting with the sulfate availability and sulfide abundance hypotheses. This adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting Hg methylation via sulfate-reducing bacteria is not the main mechanism driving Hg bioavailability in mesopelagic organisms. All squid samples present T-Hg levels below the maximum safe consumption limit (0.5 ppm), deeming the establishment of a commercial squid fishery in the region safe for human consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura García Barcia
- Institute of Environment, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, 3000 NE 151st, North Miami, FL 33181, USA.
| | - Marianna Pinzone
- Freshwater and Oceanic Sciences Unit of Research (FOCUS), Laboratory of Oceanology, University of Liège B6c, 11 Allée du 6 Août, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Gilles Lepoint
- Freshwater and Oceanic Sciences Unit of Research (FOCUS), Laboratory of Oceanology, University of Liège B6c, 11 Allée du 6 Août, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Cédric Pau
- Comité Régional des Pêches Maritimes et des Élevages Marins, Martinique, French West Indies, France
| | - Krishna Das
- Freshwater and Oceanic Sciences Unit of Research (FOCUS), Laboratory of Oceanology, University of Liège B6c, 11 Allée du 6 Août, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Jeremy J Kiszka
- Institute of Environment, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, 3000 NE 151st, North Miami, FL 33181, USA
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