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Dube N, Smolarz K, Sokołowski A, Świeżak J, Øverjordet IB, Ellingsen I, Wielogórska E, Sørensen L, Walecka D, Kwaśniewski S. Human pharmaceuticals in the arctic - A review. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 364:143172. [PMID: 39182731 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.143172] [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: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 08/20/2024] [Accepted: 08/21/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024]
Abstract
Pharmaceuticals have been deemed as 'contaminants of emerging concern' within the Arctic and are a potentially perennial form of pollution. With recent innovations in detection technology for organic compounds, researchers have been able to find substantial evidence of the presence and accumulation of pharmaceutical pollution within the Arctic marine ecosystem. The pharmaceuticals, which are biologically active substances used in diagnosis, treatment or prevention of diseases, may persist in the Arctic environment and may have an impact on the resident marine biota. Thus, to understand the standing of current research on the origin, transport, bioaccumulation and impacts of pharmaceutical pollution on the Arctic marine ecosystem, this study collates research from the early 2000s to the end of 2023 to act as a baseline for future research. The study highlights the fact that there is an evident threat to the Arctic marine ecosystem due to pharmaceutical pollution. It also shows that the impacts of pharmaceuticals within the Arctic ocean are not well studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil Dube
- Department of Marine Ecosystems Functioning, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, University of Gdańsk, Al. Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378, Gdynia, Poland.
| | - Katarzyna Smolarz
- Department of Marine Ecosystems Functioning, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, University of Gdańsk, Al. Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378, Gdynia, Poland
| | - Adam Sokołowski
- Department of Marine Ecosystems Functioning, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, University of Gdańsk, Al. Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378, Gdynia, Poland
| | - Justyna Świeżak
- Department of Marine Ecosystems Functioning, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, University of Gdańsk, Al. Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378, Gdynia, Poland
| | - Ida Beathe Øverjordet
- Department of Climate and Environment, SINTEF Ocean AS, Brattørkaia 17 C, NO 7010, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Ingrid Ellingsen
- Department of Climate and Environment, SINTEF Ocean AS, Brattørkaia 17 C, NO 7010, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Ewa Wielogórska
- Department of Climate and Environment, SINTEF Ocean AS, Brattørkaia 17 C, NO 7010, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Lisbet Sørensen
- Department of Climate and Environment, SINTEF Ocean AS, Brattørkaia 17 C, NO 7010, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Dominika Walecka
- Polish Academy of Sciences (IO PAN) Ul, Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712, Sopot, Poland
| | - Sławomir Kwaśniewski
- Polish Academy of Sciences (IO PAN) Ul, Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712, Sopot, Poland
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2
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Groß J, Franco-Santos RM, Virtue P, Nichols PD, Totterdell J, Marcondes MCC, Garrigue C, Botero-Acosta N, Christiansen F, Castrillon J, Caballero SJ, Friedlaender AS, Kawaguchi S, Double MC, Bell EM, Makabe R, Moteki M, Hoem N, Fry B, Burford M, Bengtson Nash S. No distinct local cuisines among humpback whales: A population diet comparison in the Southern Hemisphere. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 931:172939. [PMID: 38701928 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172939] [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: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
Southern hemisphere humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae, SHHW) breeding populations follow a high-fidelity Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) diet while feeding in distinct sectors of the Southern Ocean. Their capital breeding life history requires predictable ecosystem productivity to fuel migration and migration-related behaviours. It is therefore postulated that populations feeding in areas subject to the strongest climate change impacts are more likely to show the first signs of a departure from a high-fidelity krill diet. We tested this hypothesis by investigating blubber fatty acid profiles and skin stable isotopes obtained from five SHHW populations in 2019, and comparing them to Antarctic krill stable isotopes sampled in three SHHW feeding areas in the Southern Ocean in 2019. Fatty acid profiles and δ13C and δ15N varied significantly among all five populations, however, calculated trophic positions did not (2.7 to 3.1). Similarly, fatty acid ratios, 16:1ω7c/16:0 and 20:5ω3/22:6ω3 were above 1, showing that whales from all five populations are secondary heterotrophs following an omnivorous diet with a diatom-origin. Thus, evidence for a potential departure from a high-fidelity Antarctic krill diet was not seen in any population. δ13C of all populations were similar to δ13C of krill sampled in productive upwelling areas or the marginal sea-ice zone. Consistency in trophic position and diet origin but significant fatty acid and stable isotope differences demonstrate that the observed variability arises at lower trophic levels. Our results indicate that, at present, there is no evidence of a divergence from a high-fidelity krill diet. Nevertheless, the characteristic isotopic signal of whales feeding in productive upwelling areas, or in the marginal sea-ice zone, implies that future cryosphere reductions could impact their feeding ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmin Groß
- Centre for Planetary Health and Food Security, Southern Ocean Persistent Organic Pollutants Program, Griffith University, 4111 Nathan, QLD, Australia; Alfred-Wegener-Institute Helmholtz-Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany; Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity at the University of Oldenburg (HIFMB), Ammerländer Heerstrasse 231, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany.
| | - Rita M Franco-Santos
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, 7004 Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - Patti Virtue
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, 7004 Hobart, TAS, Australia; CSIRO Environment, 7004 Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - Peter D Nichols
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, 7004 Hobart, TAS, Australia; CSIRO Environment, 7004 Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | | | | | - Claire Garrigue
- UMR 250/9220 ENTROPIE, IRD, Université de La Réunion, Université de la Nouvelle-Calédonie, CNRS, Ifremer, Laboratoired'Excellence-CORAIL, BPA5 Nouméa, New Caledonia; Opération Cétacés, Nouméa, New Caledonia
| | | | - Fredrik Christiansen
- Zoophysiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Juliana Castrillon
- Centre for Planetary Health and Food Security, Southern Ocean Persistent Organic Pollutants Program, Griffith University, 4111 Nathan, QLD, Australia
| | - Susana J Caballero
- Laboratorio de Ecología Molecular de Vertebrados Acuáticos (LEMVA), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de los Andes, 18A-10 Bogotá, Colombia
| | | | - So Kawaguchi
- Australian Antarctic Division, Kingston, TAS, Australia
| | | | - Elanor M Bell
- Australian Antarctic Division, Kingston, TAS, Australia
| | - Ryosuke Makabe
- National Institute of Polar Research, 10-3 Midoricho, Tachikawa, Tokyo 190-8518, Japan; Department of Ocean Sciences, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, 4-5-7Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8477, Japan; Department of Polar Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, 10-3, Midori-cho, Tachikawa, Tokyo 190-851, Japan
| | - Masato Moteki
- National Institute of Polar Research, 10-3 Midoricho, Tachikawa, Tokyo 190-8518, Japan; Department of Ocean Sciences, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, 4-5-7Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8477, Japan
| | - Nils Hoem
- Aker BioMarine Antarctic AS, NO-1327 Lysaker, Norway
| | - Brian Fry
- Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University, 4111 Nathan, QLD, Australia
| | - Michele Burford
- Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University, 4111 Nathan, QLD, Australia
| | - Susan Bengtson Nash
- Centre for Planetary Health and Food Security, Southern Ocean Persistent Organic Pollutants Program, Griffith University, 4111 Nathan, QLD, Australia
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Fernández Ajó A, Teixeira C, M D de Mello D, Dillon D, Rice JM, Buck CL, Hunt KE, Rogers MC, Torres LG. A longitudinal study of endocrinology and foraging ecology of subadult gray whales prior to death based on baleen analysis. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2024; 352:114492. [PMID: 38479678 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2024.114492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
Individual-level assessments of wild animal health, vital rates, and foraging ecology are critical for understanding population-wide impacts of exposure to stressors. Large whales face multiple stressors, including, but not limited to, ocean noise, pollution, and ship strikes. Because baleen is a continuously growing keratinized structure, serial extraction, and quantification of hormones and stable isotopes along the length of baleen provide a historical record of whale physiology and foraging ecology. Furthermore, baleen analysis enables the investigation of dead specimens, even decades later, allowing comparisons between historic and modern populations. Here, we examined baleen of five sub-adult gray whales and observed distinct patterns of oscillations in δ15N values along the length of their baleen plates which enabled estimation of baleen growth rates and differentiation of isotopic niche widths of the whales during wintering and summer foraging. In contrast, no regular patterns were apparent in δ13C values. Prolonged elevation of cortisol in four individuals before death indicates that chronic stress may have impacted their health and survival. Triiodothyronine (T3) increased over months in the whales with unknown causes of death, simultaneous with elevations in cortisol, but both hormones remained stable in the one case of acute death attributed to killer whale predation. This parallel elevation of cortisol and T3 challenges the classic understanding of their interaction and might relate to increased energetic demands during exposure to stressors. Reproductive hormone profiles in subadults did not show cyclical trends, suggesting they had not yet reached sexual maturity. This study highlights the potential of baleen analysis to retrospectively assess gray whales' physiological status, exposure to stressors, reproductive status, and foraging ecology in the months or years leading up to their death, which can be a useful tool for conservation diagnostics to mitigate unusual mortality events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Fernández Ajó
- Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Lab, Marine Mammal Institute, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Sciences, Oregon State University, Newport 97365, OR, USA.
