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Lynn SE, Kern MD, Cagwin N, Will A, Kitaysky A. Effects of cooling on thyroid hormone secretion and growth of eastern bluebird (Sialia sialis) nestlings. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2024; 347:114421. [PMID: 38081466 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2023.114421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2024]
Abstract
Achieving endothermic homeothermy is a critical aspect of avian development. In pre-homeothermic altricial nestlings, variation in parental brooding behavior results in variable exposure of nestlings to cooling, with consequences for the developing endocrine system. Nestlings facing repeated cooling challenges may benefit from upregulation of thyroid hormone secretion, allowing for earlier onset of thermoregulatory capability to mitigate the potentially negative effects of exposure to non-optimal temperatures during development. We examined the effects of (1) a single cooling challenge on thyroid hormone secretion in pre-homeothermic nestlings, and (2) repeated cooling challenges prior to the onset of homeothermy on nestling growth and thyroid hormone secretion prior to fledging. We found that pre-homeothermic eastern bluebird nestlings exposed to a single cooling challenge increased circulating triiodothyronine (T3), demonstrating that the thyroid system can be activated by cooling early in life. However, we found no consequences of repeated cooling during the first week of life on nestling growth or baseline T3 levels prior to fledging. This work addresses how the nestling hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis responds to acute cooling challenges prior to the development of endothermic homeothermy; future work will confirm whether such responses allow nestlings to hasten the onset of physiological thermoregulation when conditions demand it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon E Lynn
- The College of Wooster, Department of Biology, 931 College Mall, Wooster, OH 44691, United States.
| | - Michael D Kern
- The College of Wooster, Department of Biology, 931 College Mall, Wooster, OH 44691, United States
| | - Nathan Cagwin
- University of Alaska Fairbanks, Institute of Arctic Biology, Department of Biology & Wildlife, Fairbanks, AK 99708, United States
| | - Alexis Will
- University of Alaska Fairbanks, Institute of Arctic Biology, Department of Biology & Wildlife, Fairbanks, AK 99708, United States; World Wildlife Fund, US Arctic Program, 810 N Street, Anchorage, AK 99501, United States
| | - Alexander Kitaysky
- University of Alaska Fairbanks, Institute of Arctic Biology, Department of Biology & Wildlife, Fairbanks, AK 99708, United States
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2
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Mikes M, Rice SA, Bibus D, Kitaysky A, Drew KL. Translating PUFA omega 6:3 ratios from wild to captive hibernators (Urocitellus parryii) enhances sex-dependent mass-gain without increasing physiological stress indicators. J Comp Physiol B 2022; 192:529-540. [PMID: 35503574 PMCID: PMC9197884 DOI: 10.1007/s00360-022-01437-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 03/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are well-documented for their influence on health and weight loss. Recent studies indicate omega 3 PUFAs may exert a negative impact on cellular stress and physiology in some hibernators. We asked if physiological stress indicators, lipid peroxidation and mass gain in Arctic Ground Squirrels (AGS) were negatively influenced by naturally occurring dietary omega 3 PUFA levels compared to omega 3 PUFA levels found in common laboratory diets. We found plasma fatty acid profiles of free-ranging AGS to be high in omega 3 PUFAs with balanced omega 6:3 ratios, while standard laboratory diets and plasma of captive AGS are high in omega 6 and low in omega 3 PUFAs with higher omega 6:3 ratios. Subsequently, we designed a diet to mimick free-range AGS omega 6:3 ratios in captive AGS. Groups of wild-caught juvenile AGS were either fed: (1) Mazuri Rodent Chow (Standard Rodent chow, 4.95 omega 6:3 ratio), or (2) balanced omega 6:3 chow (Balanced Diet, 1.38 omega 6:3). AGS fed the Balanced Diet had plasma omega 6:3 ratios that mimicked plasma profiles of wild AGS. Balanced Diet increased female body mass before hibernation, but did not influence levels of cortisol in plasma or levels of the lipid peroxidation product 4-HNE in brown adipose tissue. Overall, as the mass gain is critical during pre-hibernation for obligate hibernators, the results show that mimicking a fatty acid profile of wild AGS facilitates sex-dependent mass accumulation without increasing stress indicators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Mikes
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA.,Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA
| | - Sarah A Rice
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA. .,Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA.
