Exposure of Arctic seabirds to pollutants and the role played by individual migratory movements and non-breeding distribution
The Arctic, even far from intensive human activities, is contaminated by pollutants emitted at Northern mid-latitudes. Because of their physico-chemical characteristics, pollutants are transported over large distances through atmospheric or oceanic currents. Among them is mercury (Hg), a naturally o...
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Format: | Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis |
Language: | English |
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Online Access: | https://theses.hal.science/tel-03548704 https://theses.hal.science/tel-03548704/document https://theses.hal.science/tel-03548704/file/2020ALBERT154832.pdf |
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ftinsu:oai:HAL:tel-03548704v1 2023-05-15T13:16:25+02:00 Exposure of Arctic seabirds to pollutants and the role played by individual migratory movements and non-breeding distribution Exposition aux polluants des oiseaux marins arctiques : source et rôle des déplacements migratoires Albert, Céline LIttoral ENvironnement et Sociétés - UMR 7266 (LIENSs) Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-La Rochelle Université (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Université de La Rochelle Jérôme Fort 2020-09-08 https://theses.hal.science/tel-03548704 https://theses.hal.science/tel-03548704/document https://theses.hal.science/tel-03548704/file/2020ALBERT154832.pdf en eng HAL CCSD NNT: 2020LAROS020 tel-03548704 https://theses.hal.science/tel-03548704 https://theses.hal.science/tel-03548704/document https://theses.hal.science/tel-03548704/file/2020ALBERT154832.pdf info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess https://theses.hal.science/tel-03548704 Animal biology. Université de La Rochelle, 2020. English. ⟨NNT : 2020LAROS020⟩ Arctic Seabirds Migration Spatial ecotoxicology Mercury Marine ecology Arctique Oiseaux marins Écotoxicologie spatiale Mercure Écologie marine [SDV.BA]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Animal biology info:eu-repo/semantics/doctoralThesis Theses 2020 ftinsu 2023-02-15T18:26:26Z The Arctic, even far from intensive human activities, is contaminated by pollutants emitted at Northern mid-latitudes. Because of their physico-chemical characteristics, pollutants are transported over large distances through atmospheric or oceanic currents. Among them is mercury (Hg), a naturally occurring and non-essential trace element whose emissions increased since the 19th century because of human activities. This neurotoxic negatively impacts animals’ health and induces behavioral changes, reproduction issues and in the most extreme case, death. The marine environment is particularly sensitive to Hg, which incorporates the food chain (under is toxic and methylated form – MeHg) in which its concentration increases from one trophic level to the other (e.g. biomagnification process) and accumulates within organisms (e.g. bioaccumulation process). Hence, long-lived top predators like seabirds, found at the end of the food chain usually show some of the highest contamination to Hg. They are commonly and efficiently used as bio-indicators of the health of their environment. Most of the current knowledge about Hg contamination in Arctic seabirds focused on the breeding period during which Hg was found to spatially vary, with usually higher Hg concentrations in the Canadian Arctic. During this period, which represents a part of the year only, seabirds aggregate in colonies for reproduction where they are more easily accessible. However, at the end of this period, seabirds migrate to overwinter mostly in open seas, outside of the Arctic. A previous study on a little auk (Alle alle) population breeding in East Greenland found that Hg concentrations were higher during the non-breeding period than during the breeding period, with carryover effects on the following reproduction. In the present doctoral work, based on a multi-species and multi-colony approach, we studied winter Hg exposure and the role of seabird migration in their contamination to Hg at large spatial scale. We found a seasonality in Hg concentrations ... Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis Alle alle Arctic Arctique* East Greenland Greenland little auk Institut national des sciences de l'Univers: HAL-INSU Arctic Greenland |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Institut national des sciences de l'Univers: HAL-INSU |
op_collection_id |
ftinsu |
language |
English |
topic |
Arctic Seabirds Migration Spatial ecotoxicology Mercury Marine ecology Arctique Oiseaux marins Écotoxicologie spatiale Mercure Écologie marine [SDV.BA]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Animal biology |
