Mercury exposure in an endangered albatross: long-term changes and consequences for breeding success
Mercury (Hg) is an environmental contaminant which, at high concentrations, can negatively influence avian physiology and demography. Albatrosses (Diomedeidae) have higher Hg burdens than all other avian families. Here, we measure total Hg (THg) concentrations of body feathers from adult grey-headed...
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ftnerc:oai:nora.nerc.ac.uk:527802 2023-05-15T13:41:45+02:00 Mercury exposure in an endangered albatross: long-term changes and consequences for breeding success Mills, William F. Bustamante, Paco McGill, Rona A.R. Anderson, Orea R.J. Bearhop, Stuart Cherl, Yves Votier, Stephen C. Phillips, Richard A. 2020-12-23 text http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/527802/ https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/527802/1/rspb.2020.2683.pdf https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2020.2683 en eng The Royal Society https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/527802/1/rspb.2020.2683.pdf Mills, William F. orcid:0000-0001-7170-5794 Bustamante, Paco; McGill, Rona A.R.; Anderson, Orea R.J.; Bearhop, Stuart; Cherl, Yves; Votier, Stephen C.; Phillips, Richard A. 2020 Mercury exposure in an endangered albatross: long-term changes and consequences for breeding success. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 287 (1941), 20202683. 9, pp. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2020.2683 <https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2020.2683> cc_by_4 CC-BY Publication - Article PeerReviewed 2020 ftnerc https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2020.2683 2023-02-04T19:50:43Z Mercury (Hg) is an environmental contaminant which, at high concentrations, can negatively influence avian physiology and demography. Albatrosses (Diomedeidae) have higher Hg burdens than all other avian families. Here, we measure total Hg (THg) concentrations of body feathers from adult grey-headed albatrosses (Thalassarche chrysostoma) at South Georgia. Specifically, we (i) analyse temporal trends at South Georgia (1989–2013) and make comparisons with other breeding populations; (ii) identify factors driving variation in THg concentrations and (iii) examine relationships with breeding success. Mean ± s.d. feather THg concentrations were 13.0 ± 8.0 µg g−1 dw, which represents a threefold increase over the past 25 years at South Georgia and is the highest recorded in the Thalassarche genus. Foraging habitat, inferred from stable isotope ratios of carbon (δ13C), significantly influenced THg concentrations—feathers moulted in Antarctic waters had far lower THg concentrations than those moulted in subantarctic or subtropical waters. THg concentrations also increased with trophic level (δ15N), reflecting the biomagnification process. There was limited support for the influence of sex, age and previous breeding outcome on feather THg concentrations. However, in males, Hg exposure was correlated with breeding outcome—failed birds had significantly higher feather THg concentrations than successful birds. These results provide key insights into the drivers and consequences of Hg exposure in this globally important albatross population. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive Antarctic Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 287 1941 20202683 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive |
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ftnerc |
language |
English |
description |
Mercury (Hg) is an environmental contaminant which, at high concentrations, can negatively influence avian physiology and demography. Albatrosses (Diomedeidae) have higher Hg burdens than all other avian families. Here, we measure total Hg (THg) concentrations of body feathers from adult grey-headed albatrosses (Thalassarche chrysostoma) at South Georgia. Specifically, we (i) analyse temporal trends at South Georgia (1989–2013) and make comparisons with other breeding populations; (ii) identify factors driving variation in THg concentrations and (iii) examine relationships with breeding success. Mean ± s.d. feather THg concentrations were 13.0 ± 8.0 µg g−1 dw, which represents a threefold increase over the past 25 years at South Georgia and is the highest recorded in the Thalassarche genus. Foraging habitat, inferred from stable isotope ratios of carbon (δ13C), significantly influenced THg concentrations—feathers moulted in Antarctic waters had far lower THg concentrations than those moulted in subantarctic or subtropical waters. THg concentrations also increased with trophic level (δ15N), reflecting the biomagnification process. There was limited support for the influence of sex, age and previous breeding outcome on feather THg concentrations. However, in males, Hg exposure was correlated with breeding outcome—failed birds had significantly higher feather THg concentrations than successful birds. These results provide key insights into the drivers and consequences of Hg exposure in this globally important albatross population. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Mills, William F. Bustamante, Paco McGill, Rona A.R. Anderson, Orea R.J. Bearhop, Stuart Cherl, Yves Votier, Stephen C. Phillips, Richard A. |
spellingShingle |
Mills, William F. Bustamante, Paco McGill, Rona A.R. Anderson, Orea R.J. Bearhop, Stuart Cherl, Yves Votier, Stephen C. Phillips, Richard A. Mercury exposure in an endangered albatross: long-term changes and consequences for breeding success |
author_facet |
Mills, William F. Bustamante, Paco McGill, Rona A.R. Anderson, Orea R.J. Bearhop, Stuart Cherl, Yves Votier, Stephen C. Phillips, Richard A. |
author_sort |
Mills, William F. |
title |
Mercury exposure in an endangered albatross: long-term changes and consequences for breeding success |
title_short |
Mercury exposure in an endangered albatross: long-term changes and consequences for breeding success |
title_full |
Mercury exposure in an endangered albatross: long-term changes and consequences for breeding success |
title_fullStr |
Mercury exposure in an endangered albatross: long-term changes and consequences for breeding success |
title_full_unstemmed |
Mercury exposure in an endangered albatross: long-term changes and consequences for breeding success |
title_sort |
mercury exposure in an endangered albatross: long-term changes and consequences for breeding success |
publisher |
The Royal Society |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/527802/ https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/527802/1/rspb.2020.2683.pdf https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2020.2683 |
geographic |
Antarctic |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic |
op_relation |
https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/527802/1/rspb.2020.2683.pdf Mills, William F. orcid:0000-0001-7170-5794 Bustamante, Paco; McGill, Rona A.R.; Anderson, Orea R.J.; Bearhop, Stuart; Cherl, Yves; Votier, Stephen C.; Phillips, Richard A. 2020 Mercury exposure in an endangered albatross: long-term changes and consequences for breeding success. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 287 (1941), 20202683. 9, pp. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2020.2683 <https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2020.2683> |
op_rights |
cc_by_4 |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2020.2683 |
container_title |
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |
container_volume |
287 |
container_issue |
1941 |
container_start_page |
20202683 |
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1766156847373352960 |