| | - Clarissa Teixeira
- Marine Mammal Institute, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Sciences, Oregon State University, Newport 97365, OR, USA
| | - Daniela M D de Mello
- Department of Physiology, Institute of Bioscience, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508090, SP, Brazil
| | - Danielle Dillon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - James M Rice
- Oregon Marine Mammal Stranding Network, Marine Mammal Institute, Oregon State University, Newport 97365, OR, USA
| | - C Loren Buck
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Kathleen E Hunt
- George Mason University & Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation, 1500 Remount Rd, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA
| | - Matthew C Rogers
- NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service, Alaska Fisheries Science Center Auke Bay Laboratories, Juneau, AK 99801, USA
| | - Leigh G Torres
- Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Lab, Marine Mammal Institute, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Sciences, Oregon State University, Newport 97365, OR, USA
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García-Vernet R, Rita D, Bérubé M, Elgueta-Serra J, Pascual Guasch M, Víkingsson G, Ruiz-Sagalés M, Borrell A, Aguilar A. Order within chaos: potential migratory strategies and individual associations in fin whales feeding off Iceland. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2024; 12:36. [PMID: 38725038 PMCID: PMC11080271 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-024-00474-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The life cycle of most baleen whales involves annual migrations from low-latitude breeding grounds to high latitude feeding grounds. In most species, these migrations are traditionally considered to be carried out according to information acquired through vertical social learning during the first months of life and made individually. However, some recent studies have suggested a more complex scenario, particularly for the species of the Balaenoptera genus. METHODS Here, we studied the variation of δ15N and δ13C values along the growth axis of the baleen plate from 24 fin whales feeding off western Iceland to delve into their pattern of movements and to identify potential associations between individuals. The segment of baleen plate analyzed informed about at least two complete migratory cycles. We performed cluster analyses through two different methodologies and, whenever possible, we genotyped 20 microsatellite loci to determine potential existence of kinship. RESULTS Results of the of δ15N and δ13C values agree with a dispersion strategy in the winter breeding grounds. However, and despite the overall large variability, several pairs or groups of individuals with no kinship showed highly similar isotopic patterns for two consecutive years for both δ15N and δ13C values. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that, notably, some whales without kinship share the same migratory regime and destinations. We hypothesize that this could reflect either: (i) the sharing of particularly beneficial migratory regimes, and/or (ii) long-term association between individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel García-Vernet
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, and IRBio, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, 08028, Spain
| | - Diego Rita
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, and IRBio, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, 08028, Spain
| | - Martine Bérubé
- Marine Evolution and Conservation, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, Groningen, 9747 AG, The Netherlands
- Center for Coastal Studies, 5 Holway Avenue, Provincetown, MA, 02657, USA
| | - Julia Elgueta-Serra
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, and IRBio, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, 08028, Spain
| | - Marina Pascual Guasch
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, and IRBio, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, 08028, Spain
| | - Gísli Víkingsson
- Marine and Freshwater Research Institute, PO Box 1390, Fornubúðum 5, 220, Hafnarfjörður, Iceland
| | - Marc Ruiz-Sagalés
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, and IRBio, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, 08028, Spain
| | - Asunción Borrell
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, and IRBio, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, 08028, Spain
| | - Alex Aguilar
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, and IRBio, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, 08028, Spain.
- Reial Acadèmia de Ciències i Arts de Barcelona (RACAB), La Rambla 115, Barcelona, 08001, Spain.
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Fry B, Carter JF, O'Mara K. Fingerprinting eukaryotic metabolism across the animal kingdom using position-specific isotope analysis (PSIA) 13C/ 12C measurements. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadg1549. [PMID: 37406114 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg1549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023]
Abstract
Despite differences in their overall metabolism, eukaryotes share a common mitochondrial biochemistry. We investigated how this fundamental biochemistry supports overall metabolism using a high-resolution carbon isotope approach, position-specific isotope analysis. We measured carbon isotope 13C/12C cycling in animals, focusing on amino acids that are formed in mitochondrial reactions and are most metabolically active. Carboxyl isotope determinations for amino acids showed strong signals related to common biochemical pathways. Contrasting isotope patterns were measured for metabolism associated with major life history patterns, including growth and reproduction. Turnover of proteins and lipids as well as gluoconeogensis dynamics could be estimated for these metabolic life histories. The high-resolution isotomics measurements fingerprinted metabolism and metabolic strategies across the eukaryotic animal kingdom, yielding results for humans, ungulates, whales, and diverse fish and invertebrates in a nearshore marine food web.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Fry
- Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland 4111, Australia
| | - James F Carter
- Queensland Health, Forensic and Scientific Services, Coopers Plains, Queensland 4108, Australia
| | - Kaitlyn O'Mara
- Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland 4111, Australia
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Eggebo J, Groß J, Bengtson Nash S. Interpretation of southern hemisphere humpback whale diet via stable isotopes; implications of tissue-specific analysis. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0283330. [PMID: 37011067 PMCID: PMC10069779 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0283330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Blubber and skin are commonly used tissues in stable isotope analysis for the purpose of investigating cetacean diet. Critical comparison of tissue-specific isotopic signals is, however, lacking resulting in uncertainty surrounding the representativeness and therefore utility of different tissues for accurate determination of recent foraging. This study used remotely biopsied blubber and skin tissues from southern hemisphere humpback whales for strategic comparison of δ13C and δ15N values. Samples were collected between 2008-2018 as part of long-term monitoring under the Humpback Whale Sentinel Program. Blubber tissues were lipid-extracted prior to analysis, whilst mathematical lipid-correction was performed on skin samples. Isotopic values from paired blubber and skin samples from the same individuals were compared to assess whether tissues could be used interchangeably for isotope analysis and dietary interpretation. Significant differences were observed for both δ13C and δ15N, flagging previously undocumented methodological considerations, and the need for method validation and standardisation in application of these approaches. This study therefore advances methodological aspects of cetacean dietary analysis. This is of elevated importance in the context of rapidly changing ocean ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- June Eggebo
- Southern Ocean Persistent Organic Pollutants Program, Centre for Planetary Health and Food Security, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD, Australia
| | - Jasmin Groß
- Southern Ocean Persistent Organic Pollutants Program, Centre for Planetary Health and Food Security, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD, Australia
| | - Susan Bengtson Nash
- Southern Ocean Persistent Organic Pollutants Program, Centre for Planetary Health and Food Security, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD, Australia
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Evans SR, Bearhop S. Variation in movement strategies: Capital versus income migration. J Anim Ecol 2022; 91:1961-1974. [PMID: 35962601 PMCID: PMC9825870 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Animal migrations represent the regular movements of trillions of individuals. The scale of these movements has inspired human intrigue for millennia and has been intensively studied by biologists. This research has highlighted the diversity of migratory strategies seen across and within migratory taxa: while some migrants temporarily express phenotypes dedicated to travel, others show little or no phenotypic flexibility in association with migration. However, a vocabulary for describing these contrasting solutions to the performance trade-offs inherent to the highly dynamic lifestyle of migrants (and strategies intermediate between these two extremes) is currently missing. We propose a taxon-independent organising framework based on energetics, distinguishing between migrants that forage as they travel (income migrants) and those that fuel migration using energy acquired before departure (capital migrants). Not only does our capital:income continuum of migratory energetics account for the variable extent of phenotypic flexibility within and across migrant populations, but it also aligns with theoreticians' treatment of migration and clarifies how migration impacts other phases of the life cycle. As such, it provides a unifying scale and common vacabulary for comparing the migratory strategies of divergent taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon R. Evans
- Centre for Ecology and ConservationUniversity of ExeterPenrynUK
| | - Stuart Bearhop
- Centre for Ecology and ConservationUniversity of ExeterPenrynUK
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Wild S, Eulaers I, Covaci A, Bossi R, Hawker D, Cropp R, Southwell C, Emmerson L, Lepoint G, Eisenmann P, Nash SB. South polar skua (Catharacta maccormicki) as biovectors for long-range transport of persistent organic pollutants to Antarctica. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 292:118358. [PMID: 34653585 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118358] [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: 05/21/2021] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Migratory bird species may serve as vectors of contaminants to Antarctica through the local deposition of guano, egg abandonment, or mortality. To further investigate this chemical input pathway, we examined the contaminant burdens and profiles of the migratory South polar skua (Catharacta maccormicki) and compared them to the endemic Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae). A range of persistent organic pollutants were targeted in muscle and guano to facilitate differentiation of likely exposure pathways. A total of 56 of 65 targeted analytes were detected in both species, but there were clear profile and magnitude differences between the species. The South polar skua and Adélie penguin muscle tissue burdens were dominated by p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (mean 5600 ng g-1 lw and 330 ng g-1 lw respectively) and hexachlorobenzene (mean 2500 ng g-1 lw and 570 ng g-1 lw respectively), a chemical profile characteristic of the Antarctic and Southern Ocean region. Species profile differences, indicative of exposure at different latitudes, were observed for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), with lower chlorinated congeners and deca-chlorinated PCB-209 detected in South polar Skua, but not in Adélie penguins. Notably, the more recently used perfluoroalkyl substances and the brominated flame retardants, hexabromocyclododecane and tetrabromobisphenol A, were detected in both species. This finding suggests local exposure, given the predicted slow and limited long-range environmental transport capacity of these compounds to the eastern Antarctic sector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seanan Wild
- Griffith University, Centre for Planetary Health and Food Security, Southern Ocean Persistent Organic Pollutants Program, 170 Kessels Road, Nathan, QLD, 4111, Australia
| | - Igor Eulaers
- Aarhus University, Department of Bioscience, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Adrian Covaci
- University of Antwerp, Toxicological Centre, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Rossana Bossi
- Aarhus University, Department of Environmental Sciences, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Darryl Hawker
- Griffith University, School of Environment and Science, 170 Kessels Road, Nathan, QLD, 4111, Australia
| | - Roger Cropp
- Griffith University, School of Environment and Science, 170 Kessels Road, Nathan, QLD, 4111, Australia
| | - Colin Southwell
- Australian Antarctic Division (AAD), Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Kingston, Tasmania, 7050, Australia
| | - Louise Emmerson
- Australian Antarctic Division (AAD), Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Kingston, Tasmania, 7050, Australia
| | - Gilles Lepoint
- Laboratory of Oceanology, UR FOCUS, gMARE Centre, University of Liège, 3 15 Allée de la Chimiedu six Août, 4000, Liège, Belgium
| | - Pascale Eisenmann
- Griffith University, Centre for Planetary Health and Food Security, Southern Ocean Persistent Organic Pollutants Program, 170 Kessels Road, Nathan, QLD, 4111, Australia
| | - Susan Bengtson Nash
- Griffith University, Centre for Planetary Health and Food Security, Southern Ocean Persistent Organic Pollutants Program, 170 Kessels Road, Nathan, QLD, 4111, Australia.
