Penguins as bioindicators of mercury contamination in the Southern Ocean: Birds from the Kerguelen Islands as a case study
International audience Seabirds have been used extensively as bioindicators of mercury (Hg) contamination in the marine environment, although information on flightless species like penguins remains limited. In order to assess the use of penguins as bioindicators of Hg contamination in subantarctic a...
Published in: | Science of The Total Environment |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , |
Other Authors: | , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
HAL CCSD
2013
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00805466 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00805466/document https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00805466/file/Carravieri_et_al._2013_STOTEN.pdf https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.02.060 |
id |
ftccsdartic:oai:HAL:hal-00805466v1 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftccsdartic:oai:HAL:hal-00805466v1 2023-05-15T14:04:01+02:00 Penguins as bioindicators of mercury contamination in the Southern Ocean: Birds from the Kerguelen Islands as a case study Carravieri, Alice Bustamante, Paco Churlaud, Carine Cherel, Yves LIttoral ENvironnement et Sociétés - UMRi 7266 (LIENSs) Université de La Rochelle (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Centre d'études biologiques de Chizé (CEBC) Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) 2013-03-27 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00805466 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00805466/document https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00805466/file/Carravieri_et_al._2013_STOTEN.pdf https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.02.060 en eng HAL CCSD Elsevier info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.02.060 hal-00805466 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00805466 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00805466/document https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00805466/file/Carravieri_et_al._2013_STOTEN.pdf doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.02.060 info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess ISSN: 0048-9697 EISSN: 1879-1026 Science of the Total Environment https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00805466 Science of the Total Environment, Elsevier, 2013, 454-455, pp.141-148. ⟨10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.02.060⟩ stable isotopes Antarctica Indian Ocean seabird trace element metal [SDV.TOX.ECO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Toxicology/Ecotoxicology info:eu-repo/semantics/article Journal articles 2013 ftccsdartic https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.02.060 2021-10-24T15:14:18Z International audience Seabirds have been used extensively as bioindicators of mercury (Hg) contamination in the marine environment, although information on flightless species like penguins remains limited. In order to assess the use of penguins as bioindicators of Hg contamination in subantarctic and Antarctic marine ecosystems, Hg concentrations were evaluated in the feathers of the four species that breed on the Kerguelen Islands in the southern Indian Ocean. Compared to other seabirds, adult Kerguelen penguins had low to moderate feather Hg concentrations, with an average ranging from 1.96 ± 0.41 µg∙g-1 dry weight in the southern rockhopper to 5.85 ± 3.00 µg∙g-1 dry weight in gentoo penguins. The species was a major determinant of Hg contamination, with feather Hg concentrations being lower in the oceanic species (king and crested penguins) than in the coastal ones (gentoo penguins). In all species however, feather Hg concentrations were higher in adults than in chicks, reflecting the different periods of Hg bioaccumulation in the internal tissues of the two age classes. The relationship between adult penguin trophic ecology and Hg burdens was investigated using stable isotopes. Feeding habits (reflected by δ15N values) had a greater effect on adult feather Hg concentrations when compared to foraging habitats (reflected by δ13C values), indicating Hg biomagnification in Kerguelen neritic and oceanic waters. Dietary preferences were crucial in explaining individual feather Hg concentrations, as highlighted by intra-specific variation in Hg levels of gentoo penguins sampled at two different breeding sites of the Archipelago. Penguins appear to reflect Hg bioavailability reliably in their foraging environment and could serve as efficient bioindicators of Hg contamination in the Southern Ocean on different spatial and temporal scales. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Kerguelen Islands Southern Ocean Archive ouverte HAL (Hyper Article en Ligne, CCSD - Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe) Antarctic Indian Kerguelen Kerguelen Islands Southern Ocean Science of The Total Environment 454-455 141 148 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Archive ouverte HAL (Hyper Article en Ligne, CCSD - Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe) |
op_collection_id |
ftccsdartic |
language |
English |
topic |
stable isotopes Antarctica Indian Ocean seabird trace element metal [SDV.TOX.ECO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Toxicology/Ecotoxicology |
