Biotransport of marine-derived trace elements to a coastal ecosystem in the Canadian High Arctic
Seabirds are an important link between their marine feeding areas and their terrestrial breeding environments, transporting both marine-derived nutrients and contaminants to land via their excreta, feathers and carcasses. The importance of seabird-derived nutrients is particularly apparent in nutrie...
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Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
2009
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ftdatacite:10.20381/ruor-12470 2023-05-15T14:51:34+02:00 Biotransport of marine-derived trace elements to a coastal ecosystem in the Canadian High Arctic Brimble, Samantha 2009 https://dx.doi.org/10.20381/ruor-12470 http://www.ruor.uottawa.ca/handle/10393/28261 en eng Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa Biology, Ecology. Biology, Oceanography. Text Thesis article-journal ScholarlyArticle 2009 ftdatacite https://doi.org/10.20381/ruor-12470 2021-11-05T12:55:41Z Seabirds are an important link between their marine feeding areas and their terrestrial breeding environments, transporting both marine-derived nutrients and contaminants to land via their excreta, feathers and carcasses. The importance of seabird-derived nutrients is particularly apparent in nutrient poor regions like the Canadian High Arctic, where biological oases form in the area surrounding a colony. While providing the nutrient subsidies that shape the terrestrial ecosystem of many Arctic sites, seabirds may focus contaminants into their nesting sites at potentially toxic levels. Here, we investigated the impact of a large northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) colony on nearby ponds spanning a broad gradient of seabird influence at Cape Vera, Devon Island. Nutrient concentrations were significantly higher in ponds receiving guano than in reference ponds. The ponds closest to the cliffs, and thus receiving the highest seabird subsidies, were the most contaminated, and in some cases exceeded Canadian Sediment Quality Guidelines for the Protection of Aquatic Life for As, Cd and Zn. This study demonstrates that seabirds can transport contaminants bioaccumulated from the ocean and funnel them into receptor sites to potentially toxic levels thousands of kilometers from industrial centers. Thesis Arctic Devon Island Fulmarus glacialis Northern Fulmar DataCite Metadata Store (German National Library of Science and Technology) Arctic Cape Vera ENVELOPE(-89.217,-89.217,76.235,76.235) Devon Island ENVELOPE(-88.000,-88.000,75.252,75.252) Fulmar ENVELOPE(-46.016,-46.016,-60.616,-60.616) Guano ENVELOPE(141.604,141.604,-66.775,-66.775) |
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Open Polar |
collection |
DataCite Metadata Store (German National Library of Science and Technology) |
op_collection_id |
ftdatacite |
language |
English |
topic |
Biology, Ecology. Biology, Oceanography. |
spellingShingle |
Biology, Ecology. Biology, Oceanography. Brimble, Samantha Biotransport of marine-derived trace elements to a coastal ecosystem in the Canadian High Arctic |
topic_facet |
Biology, Ecology. Biology, Oceanography. |
description |
Seabirds are an important link between their marine feeding areas and their terrestrial breeding environments, transporting both marine-derived nutrients and contaminants to land via their excreta, feathers and carcasses. The importance of seabird-derived nutrients is particularly apparent in nutrient poor regions like the Canadian High Arctic, where biological oases form in the area surrounding a colony. While providing the nutrient subsidies that shape the terrestrial ecosystem of many Arctic sites, seabirds may focus contaminants into their nesting sites at potentially toxic levels. Here, we investigated the impact of a large northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) colony on nearby ponds spanning a broad gradient of seabird influence at Cape Vera, Devon Island. Nutrient concentrations were significantly higher in ponds receiving guano than in reference ponds. The ponds closest to the cliffs, and thus receiving the highest seabird subsidies, were the most contaminated, and in some cases exceeded Canadian Sediment Quality Guidelines for the Protection of Aquatic Life for As, Cd and Zn. This study demonstrates that seabirds can transport contaminants bioaccumulated from the ocean and funnel them into receptor sites to potentially toxic levels thousands of kilometers from industrial centers. |
format |
Thesis |
author |
Brimble, Samantha |
author_facet |
Brimble, Samantha |
author_sort |
Brimble, Samantha |
title |
Biotransport of marine-derived trace elements to a coastal ecosystem in the Canadian High Arctic |
title_short |
Biotransport of marine-derived trace elements to a coastal ecosystem in the Canadian High Arctic |
title_full |
Biotransport of marine-derived trace elements to a coastal ecosystem in the Canadian High Arctic |
title_fullStr |
Biotransport of marine-derived trace elements to a coastal ecosystem in the Canadian High Arctic |
title_full_unstemmed |
Biotransport of marine-derived trace elements to a coastal ecosystem in the Canadian High Arctic |
title_sort |
biotransport of marine-derived trace elements to a coastal ecosystem in the canadian high arctic |
publisher |
Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa |
publishDate |
2009 |
url |
https://dx.doi.org/10.20381/ruor-12470 http://www.ruor.uottawa.ca/handle/10393/28261 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-89.217,-89.217,76.235,76.235) ENVELOPE(-88.000,-88.000,75.252,75.252) ENVELOPE(-46.016,-46.016,-60.616,-60.616) ENVELOPE(141.604,141.604,-66.775,-66.775) |
geographic |
Arctic Cape Vera Devon Island Fulmar Guano |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Cape Vera Devon Island Fulmar Guano |
genre |
Arctic Devon Island Fulmarus glacialis Northern Fulmar |
genre_facet |
Arctic Devon Island Fulmarus glacialis Northern Fulmar |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.20381/ruor-12470 |
_version_ |
1766322695225475072 |