Effects of contaminants and climate change on the health of western Arctic beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) ...

• Main Author: Crichton, Ellika
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: University of British Columbia 2020
• Subjects: Arctic; Beluga; Beluga*; Climate change; Delphinapterus leucas; Sea ice
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.14288/1.0392011; https://doi.library.ubc.ca/10.14288/1.0392011

The Arctic is currently undergoing a period of transformation brought on primarily by climate change. Climate-induced changes in sea ice have led to changes in primary productivity, prey abundance and distribution, and habitat availability. There are concerns that the Arctic could be ice free by 2040, meaning that there is urgency in determining the impacts that climate change will have on the organisms that inhabit the Arctic. Climate change, however, is not the only pressure that marine organisms are facing. Contaminants, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and mercury (Hg) have been identified as contaminants of concern to wildlife in the Arctic. Little is known about the interaction between contaminants and climate change, but concerns have arisen that the two stressors may exacerbate each other. The goal of this thesis is to add to our current knowledge of the impacts of contaminants and climate change on the health of western Arctic beluga whales and to ...