Inferring ecological separation from regional differences in radioactive caesium in harbour porpoises Phocoena phocoena
Geographic variation in the level of radioactive caesium-137 (Cs-137) was examined from the axial muscle of 36 harbour porpoises Phocoena phocoena obtained as bycatch from 5 locations along the coast of Norway, ranging from southern (North Sea) to northern (Barents Sea) Norway. Levels of Cs-137 in s...
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Language: | English |
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2002
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Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/11250/108334 https://doi.org/10.3354/meps228301 |
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ftimr:oai:imr.brage.unit.no:11250/108334 2023-05-15T15:38:43+02:00 Inferring ecological separation from regional differences in radioactive caesium in harbour porpoises Phocoena phocoena Tolley, Krystal A. Heldal, Hilde Elise 2002-03-06 252536 bytes application/pdf http://hdl.handle.net/11250/108334 https://doi.org/10.3354/meps228301 eng eng urn:issn:0171-8630 http://hdl.handle.net/11250/108334 http://dx.doi.org/10.3354/meps228301 301-309 228 Marine Ecology Progress Series Phocoena phocoena porpoise radioactivity Journal article Peer reviewed 2002 ftimr https://doi.org/10.3354/meps228301 2021-09-23T20:15:13Z Geographic variation in the level of radioactive caesium-137 (Cs-137) was examined from the axial muscle of 36 harbour porpoises Phocoena phocoena obtained as bycatch from 5 locations along the coast of Norway, ranging from southern (North Sea) to northern (Barents Sea) Norway. Levels of Cs-137 in seawater and sediments have been found to differ along the coast of Norway due to distance from point sources, such as the Sellafield nuclear fuel reprocessing plant in Cumbria, UK (discharging into the Irish Sea) and outflow from the Baltic Sea, which contains significant amounts Of Cs-137 that originated in Chernobyl. Radioactive caesium is accumulated in muscle in a manner related to ambient levels in the environment through exposure and/or ingestion of contaminated prey items. Hence, we hypothesised that if harbour porpoises are philopatric, their muscle tissue would reflect concentrations Of Cs-137 in their area of residence. The levels found in harbour porpoise muscle were consistent with that found in the area from which they were caught. Porpoises from the Barents Sea had significantly lower levels of Cs-137 than porpoises from the west and south coasts of Norway, reflecting the concentration patterns of Cs-137 in the waters of those areas. This suggests ecological separation of harbour porpoises in these regions, and that porpoises are limited in their movements along the coast of Norway. Article in Journal/Newspaper Barents Sea Harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena Institute for Marine Research: Brage IMR Barents Sea Norway Marine Ecology Progress Series 228 301 309 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Institute for Marine Research: Brage IMR |
op_collection_id |
ftimr |
language |
English |
topic |
Phocoena phocoena porpoise radioactivity |
spellingShingle |
Phocoena phocoena porpoise radioactivity Tolley, Krystal A. Heldal, Hilde Elise Inferring ecological separation from regional differences in radioactive caesium in harbour porpoises Phocoena phocoena |
topic_facet |
Phocoena phocoena porpoise radioactivity |
description |
Geographic variation in the level of radioactive caesium-137 (Cs-137) was examined from the axial muscle of 36 harbour porpoises Phocoena phocoena obtained as bycatch from 5 locations along the coast of Norway, ranging from southern (North Sea) to northern (Barents Sea) Norway. Levels of Cs-137 in seawater and sediments have been found to differ along the coast of Norway due to distance from point sources, such as the Sellafield nuclear fuel reprocessing plant in Cumbria, UK (discharging into the Irish Sea) and outflow from the Baltic Sea, which contains significant amounts Of Cs-137 that originated in Chernobyl. Radioactive caesium is accumulated in muscle in a manner related to ambient levels in the environment through exposure and/or ingestion of contaminated prey items. Hence, we hypothesised that if harbour porpoises are philopatric, their muscle tissue would reflect concentrations Of Cs-137 in their area of residence. The levels found in harbour porpoise muscle were consistent with that found in the area from which they were caught. Porpoises from the Barents Sea had significantly lower levels of Cs-137 than porpoises from the west and south coasts of Norway, reflecting the concentration patterns of Cs-137 in the waters of those areas. This suggests ecological separation of harbour porpoises in these regions, and that porpoises are limited in their movements along the coast of Norway. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Tolley, Krystal A. Heldal, Hilde Elise |
author_facet |
Tolley, Krystal A. Heldal, Hilde Elise |
author_sort |
Tolley, Krystal A. |
title |
Inferring ecological separation from regional differences in radioactive caesium in harbour porpoises Phocoena phocoena |
title_short |
Inferring ecological separation from regional differences in radioactive caesium in harbour porpoises Phocoena phocoena |
title_full |
Inferring ecological separation from regional differences in radioactive caesium in harbour porpoises Phocoena phocoena |
title_fullStr |
Inferring ecological separation from regional differences in radioactive caesium in harbour porpoises Phocoena phocoena |
title_full_unstemmed |
Inferring ecological separation from regional differences in radioactive caesium in harbour porpoises Phocoena phocoena |
title_sort |
inferring ecological separation from regional differences in radioactive caesium in harbour porpoises phocoena phocoena |
publishDate |
2002 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/11250/108334 https://doi.org/10.3354/meps228301 |
geographic |
Barents Sea Norway |
geographic_facet |
Barents Sea Norway |
genre |
Barents Sea Harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena |
genre_facet |
Barents Sea Harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena |
op_source |
301-309 228 Marine Ecology Progress Series |
op_relation |
urn:issn:0171-8630 http://hdl.handle.net/11250/108334 http://dx.doi.org/10.3354/meps228301 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3354/meps228301 |
container_title |
Marine Ecology Progress Series |
container_volume |
228 |
container_start_page |
301 |
op_container_end_page |
309 |
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1766369986834595840 |