Mercury biomagnification in a Southern Ocean food web
Biomagnification of mercury (Hg) in the Scotia Sea food web of the Southern Ocean was examined using the stable isotope ratios of nitrogen (d15N) and carbon (d13C) as proxies for trophic level and feeding habitat, respectively. Total Hg and stable isotopes were measured in samples of particulate org...
Published in: | Environmental Pollution |
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Language: | English |
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Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10316/96231 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116620 |
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ftunivcoimbra:oai:estudogeral.sib.uc.pt:10316/96231 2023-05-15T13:36:55+02:00 Mercury biomagnification in a Southern Ocean food web Seco, José Aparício, Sara Brierley, Andrew S. Bustamante, Paco Ceia, Filipe R. Coelho, João P. Philips, Richard A. Saunders, Ryan A. Fielding, Sophie Gregory, Susan Matias, Ricardo Pardal, Miguel A. Pereira, Eduarda Stowasser, Gabriele Tarling, G. A. Xavier, José C. 2021-04 http://hdl.handle.net/10316/96231 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116620 eng eng Elsevier UID/MAR/04292/2020 SRFH/PD/BD/113487 info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/UID/AMB/50017/2019/CESAM UIDP/50017/2020 UIDB/50017/2020 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749121001986 http://hdl.handle.net/10316/96231 doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116620 cv-prod-2232834 info:eu-repo/semantics/embargoedAccess Trophic magnification slope Stable isotopes Contaminants Antarctica Polar info:eu-repo/semantics/article 2021 ftunivcoimbra https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116620 2022-08-11T14:06:21Z Biomagnification of mercury (Hg) in the Scotia Sea food web of the Southern Ocean was examined using the stable isotope ratios of nitrogen (d15N) and carbon (d13C) as proxies for trophic level and feeding habitat, respectively. Total Hg and stable isotopes were measured in samples of particulate organic matter (POM), zooplankton, squid, myctophid fish, notothenioid fish and seabird tissues collected in two years (austral summers 2007/08 and 2016/17). Overall, there was extensive overlap in d13C values across taxonomic groups suggesting similarities in habitats, with the exception of the seabirds, which showed some differences, possibly due to the type of tissue analysed (feathers instead of muscle). d15N showed increasing enrichment across groups in the order POM to zooplankton to squid to myctophid fish to notothenioid fish to seabirds. There were significant differences in d15N and d13C values among species within taxonomic groups, reflecting inter-specific variation in diet. Hg concentrations increased with trophic level, with the lowest values in POM (0.0005 ± 0.0002 mg g 1 dw) and highest values in seabirds (3.88 ± 2.41 mg g 1 in chicks of brown skuas Stercorarius antarcticus). Hg concentrations tended to be lower in 2016/17 than in 2007/08 for mid-trophic level species (squid and fish), but the opposite was found for top predators (i.e. seabirds), which had higher levels in the 2016/17 samples. This may reflect an interannual shift in the Scotia Sea marine food web, caused by the reduced availability of a key prey species, Antarctic krill Euphausia superba. In 2016/17, seabirds would have been forced to feed on higher trophic-level prey, such as myctophids, that have higher Hg burdens. These results suggest that changes in the food web are likely to affect the pathway of mercury to Southern Ocean top predators. We thank the officers, crew and scientists aboard RSS James Clark Ross during cruises JR177 and JR16003 for their assistance in collecting samples. We also thank Giulia Pompeo for her help with ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Krill Antarctica antarcticus Euphausia superba Scotia Sea Southern Ocean Stercorarius antarcticus Universidade de Coimbra: Estudo Geral Antarctic Austral Scotia Sea Southern Ocean Environmental Pollution 275 116620 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Universidade de Coimbra: Estudo Geral |
op_collection_id |
ftunivcoimbra |
language |
English |
topic |
Trophic magnification slope Stable isotopes Contaminants Antarctica Polar |
spellingShingle |
Trophic magnification slope Stable isotopes Contaminants Antarctica Polar Seco, José Aparício, Sara Brierley, Andrew S. Bustamante, Paco Ceia, Filipe R. Coelho, João P. Philips, Richard A. Saunders, Ryan A. Fielding, Sophie Gregory, Susan Matias, Ricardo Pardal, Miguel A. Pereira, Eduarda Stowasser, Gabriele Tarling, G. A. Xavier, José C. Mercury biomagnification in a Southern Ocean food web |