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9
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Riekenberg PM, Camalich J, Svensson E, IJsseldijk LL, Brasseur SMJM, Witbaard R, Leopold MF, Rebolledo EB, Middelburg JJ, van der Meer MTJ, Sinninghe Damsté JS, Schouten S. Reconstructing the diet, trophic level and migration pattern of mysticete whales based on baleen isotopic composition. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:210949. [PMID: 34909214 PMCID: PMC8652277 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.210949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Baleen from mysticete whales is a well-preserved proteinaceous material that can be used to identify migrations and feeding habits for species whose migration pathways are unknown. Analysis of δ13C and δ15N values from bulk baleen have been used to infer migration patterns for individuals. However, this approach has fallen short of identifying migrations between regions as it is difficult to determine variations in isotopic shifts without temporal sampling of prey items. Here, we apply analysis of δ15N values of amino acids to five baleen plates belonging to three species, revealing novel insights on trophic position, metabolic state and migration between regions. Humpback and minke whales had higher reconstructed trophic levels than fin whales (3.7-3.8 versus 3-3.2, respectively) as expected due to different feeding specialization. Isotopic niche areas between baleen minima and maxima were well separated, indicating regional resource use for individuals during migration that aligned with isotopic gradients in Atlantic Ocean particulate organic matter. Phenylanine δ15N values confirmed regional separation between the niche areas for two fin whales as migrations occurred and elevated glycine and threonine δ15N values suggested physiological changes due to fasting. Simultaneous resolution of trophic level and physiological changes allow for identification of regional migrations in mysticetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip M. Riekenberg
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, PO Box 59, Den Hoorn 1790AB, The Netherlands
| | - Jaime Camalich
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, PO Box 59, Den Hoorn 1790AB, The Netherlands
| | - Elisabeth Svensson
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, PO Box 59, Den Hoorn 1790AB, The Netherlands
| | - Lonneke L. IJsseldijk
- Division of Pathology, Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 1, 3854 CL Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Sophie M. J. M. Brasseur
- Wageningen Marine Research, Wageningen University and Research, PO Box 57, 1780 AB Den Helder, The Netherlands
| | - Rob Witbaard
- Department of Estuarine and Delta Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, and Utrecht University, PO Box 140, 4400 AC Yerseke, The Netherlands
| | - Mardik F. Leopold
- Wageningen Marine Research, Wageningen University and Research, PO Box 57, 1780 AB Den Helder, The Netherlands
| | - Elisa Bravo Rebolledo
- Wageningen Marine Research, Wageningen University and Research, PO Box 57, 1780 AB Den Helder, The Netherlands
| | - Jack J. Middelburg
- Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, Princetonlaan 8a, 3584 CB Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Marcel T. J. van der Meer
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, PO Box 59, Den Hoorn 1790AB, The Netherlands
| | - Jaap S. Sinninghe Damsté
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, PO Box 59, Den Hoorn 1790AB, The Netherlands
- Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, Princetonlaan 8a, 3584 CB Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Stefan Schouten
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, PO Box 59, Den Hoorn 1790AB, The Netherlands
- Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, Princetonlaan 8a, 3584 CB Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Dalle Luche G, Boggs ASP, Kucklick JR, Hawker DW, Wisse JH, Bengtson Nash S. Steroid hormone profiles and body conditions of migrating male humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2021; 313:113888. [PMID: 34425085 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2021.113888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Simultaneous analysis of multiple steroid hormones from remotely obtained blubber biopsies has the potential to concurrently provide information regarding stress and reproductive status from free-swimming cetaceans, while also investigating correlations between hormone concentrations and other health biomarkers. In this study we measured blubber concentration profiles of eight reproductive and adrenal steroid hormones (17α-hydroxy-progesterone, testosterone, androstenedione, progesterone, cortisol, 11-deoxy-corticosterone, oestrone, and oestradiol) together with body condition, as determined by the inverse Adipocyte Index, of 101 male humpback whales. Whales were sampled randomly at two time points, while migrating to and from their northeast Australian breeding grounds, allowing for intra- and inter-seasonal profile analysis. Testosterone, progesterone and cortisol together with androstenedione 17α-hydroxyprogesterone, and oestrone concentrations (the latter quantified for the first time in live biopsied male humpback whales) decreased between the northward and southward migrations. Decreasing testosterone levels during the height of humpback whale conceptions suggests asynchronicity between blubber testosterone levels and the expected peak of male fertility. Statistically significant relationships between levels of certain steroid analytes were observed and appeared to change between the early and late breeding seasons. During the northward migration, testosterone, progesterone, androstenedione, oestrone and 17α-hydroxyprogesterone levels were positively correlated. Cortisol concentrations correlated positively with those of testosterone during the northward migration, but negatively during the southward migration. Androstenedione and testosterone were positively correlated with adiposity during the late breeding season. These hormone-hormone and hormone-adiposity correlations may be reflective of the activation of certain steroid hormone synthesis pathways, or alternatively, of concomitant physiological stimuli. As steroid hormones work in concert, information on multiple steroid hormones is needed to interpret endocrinological status and understand the relationships between these compounds and ancillary health markers. This study provides steroid hormone profiles of wild male humpback whales, as well as the first insight into seasonal male endocrinology as a function of adiposity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greta Dalle Luche
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD 4111, Australia.
| | - Ashley S P Boggs
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Hollings Marine Laboratory, Charleston, SC 29412, USA
| | - John R Kucklick
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Hollings Marine Laboratory, Charleston, SC 29412, USA
| | - Darryl W Hawker
- School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD 4111, Australia
| | - Jillian H Wisse
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Susan Bengtson Nash
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD 4111, Australia
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11
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Groß J, Fry B, Burford MA, Bengtson Nash S. Assessing the effects of lipid extraction and lipid correction on stable isotope values (δ 13 C and δ 15 N) of blubber and skin from southern hemisphere humpback whales. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2021; 35:e9140. [PMID: 34097783 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.9140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE The coupled analysis of δ13 C and δ15 N stable isotope values of blubber and skin biopsy samples is widely used to study the diet of free-ranging cetaceans. Differences in the lipid content of these tissues can affect isotopic variability because lipids are depleted in 13 C, reducing the bulk tissue 13 C/12 C. This variability in carbon isotope values can be accounted for either by chemically extracting lipids from the tissue or by using mathematical lipid normalisation models. METHODS This study examines (a) the effects of chemical lipid extraction on δ13 C and δ15 N values in blubber and skin of southern hemisphere humpback whales, (b) whether chemical lipid extraction is more favourable than mathematical lipid correction and (c) which of the two tissues is more appropriate for dietary studies. Strategic comparisons were made between chemical lipid extraction and mathematical lipid correction and between blubber and skin tissue δ13 C and δ15 N values, as well as C:N ratios. Six existing mathematical normalisation models were tested for their efficacy in estimating lipid-free δ13 C for skin. RESULTS Both δ13 C and δ15 N values of lipid-extracted skin (δ13 C: -25.57‰, δ15 N: 6.83‰) were significantly higher than those of bulk skin (δ13 C: -26.97‰, δ15 N: 6.15‰). Five of the six tested lipid normalisation models had small error terms for predicting lipid-free δ13 C values. The average C:N ratio of lipid-extracted skin was within the lipid-free range reported in other studies, whereas the average C:N ratio of blubber was higher than previously reported. CONCLUSIONS These results highlight the need to account for lipids when analysing δ13 C and δ15 N values from the same sample. For optimised dietary assessments using parallel isotope analysis from a single sample, we recommend the use of unextracted skin tissue. δ15 N values should be obtained from unextracted skin, whereas δ13 C values may be adequately lipid corrected by a mathematical correction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmin Groß
- Centre for Planetary Health and Food Security, Southern Ocean Persistent Organic Pollutants Program, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
| | - Brian Fry
- Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
| | - Michele A Burford
- Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
| | - Susan Bengtson Nash
- Centre for Planetary Health and Food Security, Southern Ocean Persistent Organic Pollutants Program, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
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12
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Lowe CL, Hunt KE, Rogers MC, Neilson JL, Robbins J, Gabriele CM, Teerlink SS, Seton R, Buck CL. Multi-year progesterone profiles during pregnancy in baleen of humpback whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae). CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 9:coab059. [PMID: 34745632 PMCID: PMC8567847 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coab059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Understanding calving rates of wild whale populations is critically important for management and conservation. Reproduction of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) is difficult to monitor and, even with long-term sighting studies, basic physiological information such as pregnancy rates and calving intervals remain poorly understood in many populations. We hypothesized that pregnant whales have sustained elevations in baleen progesterone that temporally correlate with gestation. To test this hypothesis, baleen progesterone profiles from two adult female North Pacific humpbacks, both with extensive sighting records and documented pregnancies, were compared to those of a nulliparous female (adult female never seen with a calf) and a juvenile male. Baleen specimens recovered during necropsy were subsampled every 2 cm from the base to the tip of the plate, with each interval representing 30-45 days of growth. Homogenized baleen powder was assayed for progesterone using enzyme immunoassays. The date of growth of each sampling location on the baleen plate was estimated based on stable isotope analysis of annual δ15N cycles. Progesterone profiles from both pregnant whales showed sustained high progesterone content (>350 ng/g) in areas corresponding to known pregnancies, inferred from calf sightings and post-mortem data. The younger female, estimated to be 13 years old, had higher progesterone during pregnancy than the 44.5 year old, but levels during non-pregnancy were similar. The nulliparous female and the male had low progesterone throughout their baleen plates. Baleen hormone analysis can determine how progesterone concentrations change throughout gestation and has potential for estimating age at first reproduction, pregnancy intervals, failed pregnancies and early calf mortality. Understanding rates of calving and current and historic reproductive patterns in humpbacks is vital to continuing conservation measures in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carley L Lowe
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona
University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Kathleen E Hunt
- Department of Biology, George Mason University and
Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation, Front Royal, VA 22630,
USA
| | - Matthew C Rogers
- Alaska Fisheries Science Center Auke Bay Laboratories, NOAA,
National Marine Fisheries Service, Juneau, AK 99801, USA
| | - Janet L Neilson
- Humpback Whale Monitoring Program, Glacier Bay National Park
and Preserve, Gustavus, AK 99826, USA
| | - Jooke Robbins
- Center for Coastal Studies, Provincetown, MA
02657, USA
| | - Christine M Gabriele
- Humpback Whale Monitoring Program, Glacier Bay National Park
and Preserve, Gustavus, AK 99826, USA
| | | | | | - C Loren Buck
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona
University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
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13
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Ejrnæs DD, Sprogis KR. Ontogenetic changes in energy expenditure and resting behaviour of humpback whale mother–calf pairs examined using unmanned aerial vehicles. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2021. [DOI: 10.1071/wr20186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Context Baleen whale calves rapidly increase in size and improve locomotion abilities, while on their low-latitude breeding ground, allowing them to undertake a successful migration to high-latitude feeding grounds. Aims We investigated energy expenditure and resting behaviour of humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) mother–calf pairs in regard to changes in calf length on an undisturbed breeding/resting ground off Exmouth Gulf, Western Australia. Methods Data were collected from August to October in 2018 and 2019 on lactating mothers that were predominantly resting on the surface with their calf. Focal follows on mother–calf pairs (n = 101) were conducted using an unmanned aerial vehicle to obtain detailed video of behaviours and respirations (23.7 h). Body length measurements of individual whales were calculated from aerial still frames. Key results Results on calves ranging in length from ~4–8 m demonstrated that calf respiration rate decreased with an increase in calf length and increased with presence of activity (P < 0.001). Calf inter-breath intervals became longer in duration with an increase in calf length (P < 0.01). Calf activity level and resting behaviour remained constant, with calves logging for 53% of the time their mothers were logging. Maternal respiration rate remained low and did not differ with respect to maternal or calf length. Conclusions Results highlighted the importance of resting grounds for energy preservation, which benefits the calves’ rapid growth before migration to polar waters. Implications Findings from the present largely undisturbed population serve as a baseline for understanding the impacts of anthropogenic disturbance on resting behaviour and energy expenditure in humpback whale mother–calf pairs globally.
