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 (δ 15 N) and carbon (δ 13 C) as proxies for trophic level and feeding habitat, respectively. Total Hg and stable isotopes were measured in samples of particulate...
Published in: | Environmental Pollution |
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Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
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2021
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Online Access: | https://risweb.st-andrews.ac.uk/portal/en/researchoutput/mercury-biomagnification-in-a-southern-ocean-food-web(1028b149-ab80-4344-abd5-e237b821b018).html https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116620 https://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/bitstream/10023/24777/1/Seco_2021_EP_Mercury_biomagnification_AAM.pdf |
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ftunstandrewcris:oai:risweb.st-andrews.ac.uk:publications/1028b149-ab80-4344-abd5-e237b821b018 2023-05-15T13:39:30+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, Geraint A. Xavier, José C. 2021-04-15 application/pdf https://risweb.st-andrews.ac.uk/portal/en/researchoutput/mercury-biomagnification-in-a-southern-ocean-food-web(1028b149-ab80-4344-abd5-e237b821b018).html https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116620 https://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/bitstream/10023/24777/1/Seco_2021_EP_Mercury_biomagnification_AAM.pdf eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Seco , J , Aparício , S , Brierley , A S , Bustamante , P , Ceia , F R , Coelho , J P , Philips , R A , Saunders , R A , Fielding , S , Gregory , S , Matias , R , Pardal , M A , Pereira , E , Stowasser , G , Tarling , G A & Xavier , J C 2021 , ' Mercury biomagnification in a Southern Ocean food web ' , Environmental Pollution , vol. 275 , 116620 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116620 Antarctica Contaminants Polar Stable isotopes Trophic magnification slope article 2021 ftunstandrewcris https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116620 2022-06-02T07:52:47Z Biomagnification of mercury (Hg) in the Scotia Sea food web of the Southern Ocean was examined using the stable isotope ratios of nitrogen (δ 15 N) and carbon (δ 13 C) 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 δ 13 C 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). δ 15 N 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 δ 1 5 N and δ 1 3 C 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 μg g −1 dw) and highest values in seabirds (3.88 ± 2.41 μg 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. Changes in foodweb dynamics influence Hg bioaccumulation in top predators. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Krill Antarctica antarcticus Euphausia superba Scotia Sea Southern Ocean Stercorarius antarcticus University of St Andrews: Research Portal Antarctic Austral Scotia Sea Southern Ocean Environmental Pollution 275 116620 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of St Andrews: Research Portal |
op_collection_id |
ftunstandrewcris |
language |
English |
topic |
Antarctica Contaminants Polar Stable isotopes Trophic magnification slope |
spellingShingle |
Antarctica Contaminants Polar Stable isotopes Trophic magnification slope 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, Geraint A. Xavier, José C. Mercury biomagnification in a Southern Ocean food web |
topic_facet |
Antarctica Contaminants Polar Stable isotopes Trophic magnification slope |
description |
Biomagnification of mercury (Hg) in the Scotia Sea food web of the Southern Ocean was examined using the stable isotope ratios of nitrogen (δ 15 N) and carbon (δ 13 C) 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 δ 13 C 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). δ 15 N 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 δ 1 5 N and δ 1 3 C 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 μg g −1 dw) and highest values in seabirds (3.88 ± 2.41 μg 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. Changes in foodweb dynamics influence Hg bioaccumulation in top predators. |
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, Geraint 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, Geraint 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 |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
https://risweb.st-andrews.ac.uk/portal/en/researchoutput/mercury-biomagnification-in-a-southern-ocean-food-web(1028b149-ab80-4344-abd5-e237b821b018).html https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116620 https://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/bitstream/10023/24777/1/Seco_2021_EP_Mercury_biomagnification_AAM.pdf |
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_source |
Seco , J , Aparício , S , Brierley , A S , Bustamante , P , Ceia , F R , Coelho , J P , Philips , R A , Saunders , R A , Fielding , S , Gregory , S , Matias , R , Pardal , M A , Pereira , E , Stowasser , G , Tarling , G A & Xavier , J C 2021 , ' Mercury biomagnification in a Southern Ocean food web ' , Environmental Pollution , vol. 275 , 116620 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116620 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116620 |
container_title |
Environmental Pollution |
container_volume |
275 |
container_start_page |
116620 |
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1766119710663901184 |