Contaminants in Atlantic walruses in Svalbard part 1: Relationships between exposure, diet and pathogen prevalence
This study investigated relationships between organohalogen compound (OHC) exposure, feeding habits, and pathogen exposure in a recovering population of Atlantic walruses (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) from the Svalbard Archipelago, Norway. Various samples were collected from 39 free-living, apparentl...
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ftunivwindsor:oai:scholar.uwindsor.ca:glierpub-1316 2023-06-11T04:09:48+02:00 Contaminants in Atlantic walruses in Svalbard part 1: Relationships between exposure, diet and pathogen prevalence Scotter, Sophie E. Tryland, Morten Nymo, Ingebjørg H. Hanssen, Linda Harju, Mikael Lydersen, Christian Kovacs, Kit M. Klein, Jörn Fisk, Aaron T. Routti, Heli 2019-01-01T08:00:00Z https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/glierpub/314 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2018.10.001 unknown Scholarship at UWindsor https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/glierpub/314 doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2018.10.001 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2018.10.001 Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research Publications Arctic Brucella Pollutants Stable isotopes Toxoplasma text 2019 ftunivwindsor https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2018.10.001 2023-05-06T19:10:44Z This study investigated relationships between organohalogen compound (OHC) exposure, feeding habits, and pathogen exposure in a recovering population of Atlantic walruses (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) from the Svalbard Archipelago, Norway. Various samples were collected from 39 free-living, apparently healthy, adult male walruses immobilised at three sampling locations during the summers of 2014 and 2015. Concentrations of lipophilic compounds (polychlorinated biphenyls, organochlorine pesticides and polybrominated diphenyl ethers) were analysed in blubber samples, and concentrations of perfluoroalkylated substances (PFASs) were determined in plasma samples. Stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen were measured in seven tissue types and surveys for three infectious pathogens were conducted. Despite an overall decline in lipophilic compound concentrations since this population was last studied (2006), the contaminant pattern was similar, including extremely large inter-individual variation. Stable isotope ratios of carbon and nitrogen showed that the variation in OHC concentrations could not be explained by some walruses consuming higher trophic level diets, since all animals were found to feed at a similar trophic level. Antibodies against the bacteria Brucella spp. and the parasite Toxoplasma gondii were detected in 26% and 15% of the walruses, respectively. Given the absence of seal-predation, T. gondii exposure likely took place via the consumption of contaminated bivalves. The source of exposure to Brucella spp. in walruses is still unknown. Parapoxvirus DNA was detected in a single individual, representing the first documented evidence of parapoxvirus in wild walruses. Antibody prevalence was not related to contaminant exposure. Despite this, dynamic relationships between diet composition, contaminant bioaccumulation and pathogen exposure warrant continuing attention given the likelihood of climate change induced habitat and food web changes, and consequently OHC exposure, for Svalbard walruses in the coming ... Text Arctic Climate change Odobenus rosmarus Svalbard walrus* University of Windsor, Ontario: Scholarship at UWindsor Arctic Svalbard Svalbard Archipelago Norway Environmental Pollution 244 9 18 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Windsor, Ontario: Scholarship at UWindsor |
op_collection_id |
ftunivwindsor |
language |
unknown |
topic |
Arctic Brucella Pollutants Stable isotopes Toxoplasma |
spellingShingle |
Arctic Brucella Pollutants Stable isotopes Toxoplasma Scotter, Sophie E. Tryland, Morten Nymo, Ingebjørg H. Hanssen, Linda Harju, Mikael Lydersen, Christian Kovacs, Kit M. Klein, Jörn Fisk, Aaron T. Routti, Heli Contaminants in Atlantic walruses in Svalbard part 1: Relationships between exposure, diet and pathogen prevalence |
topic_facet |
Arctic Brucella Pollutants Stable isotopes Toxoplasma |
description |
This study investigated relationships between organohalogen compound (OHC) exposure, feeding habits, and pathogen exposure in a recovering population of Atlantic walruses (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) from the Svalbard Archipelago, Norway. Various samples were collected from 39 free-living, apparently healthy, adult male walruses immobilised at three sampling locations during the summers of 2014 and 2015. Concentrations of lipophilic compounds (polychlorinated biphenyls, organochlorine pesticides and polybrominated diphenyl ethers) were analysed in blubber samples, and concentrations of perfluoroalkylated substances (PFASs) were determined in plasma samples. Stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen were measured in seven tissue types and surveys for three infectious pathogens were conducted. Despite an overall decline in lipophilic compound concentrations since this population was last studied (2006), the contaminant pattern was similar, including extremely large inter-individual variation. Stable isotope ratios of carbon and nitrogen showed that the variation in OHC concentrations could not be explained by some walruses consuming higher trophic level diets, since all animals were found to feed at a similar trophic level. Antibodies against the bacteria Brucella spp. and the parasite Toxoplasma gondii were detected in 26% and 15% of the walruses, respectively. Given the absence of seal-predation, T. gondii exposure likely took place via the consumption of contaminated bivalves. The source of exposure to Brucella spp. in walruses is still unknown. Parapoxvirus DNA was detected in a single individual, representing the first documented evidence of parapoxvirus in wild walruses. Antibody prevalence was not related to contaminant exposure. Despite this, dynamic relationships between diet composition, contaminant bioaccumulation and pathogen exposure warrant continuing attention given the likelihood of climate change induced habitat and food web changes, and consequently OHC exposure, for Svalbard walruses in the coming ... |
format |
Text |
author |
Scotter, Sophie E. Tryland, Morten Nymo, Ingebjørg H. Hanssen, Linda Harju, Mikael Lydersen, Christian Kovacs, Kit M. Klein, Jörn Fisk, Aaron T. Routti, Heli |
author_facet |
Scotter, Sophie E. Tryland, Morten Nymo, Ingebjørg H. Hanssen, Linda Harju, Mikael Lydersen, Christian Kovacs, Kit M. Klein, Jörn Fisk, Aaron T. Routti, Heli |
author_sort |
Scotter, Sophie E. |
title |
Contaminants in Atlantic walruses in Svalbard part 1: Relationships between exposure, diet and pathogen prevalence |
title_short |
Contaminants in Atlantic walruses in Svalbard part 1: Relationships between exposure, diet and pathogen prevalence |
title_full |
Contaminants in Atlantic walruses in Svalbard part 1: Relationships between exposure, diet and pathogen prevalence |
title_fullStr |
Contaminants in Atlantic walruses in Svalbard part 1: Relationships between exposure, diet and pathogen prevalence |
title_full_unstemmed |
Contaminants in Atlantic walruses in Svalbard part 1: Relationships between exposure, diet and pathogen prevalence |
title_sort |
contaminants in atlantic walruses in svalbard part 1: relationships between exposure, diet and pathogen prevalence |
publisher |
Scholarship at UWindsor |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/glierpub/314 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2018.10.001 |
geographic |
Arctic Svalbard Svalbard Archipelago Norway |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Svalbard Svalbard Archipelago Norway |
genre |
Arctic Climate change Odobenus rosmarus Svalbard walrus* |
genre_facet |
Arctic Climate change Odobenus rosmarus Svalbard walrus* |
op_source |
Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research Publications |
op_relation |
https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/glierpub/314 doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2018.10.001 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2018.10.001 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2018.10.001 |
container_title |
Environmental Pollution |
container_volume |
244 |
container_start_page |
9 |
op_container_end_page |
18 |
_version_ |
1768383802569129984 |