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14
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Aguilar A, Borrell A. Growth of baleen along the baleen rack is constant in balaenopterid whales. Polar Biol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-021-02877-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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Warren VE, McPherson C, Giorli G, Goetz KT, Radford CA. Marine soundscape variation reveals insights into baleen whales and their environment: a case study in central New Zealand. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:201503. [PMID: 33959320 PMCID: PMC8074962 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.201503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Baleen whales reliably produce stereotyped vocalizations, enabling their spatio-temporal distributions to be inferred from acoustic detections. Soundscape analysis provides an integrated approach whereby vocal species, such as baleen whales, are sampled holistically with other acoustic contributors to their environment. Acoustic elements that occur concurrently in space, time and/or frequency can indicate overlaps between free-ranging species and potential stressors. Such information can inform risk assessment framework models. Here, we demonstrate the utility of soundscape monitoring in central New Zealand, an area of high cetacean diversity where potential threats are poorly understood. Pygmy blue whale calls were abundant in the South Taranaki Bight (STB) throughout recording periods and were also detected near Kaikōura during autumn. Humpback, Antarctic blue and Antarctic minke whales were detected in winter and spring, during migration. Wind, rain, tidal and wave activity increased ambient sound levels in both deep- and shallow-water environments across a broad range of frequencies, including those used by baleen whales, and sound from shipping, seismic surveys and earthquakes overlapped in time, space and frequency with whale calls. The results highlight the feasibility of soundscape analysis to quantify and understand potential stressors to free-ranging species, which is essential for conservation and management decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria E. Warren
- Institute of Marine Science, Leigh Marine Laboratory, University of Auckland, 160 Goat Island Road, Leigh 0985, New Zealand
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, 301 Evans Bay Parade, Hataitai, Wellington 6021, New Zealand
| | - Craig McPherson
- JASCO Applied Sciences (Australia) Pty Ltd, 14 Hook Street, Unit 1, Capalaba QLD 4157, Australia
| | - Giacomo Giorli
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, 301 Evans Bay Parade, Hataitai, Wellington 6021, New Zealand
| | - Kimberly T. Goetz
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, 301 Evans Bay Parade, Hataitai, Wellington 6021, New Zealand
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Mammal Laboratory, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115, USA
| | - Craig A. Radford
- Institute of Marine Science, Leigh Marine Laboratory, University of Auckland, 160 Goat Island Road, Leigh 0985, New Zealand
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Uchida M, Suzuki I, Ito K, Ishizuka M, Ikenaka Y, Nakayama SMM, Tamura T, Konishi K, Bando T, Mitani Y. Estimation of the feeding record of pregnant Antarctic minke whales (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) using carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis of baleen plates. Polar Biol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-021-02816-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
AbstractAntarctic minke whales (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) are migratory capital breeders that experience intensive summer feeding on Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) in the Southern Ocean and winter breeding at lower latitudes, but their prey outside of the Antarctic is unknown. Stable isotope analyses were conducted on δ13C and δ15N from the baleen plates of ten pregnant Antarctic minke whales to understand the growth rate of the baleen plate and their diet in lower latitudes. Two to three oscillations along the length of the edge of the baleen plate were observed in δ15N, and the annual growth rate was estimated to be 75.2 ± 20.4 mm, with a small amplitude (0.97 ± 0.21 ‰). Bayesian stable isotope mixing models were used to understand the dominant prey that contributed to the isotopic component of the baleen plate using Antarctic krill from the stomach contents and reported values of Antarctic coastal krill (Euphausia crystallorophias), Antarctic silver fish (Pleuragramma antarcticum), Australian krill spp., and Australian pelagic fish spp.. The models showed that the diet composition of the most recent three records from the base of the baleen plates (model 1) and the highest δ15N values in each baleen plate (model 2) were predominantly Antarctic krill, with a contribution rate of approximately 80%. The rates were approximately 10% for Antarctic coastal krill and less than 2.0% for the two Australian prey groups in both models. These results suggest that pregnant Antarctic minke whales did not feed on enough prey outside of the Antarctic to change the stable isotope values in their baleen plates.
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17
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Remili A, Gallego P, Pinzone M, Castro C, Jauniaux T, Garigliany MM, Malarvannan G, Covaci A, Das K. Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) breeding off Mozambique and Ecuador show geographic variation of persistent organic pollutants and isotopic niches. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2020; 267:115575. [PMID: 33254700 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) from the Southern Hemisphere carry information on persistent organic pollutants (POPs) from their feeding zones in Antarctica to their breeding grounds, making this species a sentinel of contaminants accumulation in the Southern Ocean. This study aimed to evaluate driving factors, namely feeding areas, trophic level, and sex, affecting POP concentrations in the blubber of humpback whales breeding off Mozambique and off Ecuador. Biopsies of free-ranging humpback whales including blubber and skin were collected in 2014 and 2015 from Ecuador (n = 59) and in 2017 from Mozambique (n = 89). In both populations, HCB was the major contaminant followed by DDTs > CHLs > PCBs > HCHs > PBDEs. POP concentrations were significantly higher in males compared to females. HCB, DDTs, HCHs and PBDEs were significantly different between whales from the Mozambique population and the Ecuador population. Sex and feeding habits were important driving factors accounting for POP concentrations in Ecuador whales. The whales from our study had some of the lowest POP concentrations measured for humpback whales in the world. These whales fed predominantly on krill as reflected from the low δ13C and δ15N values measured in the skin. However, the isotopic niches of whales from Mozambique and Ecuador did not overlap indicating that the two populations are feeding in different areas of the Southern Ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anaïs Remili
- Freshwater and Oceanic Sciences Unit of ReSearch (FOCUS - Oceanology), University of Liege, 4000, Liege, Belgium; Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, H9X 3V9, Canada
| | - Pierre Gallego
- Freshwater and Oceanic Sciences Unit of ReSearch (FOCUS - Oceanology), University of Liege, 4000, Liege, Belgium; Odyssea asbl., 37 rue du Nord, L-4260, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Marianna Pinzone
- Freshwater and Oceanic Sciences Unit of ReSearch (FOCUS - Oceanology), University of Liege, 4000, Liege, Belgium
| | - Cristina Castro
- Pacific Whale Foundation Ecuador, Malecón Julio Izurieta y Abdón Calderón. Palo Santo Travel, Puerto López - Manabí - Ecuador
| | - Thierry Jauniaux
- Department of Pathology, Veterinary College, University of Liege, Sart Tilman B43, 4000, Liege, Belgium
| | - Mutien-Marie Garigliany
- Department of Pathology, Veterinary College, University of Liege, Sart Tilman B43, 4000, Liege, Belgium
| | - Govindan Malarvannan
- Toxicological Centre, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Adrian Covaci
- Toxicological Centre, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Krishna Das
- Freshwater and Oceanic Sciences Unit of ReSearch (FOCUS - Oceanology), University of Liege, 4000, Liege, Belgium.