| | - Doug Bibus
- Lipid Technologies, LLC, Austin, MN, USA
| | - Alexander Kitaysky
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA.,Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA
| | - Kelly L Drew
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA.,Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA
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3
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Lynn SE, Kern MD, Fitzgerald K, Will A, Kitaysky A. Cooling increases corticosterone deposition in feathers of eastern bluebird chicks. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2022; 320:114001. [PMID: 35183499 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2022.114001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to noxious stimuli early in life can both activate and shape the development of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in birds and other vertebrates, with the potential for lifelong consequences. Studies assessing early HPA axis activation often rely on collection of blood samples to evaluate circulating glucocorticoid levels. However, blood sampling in small altricial young is invasive, limited by animal size, and not sufficient to provide detailed information about hormone exposure over protracted periods of time. We tested the use of feather corticosterone as an alternative method to assess HPA axis activity early in life in free-living, altricial chicks, for whom timing of growth of first feathers coincides with a period of rapid growth, development of the HPA axis, and reliance on parental care. We investigated (1) whether ecologically relevant bouts of experimental cooling prior to the onset of homeothermy-conditions known to elevate circulating corticosterone-are reflected in changes of feather corticosterone deposition in Eastern bluebird (Sialia sialis) chicks, and (2) whether such changes occurred in a sex-dependent manner. We found that cooling during the first week of life resulted in elevated feather corticosterone in first-grown feathers of experimentally cooled chicks relative to controls. The timing of deposition of corticosterone in feathers in response to temperature treatments was delayed in females compared to males. Results indicate that the hormone deposition in feather tissues of altricial nestlings reflects exposure to environmental stimuli, and can thus provide a minimally invasive tool for assessing HPA activity in early life. The development of the HPA axis, or its activation in response to environmental stimuli early in life, may also occur in a sex-dependent manner in altricial birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon E Lynn
- The College of Wooster, Department of Biology, 931 College Mall, Wooster, OH 44691, USA.
| | - Michael D Kern
- The College of Wooster, Department of Biology, 931 College Mall, Wooster, OH 44691, USA
| | - Kimberly Fitzgerald
- University of Alaska Fairbanks, Institute of Arctic Biology, Department of Biology & Wildlife, Fairbanks, AK 99708, USA
| | - Alexis Will
- University of Alaska Fairbanks, Institute of Arctic Biology, Department of Biology & Wildlife, Fairbanks, AK 99708, USA
| | - Alexander Kitaysky
- University of Alaska Fairbanks, Institute of Arctic Biology, Department of Biology & Wildlife, Fairbanks, AK 99708, USA
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4
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Carravieri A, Vincze O, Bustamante P, Ackerman JT, Adams EM, Angelier F, Chastel O, Cherel Y, Gilg O, Golubova E, Kitaysky A, Luff K, Seewagen CL, Strøm H, Will AP, Yannic G, Giraudeau M, Fort J. Quantitative meta-analysis reveals no association between mercury contamination and body condition in birds. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:1253-1271. [PMID: 35174617 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Mercury contamination is a major threat to the global environment, and is still increasing in some regions despite international regulations. The methylated form of mercury is hazardous to biota, yet its sublethal effects are difficult to detect in wildlife. Body condition can vary in response to stressors, but previous studies have shown mixed effects of mercury on body condition in wildlife. Using birds as study organisms, we provide the first quantitative synthesis of the effect of mercury on body condition in animals. In addition, we explored the influence of intrinsic, extrinsic and methodological factors potentially explaining cross-study heterogeneity in results. We considered experimental and correlative studies carried out in adult birds and chicks, and mercury exposure inferred from blood and feathers. Most experimental investigations (90%) showed a significant relationship between mercury concentrations and body condition. Experimental exposure to mercury disrupted nutrient (fat) metabolism, metabolic rates, and food intake, resulting in either positive or negative associations with body condition. Correlative studies also showed either positive or negative associations, of which only 14% were statistically significant. Therefore, the overall effect of mercury concentrations on body condition was null in both experimental (estimate ± SE = 0.262 ± 0.309, 20 effect sizes, five species) and correlative studies (-0.011 ± 0.020, 315 effect sizes, 145 species). The single and interactive effects of age class and tissue type were accounted for in meta-analytic models of the correlative data set, since chicks and adults, as well as blood and feathers, are known to behave differently in terms of mercury accumulation and health effects. Of the 15 moderators tested, only wintering status explained cross-study heterogeneity in the correlative data set: free-ranging wintering birds were more likely to show a negative association between mercury and body condition. However, wintering effect sizes were limited to passerines, further studies should thus confirm this trend in other taxa. Collectively, our results suggest that (i) effects of mercury on body condition are weak and mostly detectable under controlled conditions, and (ii) body condition indices are unreliable indicators of mercury sublethal effects in the wild. Food availability, feeding rates and other sources of variation that are challenging to quantify likely confound the association between mercury and body condition in natura. Future studies could explore the metabolic effects of mercury further using designs that allow for the estimation and/or manipulation of food intake in both wild and captive birds, especially in under-represented life-history stages such as migration and overwintering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Carravieri
