1
|
Léandri-Breton DJ, Jouanneau W, Legagneux P, Tarroux A, Moe BR, Angelier F, Blévin P, Bråthen VS, Fauchald P, Gabrielsen GW, Herzke D, Nikiforov VA, Elliott KH, Chastel O. Winter Tracking Data Suggest that Migratory Seabirds Transport Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances to Their Arctic Nesting Site. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:12909-12920. [PMID: 38991194 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c02661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
Seabirds are often considered sentinel species of marine ecosystems, and their blood and eggs utilized to monitor local environmental contaminations. Most seabirds breeding in the Arctic are migratory and thus are exposed to geographically distinct sources of contamination throughout the year, including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Despite the abundance and high toxicity of PFAS, little is known about whether blood concentrations at breeding sites reliably reflect local contamination or exposure in distant wintering areas. We tested this by combining movement tracking data and PFAS analysis (nine compounds) from the blood of prelaying black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) nesting in Arctic Norway (Svalbard). PFAS burden before egg laying varied with the latitude of the wintering area and was negatively associated with time upon return of individuals at the Arctic nesting site. Kittiwakes (n = 64) wintering farther south carried lighter burdens of shorter-chain perfluoroalkyl carboxylates (PFCAs, C9-C12) and heavier burdens of longer chain PFCAs (C13-C14) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid compared to those wintering farther north. Thus, blood concentrations prior to egg laying still reflected the uptake during the previous wintering stage, suggesting that migratory seabirds can act as biovectors of PFAS to Arctic nesting sites.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Don-Jean Léandri-Breton
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3 V9, Canada
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372-CNRS & La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - William Jouanneau
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372-CNRS & La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, 9296 Tromso̷, Norway
| | - Pierre Legagneux
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372-CNRS & La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France
- Département de Biologie, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1 V0A6, Canada
| | - Arnaud Tarroux
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Fram Centre, 9296 Tromso̷, Norway
| | - Bo Rge Moe
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, 7485, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Frédéric Angelier
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372-CNRS & La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | | | - Vegard S Bråthen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, 7485, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Per Fauchald
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Fram Centre, 9296 Tromso̷, Norway
| | | | - Dorte Herzke
- Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU), Fram Centre, 9296 Tromso̷, Norway
| | | | - Kyle H Elliott
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3 V9, Canada
| | - Olivier Chastel
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372-CNRS & La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Jackson LM, Léandri-Breton DJ, Whelan S, Turmaine A, Hatch SA, Grémillet D, Elliott KH. Beyond body condition: Experimental evidence that plasma metabolites improve nutritional state measurements in a free-living seabird. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2023; 285:111504. [PMID: 37574042 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2023.111504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
The ability to efficiently measure the health and nutritional status of wild populations in situ is a valuable tool, as many methods of evaluating animal physiology do not occur in real-time, limiting the possibilities for direct intervention. This study investigates the use of blood plasma metabolite concentrations, measured via point-of-care devices or a simple plate reader assay, as indicators of nutritional state in free-living seabirds. We experimentally manipulated the energy expenditure of wild black-legged kittiwakes on Middleton Island, Alaska, and measured the plasma concentrations of glucose, cholesterol, B-hydroxybutyrate, and triglycerides throughout the breeding season, along with measures of body condition (size-corrected mass [SCM] and muscle depth). Supplemental feeding improved the nutritional state of kittiwakes by increasing feeding rate (higher glucose and triglycerides, lower cholesterol), and flight-handicapping caused a slight nutritional decline (lower glucose and triglycerides, higher cholesterol and B-hydroxybutyrate). Glucose and triglycerides were the best indicators of nutritional state when used alongside SCM, and improved upon commonly used metrics for measuring individual condition (i.e. SCM or mass alone). Metabolite concentrations varied across the breeding period, suggesting that the pre-laying stage, when feeding rates tend to be lower, was the most nutritionally challenging period for kittiwakes (low glucose, high cholesterol). Muscle depth also varied by treatment and breeding stage, but differed from other nutritional indices, suggesting that muscle depth is an indicator of exercise and activity level rather than nutrition. Here we demonstrate potential for the use of blood plasma metabolites measured via point-of-care devices as proxies for evaluating individual health, population health, and environmental food availability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lauren M Jackson
- Department of Natural Resources Sciences, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada.