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18
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Interannual variability in the lipid and fatty acid profiles of east Australia-migrating humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) across a 10-year timeline. Sci Rep 2020; 10:18274. [PMID: 33106590 PMCID: PMC7589506 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-75370-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Southern hemisphere humpback whales are classified as high-fidelity Antarctic krill consumers and as such are vulnerable to variability and long-term changes in krill biomass. Evidence of heterogeneous feeding patterns of east coast of Australia migrating humpback whales has been observed, warranting a comprehensive assessment of interannual variability in their diet. We examined the lipid and fatty acid profiles of individuals of the east coast of Australia migrating stock sampled between 2008 and 2018. The use of live-sampled blubber biopsies showed that fatty acid profiles varied significantly among all years. The two trophic indicator fatty acids for Antarctic krill, 20:5ω3 and 22:6ω3 remained largely unchanged across the 10-year period, suggesting that Antarctic krill is the principal prey item. A distance-based linear model showed that 33% of the total variation in fatty acid profiles was explained by environmental variables and climate indices. Most of the variation was explained by the Southern Annular Mode (23.7%). The high degree of variability observed in this study was unexpected for a species that is thought to feed primarily on one prey item. We propose that the observed variability likely arises from changes in the diet of Antarctic krill rather than changes in the whale’s diet.
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Carrasco TS, de Lima RC, Botta S, Machado R, Simões-Lopes PC, Ott PH, Secchi ER. Temporal and individual variation in the diet of the Neotropical otter, Lontra longicaudis (Olfers, 1818) (Carnivora, Mustelidae), as revealed by stable isotope analysis of vibrissae. Mamm Biol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-020-00060-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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20
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Rogers MC, Hilderbrand GV, Gustine DD, Joly K, Leacock WB, Mangipane BA, Welker JM. Splitting hairs: dietary niche breadth modelling using stable isotope analysis of a sequentially grown tissue. ISOTOPES IN ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH STUDIES 2020; 56:358-369. [PMID: 32631088 DOI: 10.1080/10256016.2020.1787404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 05/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Stable isotope data from durable, sequentially grown tissues (e.g. hair, claw, and baleen) is commonly used for modelling dietary niche breadth. The use of tissues grown over multiple months to years, however, has the potential to complicate isotopic niche breadth modelling, as time-averaged stable isotope signals from whole tissues may obscure information available from chronologically resolved stable isotope signals in serially sectioned tissues. We determined if whole samples of brown bear guard hair produced different isotopic niche breadth estimates than those produced from subsampled, serially sectioned samples of the same tissue from the same set of individuals. We sampled guard hair from brown bears (Ursus arctos) in four regions of Alaska with disparate biogeographies and dietary resource availability. Whole hair and serially sectioned hair samples were used to produce paired isotopic dietary niche breadth estimates for each region in the SIBER Bayesian model framework in R. Isotopic data from serially sectioned hair consistently produced larger estimates of isotopic dietary niche breadth than isotope data from whole hair samples. Serial sampling captures finer-scale changes in diet and when cumulatively used to estimate isotopic niche breadth, the serially sampled isotope data more fully captures dietary variability and true isotopic niche breadth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew C Rogers
- Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA
- NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Auke Bay Laboratories, Juneau, AK, USA
| | | | - David D Gustine
- National Park Service, Grand Teton National Park, Moose, WY, USA
| | - Kyle Joly
- National Park Service, Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Fairbanks, AK, USA
| | - William B Leacock
- US Fish and Wildlife Service, Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, Kodiak, AK, USA
| | - Buck A Mangipane
- National Park Service, Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Port Alsworth, AK, USA
| | - Jeffrey M Welker
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, AK, USA
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Werth AJ, Sformo TL, Lysiak NS, Rita D, George JC. Baleen turnover and gut transit in mysticete whales and its environmental implications. Polar Biol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-020-02673-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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22
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Reiss L, Häussermann V, Mayr C. Stable isotope records of sei whale baleens from Chilean Patagonia as archives for feeding and migration behavior. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:808-818. [PMID: 32015845 PMCID: PMC6988525 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Revised: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 11/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotope variations in baleen plates of sei whales (Balaenoptera borealis) stranded after a mass mortality event in Chilean Patagonia were investigated to assess potential dietary and migratory patterns. Carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios of seven baleens from six individuals were analyzed. The δ13C values ranged from - 19.1 to - 15.9‰ and the δ15N values from 8.7 to 15.4‰. Variations of up to 2.9‰ for δ13C and 5.3‰ for δ15N were observed within one baleen. Carbon and nitrogen isotope records of each baleen were significantly correlated and showed recurring oscillations confirmed by wavelet analyses. Oscillations slightly differed in periodicity indicating variable baleen growth rates between 10.0 and 16.5 cm/year. Food sources of the whales are discussed in terms of available isotope data for potential prey taxa and potential migratory behavior on the basis of latitudinal isotope gradients of particulate organic matter. Cyclicity could be explained by regular migrations of the sei whales from subtropical calving areas to high-latitude foraging grounds. δ15N records of baleens differed between individuals eventually pointing to diverse feeding and migratory preferences among sei whale individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilian Reiss
- Institute of GeographyFriedrich‐Alexander‐Universität Erlangen‐NürnbergErlangenGermany
| | - Verena Häussermann
- Huinay Scientific Field StationEscuela de Ciencias del MarFacultad de Recursos NaturalesPontificia Universidad Católica de ValparaísoValparaísoChile
| | - Christoph Mayr
- Institute of GeographyFriedrich‐Alexander‐Universität Erlangen‐NürnbergErlangenGermany
- GeoBio‐CenterDepartment of Earth and Environmental SciencesLudwig‐Maximilians‐UniversitätMünchenGermany
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Histological structure of baleen plates and its relevance to sampling for stable isotope studies. Mamm Biol 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mambio.2019.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Fry B, Carter JF. Stable carbon isotope diagnostics of mammalian metabolism, a high-resolution isotomics approach using amino acid carboxyl groups. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0224297. [PMID: 31658286 PMCID: PMC6816566 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The carbon isotopic compositions of amino acids are increasingly measured to characterize diets and metabolic response to diets. We report a new high-resolution system to measure the stable carbon isotopic composition of carboxyl atoms within amino acids. The automated system used HPLC to separate amino acids followed by addition of ninhydrin for decarboxylation and transfer of the evolved CO2 to a stable isotope ratio mass spectrometer for δ13CCARBOXYL measurement. The ninhydrin reaction was conducted at acidic pH (1.5) and elevated temperature (160 oC) giving yields close to 100% for most common amino acids. Eight mammalian keratin samples from herbivores (kudu and caribou), omnivores (humans) and carnivores (bowhead and humpback zooplanktivorous whales) were analysed with this new system. The data provide an initial calibration of reference materials to be used in studies of this type and is the first report of carboxyl carbon isotope distributions in mammals. Results showed widespread 13C enrichments in both essential and non-essential amino acid carboxyl groups, likely linked to decarboxylation of amino acids during normal metabolism. Analyses of non-essential amino acid isotope profiles showed (1) consistent and general taxon-level metabolic differences between the herbivore, human and whale samples, (2) marked differences among individual humans, ruminants and whales (3) evidence for gluconeogenesis in the wildlife samples, and (4) extensive 13C enrichment likely associated with fasting in the humpback whale sample. Future mammalian research related to the metabolism of growth, reproduction, aging and disease may benefit from using this technique. Values obtained for internationally available samples USGS42 and USGS43 (Tibetan and Indian human hair) provide a first characterization of reference materials for δ13CCARBOXYL profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Fry
- Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - James F. Carter
- Queensland Health Forensic and Scientific Services, Coopers Plains, Queensland, Australia
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Druskat A, Ghosh R, Castrillon J, Bengtson Nash SM. Sex ratios of migrating southern hemisphere humpback whales: A new sentinel parameter of ecosystem health. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2019; 151:104749. [PMID: 31256980 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2019.104749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2018] [Revised: 06/17/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Southern hemisphere humpback whales have evolved energetically demanding capital breeding and migratory life-history behaviours. It has been hypothesised that not all individuals of a population participate in the seasonal migration each year, or only undertake partial migrations. Given the cost of migration and reproduction, we explored the possibility that specifically, not all mature females participate in the seasonal migration every year, or significantly delay or shorten their migration, in response to poor feeding conditions. That is, females must attain a minimum threshold of accumulated energy reserves to commit to a reproductive event that likely occurs as a product of mating during migration. With a 1:1 male to female birth ratio, yet a male bias observed along the main migratory corridor; this study utilised inter-annual migratory cohort sex ratios to explore their potential to serve as measures of population fecundity, as a function of ecosystem health. The sex ratios of randomly biopsied adult humpback whales, sampled at a defined location and set time-points along the main migratory corridor from 2008 to 2016 were investigated. Northward migration sex ratios in 2009, 2014 and 2016 revealed a lower male bias suggesting good female participation in the migration and therefore apparent optimal provisioning during the two preceding summers. By contrast, the 2011 southward migration, revealed the highest male bias recorded of 5.75:1. Southward migration sex ratios were found to oscillate closely with measures of population adiposity, a sentinel parameter employed for long-term surveillance of the Antarctic sea-ice ecosystems under the Southern Ocean Observing System-endorsed Humpback Whale Sentinel Program. Anomalously poor humpback whale body condition recorded in 2011 was attributed to poor Antarctic feeding conditions during the extreme La Niña event of 2010/11. These findings lend support for the application of migratory cohort sex ratios, standardised by time and location, as a measure of relative inter-annual population fecundity. This work therefore contributes a new non-lethal tool for the study of population health, as a function of ecosystem productivity, and facilitates the inclusion of fecundity as a sentinel parameter into long-term Antarctic ecosystem surveillance under the Humpback Whale Sentinel Program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison Druskat
- Griffith University, The Environmental Futures Research Institute, Southern Ocean Persistent Organic Pollutants Program, 170 Kessels Road, Nathan, QLD, 4111, Australia; University of York, York, YO10 5DD, England, UK
| | - Ruma Ghosh
- Griffith University, The Environmental Futures Research Institute, Southern Ocean Persistent Organic Pollutants Program, 170 Kessels Road, Nathan, QLD, 4111, Australia
| | - Juliana Castrillon
- Griffith University, The Environmental Futures Research Institute, Southern Ocean Persistent Organic Pollutants Program, 170 Kessels Road, Nathan, QLD, 4111, Australia
| | - Susan M Bengtson Nash
- Griffith University, The Environmental Futures Research Institute, Southern Ocean Persistent Organic Pollutants Program, 170 Kessels Road, Nathan, QLD, 4111, Australia.