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, La Rochelle, 17000, France
| | - Orsolya Vincze
- Centre for Ecological Research-DRI, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, 18/C Bem tér, Debrecen, 4026, Hungary.,Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology, Babeş-Bolyai University, 5-7 Clinicilor street, Cluj-Napoca, 400006, Romania
| | - Paco Bustamante
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, La Rochelle, 17000, France.,Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), 1 rue Descartes, Paris, 75005, France
| | - Joshua T Ackerman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, 800 Business Park Drive, Suite D, Dixon, CA, 95620, U.S.A
| | - Evan M Adams
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME, 04103, U.S.A
| | - Frédéric Angelier
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 405 Route de Prissé la Charrière, Villiers-en-Bois, 79360, France
| | - Olivier Chastel
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 405 Route de Prissé la Charrière, Villiers-en-Bois, 79360, France
| | - Yves Cherel
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 405 Route de Prissé la Charrière, Villiers-en-Bois, 79360, France
| | - Olivier Gilg
- UMR 6249 CNRS-Chrono-environnement, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 16 route de Gray, Besançon, 25000, France.,Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique (GREA), 16 rue de Vernot, Francheville, 21440, France
| | - Elena Golubova
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique (GREA), 16 rue de Vernot, Francheville, 21440, France.,Institute of Biological Problems of the North, Russian Academy of Sciences, Portovaya Str., 18, Magadan, RU-685000, Russia
| | - Alexander Kitaysky
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2140 Koyukuk Drive, Fairbanks, AK, 99775, U.S.A
| | - Katelyn Luff
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E2, Canada
| | - Chad L Seewagen
- Great Hollow Nature Preserve and Ecological Research Center, 225 State Route 37, New Fairfield, CT, 06812, U.S.A
| | - Hallvard Strøm
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, Tromsø, NO-9296, Norway
| | - Alexis P Will
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2140 Koyukuk Drive, Fairbanks, AK, 99775, U.S.A
| | - Glenn Yannic
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique (GREA), 16 rue de Vernot, Francheville, 21440, France.,UMR 5553 CNRS-Université Grenoble Alpes, Université Savoie Mont Blanc, 2233 Rue de la Piscine, Saint-Martin d'Hères, Grenoble, 38000, France
| | - Mathieu Giraudeau
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, La Rochelle, 17000, France.,Centre de Recherches en Écologie et en Évolution de la Santé (CREES), MIVEGEC, UMR IRD 224-CNRS 5290-Université de Montpellier, Domaine La Valette, 900 rue Breton, Montpellier, 34090, France
| | - Jérôme Fort
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, La Rochelle, 17000, France
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5
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Albert C, Helgason HH, Brault-Favrou M, Robertson GJ, Descamps S, Amélineau F, Danielsen J, Dietz R, Elliott K, Erikstad KE, Eulaers I, Ezhov A, Fitzsimmons MG, Gavrilo M, Golubova E, Grémillet D, Hatch S, Huffeldt NP, Jakubas D, Kitaysky A, Kolbeinsson Y, Krasnov Y, Lorentsen SH, Lorentzen E, Mallory ML, Merkel B, Merkel FR, Montevecchi W, Mosbech A, Olsen B, Orben RA, Patterson A, Provencher J, Plumejeaud C, Pratte I, Reiertsen TK, Renner H, Rojek N, Romano M, Strøm H, Systad GH, Takahashi A, Thiebot JB, Thórarinsson TL, Will AP, Wojczulanis-Jakubas K, Bustamante P, Fort J. Seasonal variation of mercury contamination in Arctic seabirds: A pan-Arctic assessment. Sci Total Environ 2021; 750:142201. [PMID: 33182207 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Revised: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is a natural trace element found in high concentrations in top predators, including Arctic seabirds. Most current knowledge about Hg concentrations in Arctic seabirds relates to exposure during the summer breeding period when researchers can easily access seabirds at colonies. However, the few studies focused on winter have shown higher Hg concentrations during the non-breeding period than breeding period in several tissues. Hence, improving knowledge about Hg exposure during the non-breeding period is crucial to understanding the threats and risks encountered by these species year-round. We used feathers of nine migratory alcid species occurring at high latitudes to study bird Hg exposure during both the breeding and non-breeding periods. Overall, Hg concentrations during the non-breeding period were ~3 times higher than during the breeding period. In addition, spatial differences were apparent within and between the Atlantic and Pacific regions. While Hg concentrations during the non-breeding period were ~9 times and ~3 times higher than during the breeding period for the West and East Atlantic respectively, Hg concentrations in the Pacific during the non-breeding period were only ~1.7 times higher than during the breeding period. In addition, individual Hg concentrations during the non-breeding period for most of the seabird colonies were above 5 μg g-1 dry weight (dw), which is considered to be the threshold at which deleterious effects are observed, suggesting that some breeding populations might be vulnerable to non-breeding Hg exposure. Since wintering area locations, and migration routes may influence seasonal Hg concentrations, it is crucial to improve our knowledge about spatial ecotoxicology to fully understand the risks associated with Hg contamination in Arctic seabirds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Céline Albert
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, FR-17000 La Rochelle, France.
