Mercury exposure in an endangered seabird: long-term changes and relationships with trophic ecology and 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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ftuglasgow:oai:eprints.gla.ac.uk:226528 2023-05-15T13:33:26+02:00 Mercury exposure in an endangered seabird: long-term changes and relationships with trophic ecology and breeding success Mills, William F. Bustamante, Paco McGill, Rona A.R. Anderson, Orea R.J. Bearhop, Stuart Cherel, Yves Votier, Stephen C. Phillips, Richard A. 2020-12-23 text http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/226528/ http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/226528/1/226528.pdf en eng The Royal Society http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/226528/1/226528.pdf Mills, W. F., Bustamante, P., McGill, R. A.R. <http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/10394.html> , Anderson, O. R.J., Bearhop, S., Cherel, Y., Votier, S. C. and Phillips, R. A. (2020) Mercury exposure in an endangered seabird: long-term changes and relationships with trophic ecology and breeding success. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B: Biological Sciences <http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/journal_volume/Proceedings_of_the_Royal_Society_of_London_Series_B=3A_Biological_Sciences.html>, 287(1941), 20202683. (doi:10.1098/rspb.2020.2683 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2020.2683>) (PMID:33352077) cc_by_4 CC-BY Articles PeerReviewed 2020 ftuglasgow https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2020.2683 2021-01-07T23:09:11Z 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 University of Glasgow: Enlighten - Publications Antarctic Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 287 1941 20202683 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
University of Glasgow: Enlighten - Publications |
op_collection_id |
ftuglasgow |
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 Cherel, Yves Votier, Stephen C. Phillips, Richard A. |
spellingShingle |
Mills, William F. Bustamante, Paco McGill, Rona A.R. Anderson, Orea R.J. Bearhop, Stuart Cherel, Yves Votier, Stephen C. Phillips, Richard A. Mercury exposure in an endangered seabird: long-term changes and relationships with trophic ecology and breeding success |
author_facet |
Mills, William F. Bustamante, Paco McGill, Rona A.R. Anderson, Orea R.J. Bearhop, Stuart Cherel, Yves Votier, Stephen C. Phillips, Richard A. |
author_sort |
Mills, William F. |
title |
Mercury exposure in an endangered seabird: long-term changes and relationships with trophic ecology and breeding success |
title_short |
Mercury exposure in an endangered seabird: long-term changes and relationships with trophic ecology and breeding success |
title_full |
Mercury exposure in an endangered seabird: long-term changes and relationships with trophic ecology and breeding success |
title_fullStr |
Mercury exposure in an endangered seabird: long-term changes and relationships with trophic ecology and breeding success |
title_full_unstemmed |
Mercury exposure in an endangered seabird: long-term changes and relationships with trophic ecology and breeding success |
title_sort |
mercury exposure in an endangered seabird: long-term changes and relationships with trophic ecology and breeding success |
publisher |
The Royal Society |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/226528/ http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/226528/1/226528.pdf |
geographic |
Antarctic |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic |
op_relation |
http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/226528/1/226528.pdf Mills, W. F., Bustamante, P., McGill, R. A.R. <http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/10394.html> , Anderson, O. R.J., Bearhop, S., Cherel, Y., Votier, S. C. and Phillips, R. A. (2020) Mercury exposure in an endangered seabird: long-term changes and relationships with trophic ecology and breeding success. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B: Biological Sciences <http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/journal_volume/Proceedings_of_the_Royal_Society_of_London_Series_B=3A_Biological_Sciences.html>, 287(1941), 20202683. (doi:10.1098/rspb.2020.2683 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2020.2683>) (PMID:33352077) |
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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1766042296270192640 |