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New insights into prime Southern Ocean forage grounds for thriving Western Australian humpback whales. Sci Rep 2019; 9:13988. [PMID: 31562374 PMCID: PMC6764985 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-50497-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2018] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Humpback whale populations migrate extensively between winter breeding grounds and summer feeding grounds, however known links to remote Antarctic feeding grounds remain limited in many cases. New satellite tracks detail humpback whale migration pathways from Western Australia into the Southern Ocean. These highlight a focal feeding area during austral spring and early summer at the southern Kerguelen plateau, in a western boundary current where a sharp northward turn and retroflection of ocean fronts occurs along the eastern plateau edge. The topographic steering of oceanographic features here likely supports a predictable, productive and persistent forage ground. The spatial distribution of whaling catches and Discovery era mark-recaptures confirms the importance of this region to Western Australian humpback whales since at least historical times. Movement modelling discriminates sex-related behaviours, with females moving faster during both transit and resident periods, which may be a consequence of size or indicate differential energetic requirements. Relatively short and directed migratory pathways overall, together with high-quality, reliable forage resources may provide a partial explanation for the ongoing strong recovery demonstrated by this population. The combination of new oceanographic information and movement data provides enhanced understanding of important biological processes, which are relevant within the context of the current spatial management and conservation efforts in the Southern Ocean.
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Silva MA, Borrell A, Prieto R, Gauffier P, Bérubé M, Palsbøl PJ, Colaço A. Stable isotopes reveal winter feeding in different habitats in blue, fin and sei whales migrating through the Azores. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2019; 6:181800. [PMID: 31598219 PMCID: PMC6731742 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.181800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Knowing the migratory movements and behaviour of baleen whales is fundamental to understanding their ecology. We compared δ15N and δ13C values in the skin of blue (Balaenoptera musculus), fin (Balaenoptera physalus) and sei (Balaenoptera borealis) whales sighted in the Azores in spring with the values of potential prey from different regions within the North Atlantic using Bayesian mixing models to investigate their trophic ecology and migration patterns. Fin whale δ15N values were higher than those recorded in blue and sei whales, reflecting feeding at higher trophic levels. Whales' skin δ15N and δ13C values did not reflect prey from high-latitude summer foraging grounds; instead mixing models identified tropical or subtropical regions as the most likely feeding areas for all species during winter and spring. Yet, differences in δ13C values among whale species suggest use of different regions within this range. Blue and sei whales primarily used resources from the Northwest African upwelling and pelagic tropical/subtropical regions, while fin whales fed off Iberia. However, determining feeding habitats from stable isotope values remains difficult. In conclusion, winter feeding appears common among North Atlantic blue, fin and sei whales, and may play a crucial role in determining their winter distribution. A better understanding of winter feeding behaviour is therefore fundamental for the effective conservation of these species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mónica A. Silva
- Okeanos Centre & Institute of Marine Research (IMAR), University of the Azores, 9901-862 Horta, Portugal
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
- Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre Açores (MARE), Department of Oceanography and Fisheries, 9901-862 Horta, Portugal
| | - Asunción Borrell
- Institute of Biodiversity Research (IRBio) & Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rui Prieto
- Okeanos Centre & Institute of Marine Research (IMAR), University of the Azores, 9901-862 Horta, Portugal
- Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre Açores (MARE), Department of Oceanography and Fisheries, 9901-862 Horta, Portugal
| | - Pauline Gauffier
- Institute of Biodiversity Research (IRBio) & Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Martine Bérubé
- Groningen Institute of Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
- Centre for Coastal Studies, Provincetown, MA 02657, USA
| | - Per J. Palsbøl
- Groningen Institute of Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
- Centre for Coastal Studies, Provincetown, MA 02657, USA
| | - Ana Colaço
- Okeanos Centre & Institute of Marine Research (IMAR), University of the Azores, 9901-862 Horta, Portugal
- Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre Açores (MARE), Department of Oceanography and Fisheries, 9901-862 Horta, Portugal
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Casà MV, van Mourik LM, Weijs L, Mueller J, Nash SB. First detection of short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) in humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) foraging in Antarctic waters. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2019; 250:953-959. [PMID: 31085482 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.04.103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2018] [Revised: 03/27/2019] [Accepted: 04/21/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) are particularly prone to environmental dispersal through long range atmospheric transport. Consequently, they have been detected in biota and environmental matrices at both the North Pole and South Pole. This study shows the first detection of SCCPs in southern hemisphere humpback whales feeding in Antarctic waters. Blubber of specimens stranded along the Australian coastline was analysed and SCCPs were detected in 7 out of 9 individuals. Levels of SCCPs detected in this study were generally low with concentrations up to only 46 ng/g lw. These results were significantly lower than those detected in Northern Hemisphere odontocetes from previous studies, although no reported burdens in northern hemisphere baleen whales are available for comparison. Both the highest level and lowest (<MDL) were measured in calves-of-the-year. Congener group profile in the samples showed that the predominant carbon chain length was C11, followed by C10 = C12 > C13. Further investigation is needed in order to evaluate the presence and distribution of SCCPs in the remote Antarctica ecosystem, and delineate longer term environmental consequences of recent inclusion of SCCPs under Annex A of the Stockholm Convention, securing their phase out in ratifying nations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Valeria Casà
- Environmental Futures Research Institute (EFRI), School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, 170 Kessels Rd, Nathan QLD, 4111, Australia.
| | - Louise M van Mourik
- Dept. of Environment and Health (E&H), Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1087, 1081, HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences, The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, 4102, QLD, Australia
| | - Liesbeth Weijs
- Australian Rivers Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Southport QLD, 4222, Australia
| | - Jochen Mueller
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences, The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, 4102, QLD, Australia
| | - Susan Bengtson Nash
- Environmental Futures Research Institute (EFRI), School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, 170 Kessels Rd, Nathan QLD, 4111, Australia
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Bouchard B, Barnagaud JY, Poupard M, Glotin H, Gauffier P, Torres Ortiz S, Lisney TJ, Campagna S, Rasmussen M, Célérier A. Behavioural responses of humpback whales to food-related chemical stimuli. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0212515. [PMID: 30807595 PMCID: PMC6391047 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0212515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Baleen whales face the challenge of finding patchily distributed food in the open ocean. Their relatively well-developed olfactory structures suggest that they could identify the specific odours given off by planktonic prey such as krill aggregations. Like other marine predators, they may also detect dimethyl sulfide (DMS), a chemical released in areas of high marine productivity. However, dedicated behavioural studies still have to be conducted in baleen whales in order to confirm the involvement of chemoreception in their feeding ecology. We implemented 56 behavioural response experiments in humpback whales using two food-related chemical stimuli, krill extract and DMS, as well as their respective controls (orange clay and vegetable oil) in their breeding (Madagascar) and feeding grounds (Iceland and Antarctic Peninsula). The whales approached the stimulus area and stayed longer in the trial zone during krill extract trials compared to control trials, suggesting that they were attracted to the chemical source and spent time exploring its surroundings, probably in search of prey. This response was observed in Iceland, and to a lesser extend in Madagascar, but not in Antarctica. Surface behaviours indicative of sensory exploration, such as diving under the stimulus area and stopping navigation, were also observed more often during krill extract trials than during control trials. Exposure to DMS did not elicit such exploration behaviours in any of the study areas. However, acoustic analyses suggest that DMS and krill extract both modified the whales' acoustic activity in Madagascar. Altogether, these results provide the first behavioural evidence that baleen whales actually perceive prey-derived chemical cues over distances of several hundred metres. Chemoreception, especially olfaction, could thus be used for locating prey aggregations and for navigation at sea, as it has been shown in other marine predators including seabirds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bertrand Bouchard
- Behavioural Ecology Group, CEFE UMR 5175, CNRS–Université de Montpellier–Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier–EPHE, Montpellier, France
- Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Jean-Yves Barnagaud
- Behavioural Ecology Group, CEFE UMR 5175, CNRS–Université de Montpellier–Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier–EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - Marion Poupard
- DYNI team, LIS, Université de Toulon, Université Aix-Marseille, CNRS, Marseille, France
| | - Hervé Glotin
- DYNI team, LIS, Université de Toulon, Université Aix-Marseille, CNRS, Marseille, France
| | - Pauline Gauffier
- CIRCE, Conservation, Information and Research on Cetaceans, Algeciras-Pelayo, Cadiz, Spain
| | - Sara Torres Ortiz
- Marine Biological Research Centre, Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Kerteminde, Denmark
| | - Thomas J. Lisney
- Behavioural Ecology Group, CEFE UMR 5175, CNRS–Université de Montpellier–Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier–EPHE, Montpellier, France
- Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | | | | | - Aurélie Célérier
- Behavioural Ecology Group, CEFE UMR 5175, CNRS–Université de Montpellier–Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier–EPHE, Montpellier, France
- Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
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Werth AJ, Rita D, Rosario MV, Moore MJ, Sformo TL. How do baleen whales stow their filter? A comparative biomechanical analysis of baleen bending. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 221:jeb.189233. [PMID: 30337355 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.189233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 10/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Bowhead and right whale (balaenid) baleen filtering plates, longer in vertical dimension (≥3-4 m) than the closed mouth, presumably bend during gape closure. This has not been observed in live whales, even with scrutiny of video-recorded feeding sequences. To determine what happens to the baleen during gape closure, we conducted an integrative, multifactorial study including materials testing, functional (flow tank and kinematic) testing and histological examination. We measured baleen bending properties along the dorsoventral length of plates and anteroposterior location within a rack of plates via mechanical (axial bending, composite flexure, compression and tension) tests of hydrated and air-dried tissue samples from balaenid and other whale baleen. Balaenid baleen is remarkably strong yet pliable, with ductile fringes, and low stiffness and high elasticity when wet; it likely bends in the closed mouth when not used for filtration. Calculation of flexural modulus from stress/strain experiments shows that the balaenid baleen is slightly more flexible where it emerges from the gums and at its ventral terminus, but kinematic analysis indicates plates bend evenly along their whole length. Fin and humpback whale baleen has similar material properties but less flexibility, with no dorsoventral variation. The internal horn tubes have greater external and hollow luminal diameter but lower density in the lateral relative to medial baleen of bowhead and fin whales, suggesting a greater capacity for lateral bending. Baleen bending has major consequences not only for feeding morphology and energetics but also for conservation given that entanglement in fishing gear is a leading cause of whale mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander J Werth
- Department of Biology, Hampden-Sydney College, Hampden-Sydney, VA 23943, USA
| | - Diego Rita
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology, and Environmental Science, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Michael V Rosario
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Michael J Moore
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | - Todd L Sformo