| | - Hálfdán Helgi Helgason
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Framcentre, Hjalmar Johansens Gate 14, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Maud Brault-Favrou
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, FR-17000 La Rochelle, France
| | - Gregory J Robertson
- Wildlife Research Division, Environment Climate Change Canada, 6 Bruce Street, Mount Pearl, NL A1N 4T3, Canada
| | - Sébastien Descamps
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Framcentre, Hjalmar Johansens Gate 14, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Françoise Amélineau
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE) UMR 5175, CNRS - Université de Montpellier - Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier - EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - Jóhannis Danielsen
- The Faroese Marine Research Institute, Nóatún 1, FO-100 Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
| | - Rune Dietz
- Aarhus University, Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Kyle Elliott
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Ste Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9, Canada
| | - Kjell Einar Erikstad
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), FRAM - High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment, PO Box 6606, Langnes, NO-9296, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Igor Eulaers
- Aarhus University, Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Alexey Ezhov
- Murmansk Marine Biological Institute, 17 Vladimirskaya street, 183010 Murmansk, Russia
| | - Michelle G Fitzsimmons
- Wildlife Research Division, Environment Climate Change Canada, 6 Bruce Street, Mount Pearl, NL A1N 4T3, Canada
| | - Maria Gavrilo
- Association Maritime Heritage, RU - 199106, Icebreaker "Krassin", The Lieutenant Schmidt emb., 23 Line, Saint-Petersburg, Russia; National Park Russian Arctic, RU-168000, Sovetskikh kosmonavtov ave., 57, Archangelsk, Russia
| | - Elena Golubova
- Laboratory of Ornithology, Institute of Biological Problems of the North, RU-685000 Magadan, Portovaya Str., 18, Russia
| | - David Grémillet
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE) UMR 5175, CNRS - Université de Montpellier - Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier - EPHE, Montpellier, France; FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, UCT, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa; Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372-CNRS, La Rochelle Université, France
| | - Scott Hatch
- Institute for Seabird Research and Conservation, Anchorage 99516-3185, AK, USA
| | - Nicholas P Huffeldt
- Aarhus University, Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Dariusz Jakubas
- University of Gdańsk, Faculty of Biology, Dept. of Vertebrate Ecology and Zoology, Wita Stwosza 59, PL-80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Alexander Kitaysky
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
| | - Yann Kolbeinsson
- Northeast Iceland Nature Research Centre, Hafnarstétt 3, 640 Húsavík, Iceland
| | - Yuri Krasnov
- Murmansk Marine Biological Institute, 17 Vladimirskaya street, 183010 Murmansk, Russia
| | - Svein-Håkon Lorentsen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Høgskoleringen 9, NO-7034 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Erlend Lorentzen
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Framcentre, Hjalmar Johansens Gate 14, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Mark L Mallory
- Acadia University, 33 Westwood Avenue, Wolfville B4P 2R6, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Benjamin Merkel
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Framcentre, Hjalmar Johansens Gate 14, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Flemming Ravn Merkel
- Aarhus University, Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark; Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 570, 3900 Nuuk, Greenland
| | - William Montevecchi
- Psychology Department, Memorial University, St. John's, Newfoundland A1M 2Y8, Canada
| | - Anders Mosbech
- Aarhus University, Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Bergur Olsen
- The Faroese Marine Research Institute, Nóatún 1, FO-100 Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
| | - Rachael A Orben
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Hatfield Marine Science Center, 2030 SE Marine Science Dr., Newport, OR 97365, USA
| | - Allison Patterson
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Ste Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9, Canada
| | - Jennifer Provencher
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Place Vincent Massey, 351 St. Joseph Blvd, Hull, Quebec K1A 0H3, Canada
| | - Christine Plumejeaud
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, FR-17000 La Rochelle, France
| | - Isabeau Pratte
- Acadia University, 33 Westwood Avenue, Wolfville B4P 2R6, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Tone Kristin Reiertsen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), FRAM - High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment, PO Box 6606, Langnes, NO-9296, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Heather Renner
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Alaska Maritime Wildlife Refuge, Homer, AK, USA
| | - Nora Rojek
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Alaska Maritime Wildlife Refuge, Homer, AK, USA
| | - Marc Romano
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Alaska Maritime Wildlife Refuge, Homer, AK, USA
| | - Hallvard Strøm
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Framcentre, Hjalmar Johansens Gate 14, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Geir Helge Systad
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Thormøhlensgate 55, N0-5006 Bergen, Norway
| | - Akinori Takahashi
- National Institute of Polar Research, 10-3, Midori-cho, Tachikawa, Tokyo 190-8518, Japan
| | - Jean-Baptiste Thiebot
- National Institute of Polar Research, 10-3, Midori-cho, Tachikawa, Tokyo 190-8518, Japan
| | | | - Alexis P Will
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
| | - Katarzyna Wojczulanis-Jakubas
- University of Gdańsk, Faculty of Biology, Dept. of Vertebrate Ecology and Zoology, Wita Stwosza 59, PL-80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Paco Bustamante
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, FR-17000 La Rochelle, France; Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), 1 rue Descartes, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Jérôme Fort
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, FR-17000 La Rochelle, France.
