Variation in blood mercury concentrations in brown skuas (Stercorarius antarcticus) is related to trophic ecology but not breeding success or adult body condition

• Published in: Marine Pollution Bulletin
• Main Authors: Ibañez, Andrés E., Mills, William F., Bustamante, Paco, Mcgill, R.A.R., Morales, L.M., Palacio, F.X., Torres, D.S., Haidr, N.S., Mariano-Jelicich, R., Phillips, Richard A., Montalti, D.
• Other Authors: Museo de La Plata, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas Buenos Aires (CONICET)-Universidad Nacional de la Plata Argentine (UNLP), British Antarctic Survey (BAS), Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), LIttoral ENvironnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), La Rochelle Université (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), Ministère de l'Education nationale, de l’Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche (M.E.N.E.S.R.), Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre (SUERC), University of Glasgow-University of Edinburgh, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas Buenos Aires (CONICET), Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras Mar del Plata (IIMyC), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas Buenos Aires (CONICET)-Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales Mar del Plata, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata Mar del Plata (UNMdP)-Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata Mar del Plata (UNMdP)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2022
• Subjects: pollution; top predator; seabirds; stable isotopes; reproduction; Antarctica; [SDV.TOX.ECO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Toxicology/Ecotoxicology; [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology; Antarctic; Antarctic Peninsula; Esperanza; Hope Bay; Antarc*; antarcticus; Stercorarius antarcticus
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-03771029; https://hal.science/hal-03771029/document; https://hal.science/hal-03771029/file/Iba%C3%B1ez%20et%20al%202022%20MPB.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113919

International audience Mercury is a pervasive environmental contaminant that can negatively impact seabirds. Here, we measure total mercury (THg) concentrations in red blood cells (RBCs) from breeding brown skuas (Stercorarius antarcticus) (n = 49) at Esperanza/Hope Bay, Antarctic Peninsula. The aims of this study were to: (i) analyse RBCs THg concentrations in relation to sex, year and stable isotope values of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N); and (ii) examine correlations between THg, body condition and breeding success. RBC THg concentrations were positively correlated with δ15N, which is a proxy of trophic position, and hence likely reflects the biomagnification process. Levels of Hg contamination differed between our study years, which is likely related to changes in diet and distribution. RBC THg concentrations were not related to body condition or breeding success, suggesting that Hg contamination is currently not a major conservation concern for this population