- Department of Wildlife Management, North Slope Borough, Barrow, AK 99723, USA.,Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
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Hunt KE, Lysiak NSJ, Matthews CJD, Lowe C, Fernández Ajó A, Dillon D, Willing C, Heide-Jørgensen MP, Ferguson SH, Moore MJ, Buck CL. Multi-year patterns in testosterone, cortisol and corticosterone in baleen from adult males of three whale species. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2018; 6:coy049. [PMID: 30254748 PMCID: PMC6148970 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coy049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2018] [Revised: 08/05/2018] [Accepted: 09/01/2018] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Male baleen whales have long been suspected to have annual cycles in testosterone, but due to difficulty in collecting endocrine samples, little direct evidence exists to confirm this hypothesis. Potential influences of stress or adrenal stress hormones (cortisol, corticosterone) on male reproduction have also been difficult to study. Baleen has recently been shown to accumulate steroid hormones during growth, such that a single baleen plate contains a continuous, multi-year retrospective record of the whale's endocrine history. As a preliminary investigation into potential testosterone cyclicity in male whales and influences of stress, we determined patterns in immunoreactive testosterone, two glucocorticoids (cortisol and corticosterone), and stable-isotope (SI) ratios, across the full length of baleen plates from a bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus), a North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) and a blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus), all adult males. Baleen was subsampled at 2 cm (bowhead, right) or 1 cm (blue) intervals and hormones were extracted from baleen powder with methanol, followed by quantification of all three hormones using enzyme immunoassays validated for baleen extract of these species. Baleen of all three males contained regularly spaced peaks in testosterone content, with number and spacing of testosterone peaks corresponding well to SI data and to species-specific estimates of annual baleen growth rate. Cortisol and corticosterone exhibited some peaks that co-occurred with testosterone peaks, while other glucocorticoid peaks occurred independent of testosterone peaks. The right whale had unusually high glucocorticoids during a period with a known entanglement in fishing gear and a possible disease episode; in the subsequent year, testosterone was unusually low. Further study of baleen testosterone patterns in male whales could help clarify conservation- and management-related questions such as age of sexual maturity, location and season of breeding, and the potential effect of anthropogenic and natural stressors on male testosterone cycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen E Hunt
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Bioengineering Innovation, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Nadine S J Lysiak
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Cory J D Matthews
- Arctic Aquatic Research Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Carley Lowe
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Bioengineering Innovation, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Alejandro Fernández Ajó
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Bioengineering Innovation, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Danielle Dillon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Bioengineering Innovation, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Cornelia Willing
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | | | - Steven H Ferguson
- Arctic Aquatic Research Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Michael J Moore
- Marine Mammal Center, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - C Loren Buck
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Bioengineering Innovation, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
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Humpback whale migrations to Antarctic summer foraging grounds through the southwest Pacific Ocean. Sci Rep 2018; 8:12333. [PMID: 30120303 PMCID: PMC6098068 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-30748-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) populations typically undertake seasonal migrations, spending winters in low latitude breeding grounds and summers foraging in high latitude feeding grounds. Until recently, a broad scale understanding of whale movement has been derived from whaling records, Discovery marks, photo identification and genetic analyses. However, with advances in satellite tagging technology and concurrent development of analytical methodologies we can now detail finer scale humpback whale movement, infer behavioural context and examine how these animals interact with their physical environment. Here we describe the temporal and spatial characteristics of migration along the east Australian seaboard and into the Southern Ocean by 30 humpback whales satellite tagged over three consecutive austral summers. We characterise the putative Antarctic feeding grounds and identify supplemental foraging within temperate, migratory corridors. We demonstrate that Antarctic foraging habitat is associated with the marginal ice zone, with key predictors of inferred foraging behaviour including distance from the ice edge, ice melt rate and variability in ice concentration two months prior to arrival. We discuss the highly variable ice season within the putative foraging habitat and the implications that this and other environmental factors may have on the continued strong recovery of this humpback whale population.
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García-Vernet R, Sant P, Víkingsson G, Borrell A, Aguilar A. Are stable isotope ratios and oscillations consistent in all baleen plates along the filtering apparatus? Validation of an increasingly used methodology. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2018; 32:1257-1262. [PMID: 29777557 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.8169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2017] [Revised: 05/09/2018] [Accepted: 05/09/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Baleen plates are anatomical structures composed of inert tissue that hang from the upper jaw in mysticetes. Baleen plates may differ in size and in coloration between different segments of the filtering row or between sides of the mouth. Concern has been raised that variation in baleen plate characteristics may reflect dissimilar structural composition and growth rates liable to affect stable isotope ratios and their oscillation patterns. METHODS We measured stable carbon (δ13 C values) and nitrogen (δ15 N values) isotope ratios at intervals of 1 cm along the longitudinal axis of six baleen plates collected from different positions along the mouth of a fin whale. All samples were analysed using a continuous flow isotope ratio mass spectrometer. Generalized additive models were fitted to the data from each baleen plate and the results of the models were compared visually. RESULTS A total of 206 samples were analysed. Visually, all baleen plates presented nearly identical oscillations, independent of the position or the coloration of the baleen plate. However, the variation in δ13 C and δ15 N values occurring between the different baleen plates was higher in the segments of oscillations exhibiting steeper slopes. CONCLUSIONS Differences in size between plates in an individual are due to differential erosion rates according to their position in the mouth. Therefore, the position of sampling along the baleen plate row should not be a reason for concern when conducting stable isotope studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel García-Vernet
- Institute of Biodiversity Research (IRBio) and Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pol Sant
- Institute of Biodiversity Research (IRBio) and Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gísli Víkingsson
- Marine and Freshwater Research Institute, PO Box 1390, Skúlagata 4, 121, Reykjavík, Iceland
| | - Asunción Borrell
- Institute of Biodiversity Research (IRBio) and Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alex Aguilar
- Institute of Biodiversity Research (IRBio) and Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
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Pomerleau C, Matthews CJD, Gobeil C, Stern GA, Ferguson SH, Macdonald RW. Mercury and stable isotope cycles in baleen plates are consistent with year-round feeding in two bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) populations. Polar Biol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-018-2329-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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Bengtson Nash SM, Castrillon J, Eisenmann P, Fry B, Shuker JD, Cropp RA, Dawson A, Bignert A, Bohlin-Nizzetto P, Waugh CA, Polkinghorne BJ, Dalle Luche G, McLagan D. Signals from the south; humpback whales carry messages of Antarctic sea-ice ecosystem variability. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2018; 24:1500-1510. [PMID: 29284198 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2017] [Revised: 11/08/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Southern hemisphere humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) rely on summer prey abundance of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) to fuel one of the longest-known mammalian migrations on the planet. It is hypothesized that this species, already adapted to endure metabolic extremes, will be one of the first Antarctic consumers to show measurable physiological change in response to fluctuating prey availability in a changing climate; and as such, a powerful sentinel candidate for the Antarctic sea-ice ecosystem. Here, we targeted the sentinel parameters of humpback whale adiposity and diet, using novel, as well as established, chemical and biochemical markers, and assembled a time trend spanning 8 years. We show the synchronous, inter-annual oscillation of two measures of humpback whale adiposity with Southern Ocean environmental variables and climate indices. Furthermore, bulk stable isotope signatures provide clear indication of dietary compensation strategies, or a lower trophic level isotopic change, following years indicated as leaner years for the whales. The observed synchronicity of humpback whale adiposity and dietary markers, with climate patterns in the Southern Ocean, lends strength to the role of humpback whales as powerful Antarctic sea-ice ecosystem sentinels. The work carries significant potential to reform current ecosystem surveillance in the Antarctic region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan M Bengtson Nash
- Southern Ocean Persistent Organic Pollutants Program, The Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, Qld, Australia
| | - Juliana Castrillon
- Southern Ocean Persistent Organic Pollutants Program, The Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, Qld, Australia
| | - Pascale Eisenmann
- Southern Ocean Persistent Organic Pollutants Program, The Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, Qld, Australia
| | - Brian Fry
- The Australian River's Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, Qld, Australia
| | - Jon D Shuker
- eResearch Services, Griffith University, Brisbane, Qld, Australia
| | - Roger A Cropp
- School of Environment, Griffith University, Brisbane, Qld, Australia
| | - Amanda Dawson
- Southern Ocean Persistent Organic Pollutants Program, The Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, Qld, Australia
| | | | | | - Courtney A Waugh
- Southern Ocean Persistent Organic Pollutants Program, The Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, Qld, Australia
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | | | - Greta Dalle Luche
- Southern Ocean Persistent Organic Pollutants Program, The Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, Qld, Australia
| | - David McLagan
- Southern Ocean Persistent Organic Pollutants Program, The Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, Qld, Australia
- University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Eisenmann P, Fry B, Mazumder D, Jacobsen G, Holyoake CS, Coughran D, Bengtson Nash S. Radiocarbon as a Novel Tracer of Extra-Antarctic Feeding in Southern Hemisphere Humpback Whales. Sci Rep 2017; 7:4366. [PMID: 28663586 PMCID: PMC5491506 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-04698-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2016] [Accepted: 05/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Bulk stable isotope analysis provides information regarding food web interactions, and has been applied to several cetacean species for the study of migration ecology. One limitation in bulk stable isotope analysis arises when a species, such as Southern hemisphere humpback whales, utilises geographically distinct food webs with differing isotopic baselines. Migrations to areas with different baselines can result in isotopic changes that mimic changes in feeding relations, leading to ambiguous food web interpretations. Here, we demonstrate the novel application of radiocarbon measurement for the resolution of such ambiguities. Radiocarbon was measured in baleen plates from humpback whales stranded in Australia between 2007 and 2013, and in skin samples collected in Australia and Antarctica from stranded and free-ranging animals. Radiocarbon measurements showed lower values for Southern Ocean feeding than for extra-Antarctic feeding in Australian waters. While the whales mostly relied on Antarctic-derived energy stores during their annual migration, there was some evidence of feeding within temperate zone waters in some individuals. This work, to our knowledge, provides the first definitive biochemical evidence for supplementary feeding by southern hemisphere humpback whales within temperate waters during migration. Further, the work contributes a powerful new tool (radiocarbon) for tracing source regions and geographical feeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascale Eisenmann
- Griffith University, Environmental Futures Research Institute (EFRI), Southern Ocean Persistent Organic Pollutants (SOPOPP), Brisbane, QLD 4111, Australia.