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6
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Will A, Thiebot JB, Ip HS, Shoogukwruk P, Annogiyuk M, Takahashi A, Shearn-Bochsler V, Killian ML, Torchetti M, Kitaysky A. Investigation of the 2018 thick-billed murre ( Uria lomvia) die-off on St. Lawrence Island rules out food shortage as the cause. Deep Sea Res 2 Top Stud Oceanogr 2020; 181-182:104879. [PMID: 33716412 PMCID: PMC7949294 DOI: 10.1016/j.dsr2.2020.104879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Die-offs of seabirds in Alaska have occurred with increased frequency since 2015. In 2018, on St. Lawrence Island, seabirds were reported washing up dead on beaches starting in late May, peaking in June, and continuing until early August. The cause of death was documented to be starvation, leading to the conclusion that a severe food shortage was to blame. We use physiology and colony-based observations to examine whether food shortage is a sufficient explanation for the die-off, or if evidence indicates an alternative cause of starvation such as disease. Specifically, we address what species were most affected, the timing of possible food shortages, and food shortage severity in a historical context. We found that thick-billed murres (Uria lomvia) were most affected by the die-off, making up 61% of all bird carcasses encountered during beach surveys. Thick-billed murre carcasses were proportionately more numerous (26:1) than would be expected based on ratios of thick-billed murres to co-occurring common murres (U. aalge) observed on breeding study plots (7:1). Concentrations of the stress hormone corticosterone, a reliable physiological indicator of nutritional stress, in thick-billed murre feathers grown in the fall indicate that foraging conditions in the northern Bering Sea were poor in the fall of 2017 and comparable in severity to those experienced by murres during the 1976-1977 Bering Sea regime shift. Concentrations of corticosterone in feathers grown during the pre-breeding molt indicate that foraging conditions in late winter 2018 were similar to previous years. The 2018 murre egg harvest in the village of Savoonga (on St. Lawrence Is.) was one-fifth the 1993-2012 average, and residents observed that fewer birds laid eggs in 2018. Exposure of thick-billed murres to nutritional stress in August, however, was no different in 2018 compared to 2016, 2017, and 2019, and was comparable to levels observed on St. George Island in 2003-2017. Prey abundance, measured by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in bottom-trawl surveys, was also similar in 2018 to 2017 and 2019, supporting the evidence that food was not scarce in the summer of 2018 in the vicinity of St. Lawrence Island. Of two moribund thick-billed murres collected at the end of the mortality event, one tested positive for a novel re-assortment H10 strain of avian influenza with Eurasian components, likely contracted during the non-breeding season. It is not currently known how widely spread infection of murres with the novel virus was, thus insufficient evidence exists to attribute the die-off to an outbreak of avian influenza. We conclude that food shortage alone is not an adequate explanation for the mortality of thick-billed murres in 2018, and highlight the importance of rapid response to mortality events in order to document alternative or confounding causes of mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis Will
- National Institute of Polar Research, Tokyo, Japan
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska
- Corresponding author: (A. Will)
| | | | - Hon S. Ip
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center., Madison, Wisconsin
| | | | | | | | | | - Mary Lea Killian
- National Veterinary Services Laboratories, United States Department of Agriculture, Ames, Iowa
| | - Mia Torchetti
- National Veterinary Services Laboratories, United States Department of Agriculture, Ames, Iowa
| | - Alexander Kitaysky
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska
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Will A, Wynne‐Edwards K, Zhou R, Kitaysky A. Of 11 candidate steroids, corticosterone concentration standardized for mass is the most reliable steroid biomarker of nutritional stress across different feather types. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:11930-11943. [PMID: 31695898 PMCID: PMC6822065 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Revised: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Measuring corticosterone in feathers has become an informative tool in avian ecology, enabling researchers to investigate carry-over effects and responses to environmental variability. Few studies have, however, explored whether corticosterone is the only hormone expressed in feathers and is the most indicative of environmental stress. Essential questions remain as to how to compare hormone concentrations across different types of feathers and whether preening adds steroids, applied after feather growth.We used liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry to quantify a suite of 11 steroid hormones in back, breast, tail, and primary feathers naturally grown at overlapping time intervals by rhinoceros auklet Cerorhinca monocerata captive-reared fledglings and wild-caught juveniles. The captive-reared birds were raised on either a restricted or control diet. Measured steroids included intermediates in the adrenal steroidogenesis pathway to glucocorticoids