spellingShingle |
Arctic Seabirds Migration Spatial ecotoxicology Mercury Marine ecology Arctique Oiseaux marins Écotoxicologie spatiale Mercure Écologie marine [SDV.BA]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Animal biology Albert, Céline Exposure of Arctic seabirds to pollutants and the role played by individual migratory movements and non-breeding distribution |
topic_facet |
Arctic Seabirds Migration Spatial ecotoxicology Mercury Marine ecology Arctique Oiseaux marins Écotoxicologie spatiale Mercure Écologie marine [SDV.BA]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Animal biology |
description |
The Arctic, even far from intensive human activities, is contaminated by pollutants emitted at Northern mid-latitudes. Because of their physico-chemical characteristics, pollutants are transported over large distances through atmospheric or oceanic currents. Among them is mercury (Hg), a naturally occurring and non-essential trace element whose emissions increased since the 19th century because of human activities. This neurotoxic negatively impacts animals’ health and induces behavioral changes, reproduction issues and in the most extreme case, death. The marine environment is particularly sensitive to Hg, which incorporates the food chain (under is toxic and methylated form – MeHg) in which its concentration increases from one trophic level to the other (e.g. biomagnification process) and accumulates within organisms (e.g. bioaccumulation process). Hence, long-lived top predators like seabirds, found at the end of the food chain usually show some of the highest contamination to Hg. They are commonly and efficiently used as bio-indicators of the health of their environment. Most of the current knowledge about Hg contamination in Arctic seabirds focused on the breeding period during which Hg was found to spatially vary, with usually higher Hg concentrations in the Canadian Arctic. During this period, which represents a part of the year only, seabirds aggregate in colonies for reproduction where they are more easily accessible. However, at the end of this period, seabirds migrate to overwinter mostly in open seas, outside of the Arctic. A previous study on a little auk (Alle alle) population breeding in East Greenland found that Hg concentrations were higher during the non-breeding period than during the breeding period, with carryover effects on the following reproduction. In the present doctoral work, based on a multi-species and multi-colony approach, we studied winter Hg exposure and the role of seabird migration in their contamination to Hg at large spatial scale. We found a seasonality in Hg concentrations ... |
author2 |
LIttoral ENvironnement et Sociétés - UMR 7266 (LIENSs) Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-La Rochelle Université (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Université de La Rochelle Jérôme Fort |
format |
Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis |
author |
Albert, Céline |
author_facet |
Albert, Céline |
author_sort |
Albert, Céline |
title |
Exposure of Arctic seabirds to pollutants and the role played by individual migratory movements and non-breeding distribution |
title_short |
Exposure of Arctic seabirds to pollutants and the role played by individual migratory movements and non-breeding distribution |
title_full |
Exposure of Arctic seabirds to pollutants and the role played by individual migratory movements and non-breeding distribution |
title_fullStr |
Exposure of Arctic seabirds to pollutants and the role played by individual migratory movements and non-breeding distribution |
title_full_unstemmed |
Exposure of Arctic seabirds to pollutants and the role played by individual migratory movements and non-breeding distribution |
title_sort |
exposure of arctic seabirds to pollutants and the role played by individual migratory movements and non-breeding distribution |
publisher |
HAL CCSD |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
https://theses.hal.science/tel-03548704 https://theses.hal.science/tel-03548704/document https://theses.hal.science/tel-03548704/file/2020ALBERT154832.pdf |
geographic |
Arctic Greenland |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Greenland |
genre |
Alle alle Arctic Arctique* East Greenland Greenland little auk |
genre_facet |
Alle alle Arctic Arctique* East Greenland Greenland little auk |
op_source |
https://theses.hal.science/tel-03548704 Animal biology. Université de La Rochelle, 2020. English. ⟨NNT : 2020LAROS020⟩ |
op_relation |
NNT: 2020LAROS020 tel-03548704 https://theses.hal.science/tel-03548704 https://theses.hal.science/tel-03548704/document https://theses.hal.science/tel-03548704/file/2020ALBERT154832.pdf |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess |
_version_ |
1766273941166358528 |