| | - Brian Fry
- Griffith University, Australian Rivers Institute (ARI), Brisbane, QLD 4111, Australia
| | - Debashish Mazumder
- Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), Lucas Heights, NSW 2234, Australia
| | - Geraldine Jacobsen
- Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), Lucas Heights, NSW 2234, Australia
| | | | - Douglas Coughran
- Department of Parks and Wildlife, Kensington, WA 6151, Australia
| | - Susan Bengtson Nash
- Griffith University, Environmental Futures Research Institute (EFRI), Southern Ocean Persistent Organic Pollutants (SOPOPP), Brisbane, QLD 4111, Australia
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Hunt KE, Lysiak NS, Robbins J, Moore MJ, Seton RE, Torres L, Buck CL. Multiple steroid and thyroid hormones detected in baleen from eight whale species. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2017; 5:cox061. [PMID: 29230292 PMCID: PMC5691779 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/cox061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2017] [Revised: 09/20/2017] [Accepted: 10/18/2017] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies have demonstrated that some hormones are present in baleen powder from bowhead (Balaena mysticetus) and North Atlantic right (Eubalaena glacialis) whales. To test the potential generalizability of this technique for studies of stress and reproduction in large whales, we sought to determine whether all major classes of steroid and thyroid hormones are detectable in baleen, and whether these hormones are detectable in other mysticetes. Powdered baleen samples were recovered from single specimens of North Atlantic right, bowhead, blue (Balaenoptera [B.]musculus), sei (B. borealis), minke (B. acutorostrata), fin (B. physalus), humpback (Megaptera novaeangliae) and gray (Eschrichtius robustus) whales. Hormones were extracted with a methanol vortex method, after which we tested all species with commercial enzyme immunoassays (EIAs, Arbor Assays) for progesterone, testosterone, 17β-estradiol, cortisol, corticosterone, aldosterone, thyroxine and tri-iodothyronine, representing a wide array of steroid and thyroid hormones of interest for whale physiology research. In total, 64 parallelism tests (8 species × 8 hormones) were evaluated to verify good binding affinity of the assay antibodies to hormones in baleen. We also tested assay accuracy, although available sample volume limited this test to progesterone, testosterone and cortisol. All tested hormones were detectable in baleen powder of all species, and all assays passed parallelism and accuracy tests. Although only single individuals were tested, the consistent detectability of all hormones in all species indicates that baleen hormone analysis is likely applicable to a broad range of mysticetes, and that the EIA kits tested here perform well with baleen extract. Quantification of hormones in baleen may be a suitable technique with which to explore questions that have historically been difficult to address in large whales, including pregnancy and inter-calving interval, age of sexual maturation, timing and duration of seasonal reproductive cycles, adrenal physiology and metabolic rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen E Hunt
- Biological Sciences & Center for Bioengineering Innovation, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
- Corresponding author: Biological Sciences & Center for Bioengineering Innovation, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff AZ 86011, USA. Tel (cell): +1-928-523-0634;
| | | | | | - Michael J Moore
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | | | - Leigh Torres
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Newport, OR, USA
| | - C Loren Buck
- Biological Sciences & Center for Bioengineering Innovation, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
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Das K, Malarvannan G, Dirtu A, Dulau V, Dumont M, Lepoint G, Mongin P, Covaci A. Linking pollutant exposure of humpback whales breeding in the Indian Ocean to their feeding habits and feeding areas off Antarctica. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2017; 220:1090-1099. [PMID: 27884466 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2016.11.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2016] [Revised: 11/10/2016] [Accepted: 11/10/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Humpback whales, Megaptera novaeangliae, breeding off la Reunion Island (Indian Ocean) undergo large-scale seasonal migrations between summer feeding grounds near Antarctica and their reproductive winter grounds in the Indian Ocean. The main scope of the current study was to investigate chemical exposure of humpback whales breeding in the Indian Ocean by providing the first published data on this breeding stock concerning persistent organic pollutants (POPs), namely polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), DDT and its metabolites (DDTs), chlordane compounds (CHLs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and methoxylated PBDEs (MeO-PBDEs). Analyses of stable isotopes δ13C and δ15N in skin resulted in further insight in their feeding ecology, which was in agreement with a diet focused mainly on low trophic level prey species, such as krill from Antarctica. POPs were measured in all humpback whales in the order of HCB > DDTs > CHLs > HCHs > PCBs > PBDEs > MeO-BDEs. HCB (median: 24 ng g-1 lw) and DDTs (median: 7.7 ng g-1 lw) were the predominant compounds in all whale biopsies. Among DDT compounds, p,p'-DDE was the major organohalogenated pollutant, reflecting its long-term accumulation in humpback whales. Significantly lower concentrations of HCB and DDTs were found in females than in males (p < 0.001). Other compounds were similar between the two genders (p > 0.05). Differences in the HCB and DDTs suggested gender-specific transfer of some compounds to the offspring. POP concentrations were lower than previously reported results for humpback whales sampled near the Antarctic Peninsula, suggesting potential influence of their nutritional status and may indicate different exposures of the whales according to their feeding zones. Further investigations are required to assess exposure of southern humpback whales throughout their feeding zones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krishna Das
- Laboratory of Oceanology-MARE, University of Liege, 4000 Liege, Belgium.
| | - Govindan Malarvannan
- Toxicological Centre, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Alin Dirtu
- Toxicological Centre, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; Department of Chemistry, "Al. I. Cuza" University of Iasi, 700506 Iasi, Romania
| | - Violaine Dulau
- Groupe Local d'Observation et d'Identification des Cétacés (GLOBICE), 30 Chemin Parc Cabris, Grand Bois, 97 410 Saint Pierre, Reunion
| | - Magali Dumont
- Laboratory of Oceanology-MARE, University of Liege, 4000 Liege, Belgium
| | - Gilles Lepoint
- Laboratory of Oceanology-MARE, University of Liege, 4000 Liege, Belgium
| | - Philippe Mongin
- BNOI-ONCFS, Parc de la Providence, 97400 Saint-Denis, Reunion
| | - Adrian Covaci
- Toxicological Centre, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
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Maldonado MT, Surma S, Pakhomov EA. Southern Ocean biological iron cycling in the pre-whaling and present ecosystems. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2016; 374:rsta.2015.0292. [PMID: 29035257 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2015.0292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/17/2016] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to create the first model of biological iron (Fe) cycling in the Southern Ocean food web. Two biomass mass-balanced Ecopath models were built to represent pre- and post-whaling ecosystem states (1900 and 2008). Functional group biomasses (tonnes wet weight km-2) were converted to biogenic Fe pools (kg Fe km-2) using published Fe content ranges. In both models, biogenic Fe pools and consumption in the pelagic Southern Ocean were highest for plankton and small nektonic groups. The production of plankton biomass, particularly unicellular groups, accounted for the highest annual Fe demand. Microzooplankton contributed most to biological Fe recycling, followed by carnivorous zooplankton and krill. Biological Fe recycling matched previous estimates, and, under most conditions, could entirely meet the Fe demand of bacterioplankton and phytoplankton. Iron recycling by large baleen whales was reduced 10-fold by whaling between 1900 and 2008. However, even under the 1900 scenario, the contribution of whales to biological Fe recycling was negligible compared with that of planktonic consumers. These models are a first step in examining oceanic-scale biological Fe cycling, highlighting gaps in our present knowledge and key questions for future research on the role of marine food webs in the cycling of trace elements in the sea.This article is part of the themed issue 'Biological and climatic impacts of ocean trace element chemistry'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria T Maldonado
- Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, University of British Columbia, 2207 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z4
| | - Szymon Surma
- Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, 2202 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z4
| | - Evgeny A Pakhomov
- Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, University of British Columbia, 2207 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z4
- Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, 2202 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z4
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