Possible adverse impact of contaminants on Atlantic cod population dynamics in coastal ecosystems
While many in-laboratory ecotoxicological studies have shown the adverse impact of pollutants to the fitness of an individual, direct evidence from the field on the population dynamics of wildlife animals has been lacking. Here, we provide empirical support for a negative effect of pollution on Atla...
Published in: | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |
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crroyalsociety:10.1098/rspb.2019.1167 2024-09-30T14:32:10+00:00 Possible adverse impact of contaminants on Atlantic cod population dynamics in coastal ecosystems Ono, Kotaro Knutsen, Halvor Olsen, Esben M. Ruus, Anders Hjermann, Dag Ø. Chr. Stenseth, Nils Norges Forskningsråd 2019 http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2019.1167 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rspb.2019.1167 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full-xml/10.1098/rspb.2019.1167 en eng The Royal Society https://royalsociety.org/journals/ethics-policies/data-sharing-mining/ Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences volume 286, issue 1908, page 20191167 ISSN 0962-8452 1471-2954 journal-article 2019 crroyalsociety https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2019.1167 2024-09-02T04:21:06Z While many in-laboratory ecotoxicological studies have shown the adverse impact of pollutants to the fitness of an individual, direct evidence from the field on the population dynamics of wildlife animals has been lacking. Here, we provide empirical support for a negative effect of pollution on Atlantic cod ( Gadus morhua ) population dynamics in coastal waters of Norway by combining unique time series of juvenile cod abundance, body size, environmental concentration of toxic contaminants and a spatially structured population dynamics model. The study shows that mercury concentration might have decreased the reproductive potential of cod in the region despite the general decline in the environmental concentration of mercury, cadmium and hexachlorobenzene since the implementation of national environmental laws. However, some cod populations appeared to be more resistant to mercury pollution than others, and the strength and shape of mercury effect on cod reproductive potential was fjord-specific. Additionally, cod growth rate changed at scales smaller than fjords with a gradient related to the exposure to the open ocean and offshore cod. These spatial differences in life-history traits emphasize the importance of local adaptation in shaping the dynamics of local wildlife populations. Finally, this study highlights the possibility to mitigate pollution effects on natural populations by reducing the overall pollution level, but also reveals that pollution reduction alone is not enough to rebuild local cod populations. Cod population recovery probably requires complementary efforts on fishing regulation and habitat restoration. Article in Journal/Newspaper atlantic cod Gadus morhua The Royal Society Norway Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 286 1908 20191167 |
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The Royal Society |
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crroyalsociety |
language |
English |
description |
While many in-laboratory ecotoxicological studies have shown the adverse impact of pollutants to the fitness of an individual, direct evidence from the field on the population dynamics of wildlife animals has been lacking. Here, we provide empirical support for a negative effect of pollution on Atlantic cod ( Gadus morhua ) population dynamics in coastal waters of Norway by combining unique time series of juvenile cod abundance, body size, environmental concentration of toxic contaminants and a spatially structured population dynamics model. The study shows that mercury concentration might have decreased the reproductive potential of cod in the region despite the general decline in the environmental concentration of mercury, cadmium and hexachlorobenzene since the implementation of national environmental laws. However, some cod populations appeared to be more resistant to mercury pollution than others, and the strength and shape of mercury effect on cod reproductive potential was fjord-specific. Additionally, cod growth rate changed at scales smaller than fjords with a gradient related to the exposure to the open ocean and offshore cod. These spatial differences in life-history traits emphasize the importance of local adaptation in shaping the dynamics of local wildlife populations. Finally, this study highlights the possibility to mitigate pollution effects on natural populations by reducing the overall pollution level, but also reveals that pollution reduction alone is not enough to rebuild local cod populations. Cod population recovery probably requires complementary efforts on fishing regulation and habitat restoration. |
author2 |
Norges Forskningsråd |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Ono, Kotaro Knutsen, Halvor Olsen, Esben M. Ruus, Anders Hjermann, Dag Ø. Chr. Stenseth, Nils |
spellingShingle |
Ono, Kotaro Knutsen, Halvor Olsen, Esben M. Ruus, Anders Hjermann, Dag Ø. Chr. Stenseth, Nils Possible adverse impact of contaminants on Atlantic cod population dynamics in coastal ecosystems |
author_facet |
Ono, Kotaro Knutsen, Halvor Olsen, Esben M. Ruus, Anders Hjermann, Dag Ø. Chr. Stenseth, Nils |
author_sort |
Ono, Kotaro |
title |
Possible adverse impact of contaminants on Atlantic cod population dynamics in coastal ecosystems |
title_short |
Possible adverse impact of contaminants on Atlantic cod population dynamics in coastal ecosystems |
title_full |
Possible adverse impact of contaminants on Atlantic cod population dynamics in coastal ecosystems |
title_fullStr |
Possible adverse impact of contaminants on Atlantic cod population dynamics in coastal ecosystems |
title_full_unstemmed |
Possible adverse impact of contaminants on Atlantic cod population dynamics in coastal ecosystems |
title_sort |
possible adverse impact of contaminants on atlantic cod population dynamics in coastal ecosystems |
publisher |
The Royal Society |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2019.1167 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rspb.2019.1167 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full-xml/10.1098/rspb.2019.1167 |
geographic |
Norway |
geographic_facet |
Norway |
genre |
atlantic cod Gadus morhua |
genre_facet |
atlantic cod Gadus morhua |
op_source |
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences volume 286, issue 1908, page 20191167 ISSN 0962-8452 1471-2954 |
op_rights |
https://royalsociety.org/journals/ethics-policies/data-sharing-mining/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2019.1167 |
container_title |
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |
container_volume |
286 |
container_issue |
1908 |
container_start_page |
20191167 |
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1811636398446346240 |