topic_facet |
Trophic magnification slope Stable isotopes Contaminants Antarctica Polar |
description |
Biomagnification of mercury (Hg) in the Scotia Sea food web of the Southern Ocean was examined using the stable isotope ratios of nitrogen (d15N) and carbon (d13C) as proxies for trophic level and feeding habitat, respectively. Total Hg and stable isotopes were measured in samples of particulate organic matter (POM), zooplankton, squid, myctophid fish, notothenioid fish and seabird tissues collected in two years (austral summers 2007/08 and 2016/17). Overall, there was extensive overlap in d13C values across taxonomic groups suggesting similarities in habitats, with the exception of the seabirds, which showed some differences, possibly due to the type of tissue analysed (feathers instead of muscle). d15N showed increasing enrichment across groups in the order POM to zooplankton to squid to myctophid fish to notothenioid fish to seabirds. There were significant differences in d15N and d13C values among species within taxonomic groups, reflecting inter-specific variation in diet. Hg concentrations increased with trophic level, with the lowest values in POM (0.0005 ± 0.0002 mg g 1 dw) and highest values in seabirds (3.88 ± 2.41 mg g 1 in chicks of brown skuas Stercorarius antarcticus). Hg concentrations tended to be lower in 2016/17 than in 2007/08 for mid-trophic level species (squid and fish), but the opposite was found for top predators (i.e. seabirds), which had higher levels in the 2016/17 samples. This may reflect an interannual shift in the Scotia Sea marine food web, caused by the reduced availability of a key prey species, Antarctic krill Euphausia superba. In 2016/17, seabirds would have been forced to feed on higher trophic-level prey, such as myctophids, that have higher Hg burdens. These results suggest that changes in the food web are likely to affect the pathway of mercury to Southern Ocean top predators. We thank the officers, crew and scientists aboard RSS James Clark Ross during cruises JR177 and JR16003 for their assistance in collecting samples. We also thank Giulia Pompeo for her help with ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Seco, José Aparício, Sara Brierley, Andrew S. Bustamante, Paco Ceia, Filipe R. Coelho, João P. Philips, Richard A. Saunders, Ryan A. Fielding, Sophie Gregory, Susan Matias, Ricardo Pardal, Miguel A. Pereira, Eduarda Stowasser, Gabriele Tarling, G. A. Xavier, José C. |
author_facet |
Seco, José Aparício, Sara Brierley, Andrew S. Bustamante, Paco Ceia, Filipe R. Coelho, João P. Philips, Richard A. Saunders, Ryan A. Fielding, Sophie Gregory, Susan Matias, Ricardo Pardal, Miguel A. Pereira, Eduarda Stowasser, Gabriele Tarling, G. A. Xavier, José C. |
author_sort |
Seco, José |
title |
Mercury biomagnification in a Southern Ocean food web |
title_short |
Mercury biomagnification in a Southern Ocean food web |
title_full |
Mercury biomagnification in a Southern Ocean food web |
title_fullStr |
Mercury biomagnification in a Southern Ocean food web |
title_full_unstemmed |
Mercury biomagnification in a Southern Ocean food web |
title_sort |
mercury biomagnification in a southern ocean food web |
publisher |
Elsevier |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10316/96231 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116620 |
geographic |
Antarctic Austral Scotia Sea Southern Ocean |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Austral Scotia Sea Southern Ocean |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Krill Antarctica antarcticus Euphausia superba Scotia Sea Southern Ocean Stercorarius antarcticus |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Krill Antarctica antarcticus Euphausia superba Scotia Sea Southern Ocean Stercorarius antarcticus |
op_relation |
UID/MAR/04292/2020 SRFH/PD/BD/113487 info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/UID/AMB/50017/2019/CESAM UIDP/50017/2020 UIDB/50017/2020 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749121001986 http://hdl.handle.net/10316/96231 doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116620 cv-prod-2232834 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/embargoedAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116620 |
container_title |
Environmental Pollution |
container_volume |
275 |
container_start_page |
116620 |
_version_ |
1766085554171019264 |