and the sex steroids pathway to androgens and estrogens.Corticosterone was detected in the majority of feathers of each type. We also detected cortisone in back feathers, androstenedione in breast feathers, and testosterone in primary feathers. Captive fledglings raised on a restricted diet had higher concentrations of corticosterone in all four feather types than captive fledglings raised on a control diet. Corticosterone concentrations were reliably repeatable across feather types when standardized for feather mass, but not for feather length. Of the seven hormones looked for in uropygial gland secretions, only corticosterone was detected in one out of 23 samples.We conclude that corticosterone is the best feather-steroid biomarker for detection of developmental nutritional stress, as it was the only hormone to manifest a signal of nutritional stress, and that exposure to stress can be compared among different feather types when corticosterone concentrations are standardized by feather mass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis Will
- Institute of Arctic BiologyUniversity of Alaska FairbanksFairbanksAlaska
| | | | - Ruokun Zhou
- Veterinary Medicine & Hotchkiss Brain InstituteUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryAlberta
| | - Alexander Kitaysky
- Institute of Arctic BiologyUniversity of Alaska FairbanksFairbanksAlaska
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Kokubun N, Yamamoto T, Kikuchi DM, Kitaysky A, Takahashi A. Nocturnal Foraging by Red-Legged Kittiwakes, a Surface Feeding Seabird That Relies on Deep Water Prey During Reproduction. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0138850. [PMID: 26465335 PMCID: PMC4605634 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0138850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2015] [Accepted: 09/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Narrow foraging specialization may increase the vulnerability of marine predators to climate change. The red-legged kittiwake (Rissa brevirostris) is endemic to the Bering Sea and has experienced drastic population fluctuations in recent decades, presumably due to climate-driven changes in food resources. Red-legged kittiwakes are presumed to be a nocturnal surface-foraging seabird that feed almost entirely on deep water Myctophidae fishes. However, there is little empirical evidence confirming their nocturnal foraging activity during the breeding season. This study investigated the foraging behavior of red-legged kittiwakes by combining GPS tracking, accelerometry, and dietary analyses at the world’s largest breeding colony of red-legged kittiwakes on St. George I. GPS tracking of 5 individuals revealed that 82.5% of non-flight behavior (including foraging and resting) occurred over the ocean basin (bottom depth >1,000 m). Acceleration data from 4 birds showed three types of behaviors during foraging trips: (1) flight, characterized by regular wing flapping, (2) resting on water, characterized by non-active behavior, and (3) foraging, when wing flapping was irregular. The proportions of both foraging and resting behaviors were higher at night (14.1 ± 7.1% and 20.8 ± 14.3%) compared to those during the day (6.5 ± 3.0% and 1.7 ± 2.7%). The mean duration of foraging (2.4 ± 2.9 min) was shorter than that of flight between prey patches (24.2 ± 53.1 min). Dietary analyses confirmed myctophids as the dominant prey (100% by occurrence and 98.4 ± 2.4% by wet-weight). Although the sample size was limited, these results suggest that breeding red-legged kittiwakes concentrated their foraging on myctophids available at the surface during nighttime in deep water regions. We propose that the diel patterns and ephemeral nature of their foraging activity reflected the availability of myctophids. Such foraging specialization may exacerbate the vulnerability of red-legged kittiwakes to climate change in the Bering Sea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nobuo Kokubun
- National Institute of Polar Research, 10-3 Midori-cho, Tachikawa, Tokyo, 190-8518, Japan; Department of Polar Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), 10-3 Midori-cho, Tachikawa, Tokyo, 190-8518, Japan
| | - Takashi Yamamoto
- National Institute of Polar Research, 10-3 Midori-cho, Tachikawa, Tokyo, 190-8518, Japan; Graduate School of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University, 3-1-1 Minato-cho, Hakodate, Hokkaido, 041-8611, Japan
| | - Dale M Kikuchi
- Department of Polar Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), 10-3 Midori-cho, Tachikawa, Tokyo, 190-8518, Japan
| | - Alexander Kitaysky
- Institute of Arctic Biology, Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Irving 311, Fairbanks, Alaska, 99503, United States of America
| | - Akinori Takahashi
- National Institute of Polar Research, 10-3 Midori-cho, Tachikawa, Tokyo, 190-8518, Japan; Department of Polar Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), 10-3 Midori-cho, Tachikawa, Tokyo, 190-8518, Japan