| | - Don-Jean Léandri-Breton
- Department of Natural Resources Sciences, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada; Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, UMR-7372, Villiers-en-Bois, France. https://twitter.com/DonJean_Leandri
| | - Shannon Whelan
- Department of Natural Resources Sciences, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada; Institute for Seabird Research and Conservation, Anchorage, AK, USA. https://twitter.com/killerwhelan
| | - Alexandre Turmaine
- Department of Natural Resources Sciences, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada
| | - Scott A Hatch
- Institute for Seabird Research and Conservation, Anchorage, AK, USA
| | - David Grémillet
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France; Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
| | - Kyle H Elliott
- Department of Natural Resources Sciences, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada. https://twitter.com/ArcticEcology
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Grunst ML, Grunst AS, Grémillet D, Kato A, Gentès S, Fort J. Keystone seabird may face thermoregulatory challenges in a warming Arctic. Sci Rep 2023; 13:16733. [PMID: 37794049 PMCID: PMC10550970 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43650-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Climate change affects the Arctic more than any other region, resulting in evolving weather, vanishing sea ice and altered biochemical cycling, which may increase biotic exposure to chemical pollution. We tested thermoregulatory impacts of these changes on the most abundant Arctic seabird, the little auk (Alle alle). This small diving species uses sea ice-habitats for foraging on zooplankton and resting. We equipped eight little auks with 3D accelerometers to monitor behavior, and ingested temperature recorders to measure body temperature (Tb). We also recorded weather conditions, and collected blood to assess mercury (Hg) contamination. There were nonlinear relationships between time engaged in different behaviors and Tb. Tb increased on sea ice, following declines while foraging in polar waters, but changed little when birds were resting on water. Tb also increased when birds were flying, and decreased at the colony after being elevated during flight. Weather conditions, but not Hg contamination, also affected Tb. However, given our small sample size, further research regarding thermoregulatory effects of Hg is warranted. Results suggest that little auk Tb varies with behavior and weather conditions, and that loss of sea ice due to global warming may cause thermoregulatory and energic challenges during foraging trips at sea.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melissa L Grunst
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000, La Rochelle, France.
| | - Andrea S Grunst
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000, La Rochelle, France
| | - David Grémillet
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
- Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
| | - Akiko Kato
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CEBC, UMR 7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, La Rochelle, France
| | - Sophie Gentès
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000, La Rochelle, France
| | - Jérôme Fort
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000, La Rochelle, France
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
McGrosky A, Pontzer H. The fire of evolution: energy expenditure and ecology in primates and other endotherms. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:297166. [PMID: 36916459 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.245272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
Total energy expenditure (TEE) represents the total energy allocated to growth, reproduction and body maintenance, as well as the energy expended on physical activity. Early experimental work in animal energetics focused on the costs of specific tasks (basal metabolic rate, locomotion, reproduction), while determination of TEE was limited to estimates from activity budgets or measurements of subjects confined to metabolic chambers. Advances in recent decades have enabled measures of TEE in free-living animals, challenging traditional additive approaches to understanding animal energy budgets. Variation in lifestyle and activity level can impact individuals' TEE on short time scales, but interspecific differences in TEE are largely shaped by evolution. Here, we review work on energy expenditure across the animal kingdom, with a particular focus on endotherms, and examine recent advances in primate energetics. Relative to other placental mammals, primates have low TEE, which may drive their slow pace of life and be an evolved response to the challenges presented by their ecologies and environments. TEE variation among hominoid primates appears to reflect adaptive shifts in energy throughput and allocation in response to ecological pressures. As the taxonomic breadth and depth of TEE data expand, we will be able to test additional hypotheses about how energy budgets are shaped by environmental pressures and explore the more proximal mechanisms that drive intra-specific variation in energy expenditure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amanda McGrosky
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Herman Pontzer
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA.,Duke Global Health Institute, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Benowitz-Fredericks ZM, Lacey LM, Whelan S, Will AP, Hatch SA, Kitaysky AS. Telomere length correlates with physiological and behavioural responses of a long-lived seabird to an ecologically relevant challenge. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20220139. [PMID: 35858061 PMCID: PMC9277278 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.0139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Determinants of individual variation in reallocation of limited resources towards self-maintenance versus reproduction are not well known. We tested the hypothesis that individual heterogeneity in long-term 'somatic state' (i) explains variation in endocrine and behavioural responses to environmental challenges, and (ii) is associated with variation in strategies for allocating to self-maintenance versus reproduction. We used relative telomere length as an indicator of somatic state and experimentally generated an abrupt short-term reduction of food availability (withdrawal of food supplementation) for free-living seabirds (black-legged kittiwakes, Rissa tridactyla). Incubating male kittiwakes responded to withdrawal by increasing circulating corticosterone and losing more weight compared to continuously supplemented controls. Males with longer telomeres increased time in directed travel regardless of treatment, while experiencing smaller increases in corticosterone. Males with longer telomeres fledged more chicks in the control group and tended to be more likely to return regardless of treatment. This study supports the hypothesis that somatic state can explain variation in short-term physiological and behavioural responses to challenges, and longer-term consequences for fitness. Male kittiwakes with longer telomeres appear to have prioritized investment in self over investment in offspring under challenging conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - L. M. Lacey
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA, USA
| | - S. Whelan
- Department of Natural Resources Sciences, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada
| | - A. P. Will
- Institute of Arctic Biology, Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA,Bioscience Group, National Institute of Polar Research Japan, 10-3, Midori-cho, Tachikawa, Tokyo 190-8518, Japan
| | - S. A. Hatch
- Institute for Seabird Research and Conservation, Anchorage, AK, USA
| | - A. S. Kitaysky
- Institute of Arctic Biology, Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA
| |
Collapse
|