spellingShingle |
stable isotopes Antarctica Indian Ocean seabird trace element metal [SDV.TOX.ECO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Toxicology/Ecotoxicology Carravieri, Alice Bustamante, Paco Churlaud, Carine Cherel, Yves Penguins as bioindicators of mercury contamination in the Southern Ocean: Birds from the Kerguelen Islands as a case study |
topic_facet |
stable isotopes Antarctica Indian Ocean seabird trace element metal [SDV.TOX.ECO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Toxicology/Ecotoxicology |
description |
International audience Seabirds have been used extensively as bioindicators of mercury (Hg) contamination in the marine environment, although information on flightless species like penguins remains limited. In order to assess the use of penguins as bioindicators of Hg contamination in subantarctic and Antarctic marine ecosystems, Hg concentrations were evaluated in the feathers of the four species that breed on the Kerguelen Islands in the southern Indian Ocean. Compared to other seabirds, adult Kerguelen penguins had low to moderate feather Hg concentrations, with an average ranging from 1.96 ± 0.41 µg∙g-1 dry weight in the southern rockhopper to 5.85 ± 3.00 µg∙g-1 dry weight in gentoo penguins. The species was a major determinant of Hg contamination, with feather Hg concentrations being lower in the oceanic species (king and crested penguins) than in the coastal ones (gentoo penguins). In all species however, feather Hg concentrations were higher in adults than in chicks, reflecting the different periods of Hg bioaccumulation in the internal tissues of the two age classes. The relationship between adult penguin trophic ecology and Hg burdens was investigated using stable isotopes. Feeding habits (reflected by δ15N values) had a greater effect on adult feather Hg concentrations when compared to foraging habitats (reflected by δ13C values), indicating Hg biomagnification in Kerguelen neritic and oceanic waters. Dietary preferences were crucial in explaining individual feather Hg concentrations, as highlighted by intra-specific variation in Hg levels of gentoo penguins sampled at two different breeding sites of the Archipelago. Penguins appear to reflect Hg bioavailability reliably in their foraging environment and could serve as efficient bioindicators of Hg contamination in the Southern Ocean on different spatial and temporal scales. |
author2 |
LIttoral ENvironnement et Sociétés - UMRi 7266 (LIENSs) Université de La Rochelle (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Centre d'études biologiques de Chizé (CEBC) Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Carravieri, Alice Bustamante, Paco Churlaud, Carine Cherel, Yves |
author_facet |
Carravieri, Alice Bustamante, Paco Churlaud, Carine Cherel, Yves |
author_sort |
Carravieri, Alice |
title |
Penguins as bioindicators of mercury contamination in the Southern Ocean: Birds from the Kerguelen Islands as a case study |
title_short |
Penguins as bioindicators of mercury contamination in the Southern Ocean: Birds from the Kerguelen Islands as a case study |
title_full |
Penguins as bioindicators of mercury contamination in the Southern Ocean: Birds from the Kerguelen Islands as a case study |
title_fullStr |
Penguins as bioindicators of mercury contamination in the Southern Ocean: Birds from the Kerguelen Islands as a case study |
title_full_unstemmed |
Penguins as bioindicators of mercury contamination in the Southern Ocean: Birds from the Kerguelen Islands as a case study |
title_sort |
penguins as bioindicators of mercury contamination in the southern ocean: birds from the kerguelen islands as a case study |
publisher |
HAL CCSD |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00805466 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00805466/document https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00805466/file/Carravieri_et_al._2013_STOTEN.pdf https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.02.060 |
geographic |
Antarctic Indian Kerguelen Kerguelen Islands Southern Ocean |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Indian Kerguelen Kerguelen Islands Southern Ocean |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Kerguelen Islands Southern Ocean |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Kerguelen Islands Southern Ocean |
op_source |
ISSN: 0048-9697 EISSN: 1879-1026 Science of the Total Environment https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00805466 Science of the Total Environment, Elsevier, 2013, 454-455, pp.141-148. ⟨10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.02.060⟩ |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.02.060 hal-00805466 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00805466 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00805466/document https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00805466/file/Carravieri_et_al._2013_STOTEN.pdf doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.02.060 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.02.060 |
container_title |
Science of The Total Environment |
container_volume |
454-455 |
container_start_page |
141 |
op_container_end_page |
148 |
_version_ |
1766274953562292224 |