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Will A, Watanuki Y, Kikuchi DM, Sato N, Ito M, Callahan M, Wynne-Edwards K, Hatch S, Elliott K, Slater L, Takahashi A, Kitaysky A. Feather corticosterone reveals stress associated with dietary changes in a breeding seabird. Ecol Evol 2015; 5:4221-32. [PMID: 26664674 PMCID: PMC4667832 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2015] [Accepted: 08/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Changes in climate and anthropogenic pressures might affect the composition and abundance of forage fish in the world's oceans. The junk‐food hypothesis posits that dietary shifts that affect the quality (e.g., energy content) of food available to marine predators may impact their physiological state and consequently affect their fitness. Previously, we experimentally validated that deposition of the adrenocortical hormone, corticosterone, in feathers is a sensitive measure of nutritional stress in seabirds. Here, we use this method to examine how changes in diet composition and prey quality affect the nutritional status of free‐living rhinoceros auklets (Cerorhinca monocerata). Our study sites included the following: Teuri Is. Japan, Middleton Is. central Gulf of Alaska, and St. Lazaria Is. Southeast Alaska. In 2012 and 2013, we collected “bill loads” delivered by parents to feed their chicks (n = 758) to document dietary changes. We deployed time–depth–temperature recorders on breeding adults (n = 47) to evaluate whether changes in prey coincided with changes in foraging behavior. We measured concentrations of corticosterone in fledgling (n = 71) and adult breeders' (n = 82) feathers to determine how birds were affected by foraging conditions. We found that seasonal changes in diet composition occurred on each colony, adults dove deeper and engaged in longer foraging bouts when capturing larger prey and that chicks had higher concentrations of corticosterone in their feathers when adults brought back smaller and/or lower energy prey. Corticosterone levels in feathers of fledglings (grown during the breeding season) and those in feathers of adult breeders (grown during the postbreeding season) were positively correlated, indicating possible carryover effects. These results suggest that seabirds might experience increased levels of nutritional stress associated with moderate dietary changes and that physiological responses to changes in prey composition should be considered when evaluating the effect of prey quality on marine predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis Will
- Department of Biology and Wildlife Institute of Arctic Biology University of Alaska Fairbanks 311 N. Koyukuk Dr. Fairbanks Alaska 99775
| | - Yutaka Watanuki
- Graduate School of Fisheries Hokkaido University Minato-cho 3-1-1 Hakodate 041-8611 Japan
| | - Dale M Kikuchi
- National Institute of Polar Research Tachikawa Tokyo 190-8518 Japan
| | - Nobuhiko Sato
- National Institute of Polar Research Tachikawa Tokyo 190-8518 Japan
| | - Motohiro Ito
- Department of Polar Science SOKENDAI Tachikawa Tokyo 190-8518 Japan
| | - Matt Callahan
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Ted Stevens Research Institute 17109 Pt. Lena Loop Rd. Juneau Alaska
| | - Katherine Wynne-Edwards
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Hotchkiss Brain Institute University of Calgary HRIC 1B41 3330 Hospital Drive NW Calgary Alberta T2N 4N1 Canada
| | - Scott Hatch
- Institute for Seabird Research and Conservation 12850 Mountain Place Anchorage Alaska 99516
| | - Kyle Elliott
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences McGill University Ste Anne de Bellevue PQ H9X 3V9 Montreal Quebec Canada
| | - Leslie Slater
- Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge United States Fish and Wildlife Service 95 Sterling Hwy Suite 1 Homer Alaska 99603
| | - Akinori Takahashi
- National Institute of Polar Research Tachikawa Tokyo 190-8518 Japan ; Department of Polar Science SOKENDAI Tachikawa Tokyo 190-8518 Japan
| | - Alexander Kitaysky
- Department of Biology and Wildlife Institute of Arctic Biology University of Alaska Fairbanks 311 N. Koyukuk Dr. Fairbanks Alaska 99775
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Paredes R, Orben RA, Suryan RM, Irons DB, Roby DD, Harding AMA, Young RC, Benoit-Bird K, Ladd C, Renner H, Heppell S, Phillips RA, Kitaysky A. Foraging responses of black-legged kittiwakes to prolonged food-shortages around colonies on the Bering Sea shelf. PLoS One 2014; 9:e92520. [PMID: 24671108 PMCID: PMC3966792 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0092520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2013] [Accepted: 02/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We hypothesized that changes in southeastern Bering Sea foraging conditions for black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) have caused shifts in habitat use with direct implications for population trends. To test this, we compared at-sea distribution, breeding performance, and nutritional stress of kittiwakes in three years (2008–2010) at two sites in the Pribilof Islands, where the population has either declined (St. Paul) or remained stable (St. George). Foraging conditions were assessed from changes in (1) bird diets, (2) the biomass and distribution of juvenile pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) in 2008 and 2009, and (3) eddy kinetic energy (EKE; considered to be a proxy for oceanic prey availability). In years when biomass of juvenile pollock was low and patchily distributed in shelf regions, kittiwake diets included little or no neritic prey and a much higher occurrence of oceanic prey (e.g. myctophids). Birds from both islands foraged on the nearby shelves, or made substantially longer-distance trips overnight to the basin. Here, feeding was more nocturnal and crepuscular than on the shelf, and often occurred near anticyclonic, or inside cyclonic eddies. As expected from colony location, birds from St. Paul used neritic waters more frequently, whereas birds from St. George typically foraged in oceanic waters. Despite these distinctive foraging patterns, there were no significant differences between colonies in chick feeding rates or fledging success. High EKE in 2010 coincided with a 63% increase in use of the basin by birds from St. Paul compared with 2008 when EKE was low. Nonetheless, adult nutritional stress, which was relatively high across years at both colonies, peaked in birds from St. Paul in 2010. Diminishing food resources in nearby shelf habitats may have contributed to kittiwake population declines at St Paul, possibly driven by increased adult mortality or breeding desertion due to high foraging effort and nutritional stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosana Paredes
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Rachael A. Orben
- Ocean Sciences Department, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - Robert M. Suryan
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Newport, Oregon, United States of America
| | - David B. Irons
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Anchorage, Alaska, United States of America
| | - Daniel D. Roby
- U.S. Geological Survey-Oregon Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Ann M. A. Harding
- Environmental Science Department, Alaska Pacific University, Anchorage, Alaska, United States of America
| | - Rebecca C. Young
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, United States of America
| | - Kelly Benoit-Bird
- College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Carol Ladd
- Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Heather Renner
- Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Homer, Alaska, United States of America
| | - Scott Heppell
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Richard A. Phillips
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Alexander Kitaysky
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, United States of America
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Abstract
Life-history theory predicts that suboptimal developmental conditions may lead to faster life histories (younger age at recruitment and higher reproductive investment), but experimental testing of this prediction is still scarce in long-lived species. We report the effects of an experimental manipulation of food availability during early development and at recruitment on the onset of reproduction and reproductive performance (productivity at first breeding) in a long-lived seabird, the black-legged kittiwake Rissa tridactyla, breeding on Middleton Island, Alaska. Birds were born and raised in nests with supplemented food ('fed') or unsupplemented control nests ('unfed'), and later recruited into either fed or unfed nests. Fed chicks grew faster than unfed chicks, and males grew faster than females. Birds were more likely to reproduce at younger ages when recruiting into fed nests. Faster growth during development tended to increase age at recruitment in all individuals. Social rank of individuals also affected age at recruitment: B-chicks recruited earlier than A-chicks and singletons recruited later than A- and B-chicks. Productivity increased with the age at recruitment and growth rate as chick, but much of the variability remained unexplained. We conclude that results of this study at least partially support predictions of life-history theory: younger age at first breeding for kittiwakes that experienced suboptimal natal conditions, as well as greater productivity of early recruiting kittiwakes that grew in control nests compared with those that grew in food-supplemented nests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Vincenzi
- Center for Stock Assessment Research, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA.
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Lobato E, Pearce-Duvet J, Staszewski V, Gómez-Díaz E, González-Solís J, Kitaysky A, McCoy KD, Boulinier T. Seabirds and the circulation of Lyme borreliosis bacteria in the North Pacific. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2011; 11:1521-7. [PMID: 21919724 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2010.0267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Seabirds act as natural reservoirs to Lyme borreliosis spirochetes and may play a significant role in the global circulation of these pathogens. While Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Bbsl) has been shown to occur in ticks collected from certain locations in the North Pacific, little is known about interspecific differences in exposure within the seabird communities of this region. We examined the prevalence of anti-Bbsl antibodies in 805 individuals of nine seabird species breeding across the North Pacific. Seroprevalence varied strongly among species and locations. Murres (Uria spp.) showed the highest antibody prevalence and may play a major role in facilitating Bbsl circulation at a worldwide scale. Other species showed little or no signs of exposure, despite being present in multispecific colonies with seropositive birds. Complex dynamics may be operating in this wide scale, natural host-parasite system, possibly mediated by the host immune system and host specialization of the tick vector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Lobato
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, CNRS UMR 5175, Montpellier, France.
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