Investigating contaminant-related health effects in killer whales in British Columbia using omics

• Main Author: DeCourten, Dr. Bethany
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Western CEDAR 2022
• Subjects: Orca; Orcinus orca
• Online Access: https://cedar.wwu.edu/ssec/2022ssec/allsessions/231; https://cedar.wwu.edu/context/ssec/article/3393/viewcontent/260_abbb89b46df54c9a97590f88e672c83b.pdf

Killer whales (Orcinus orca) are an iconic species in the Salish Sea with three populations inhabiting the area: the northern resident, southern resident, and Bigg’s populations. Low food availability, contaminant exposure, and noise are the major threats to these populations with the southern residents being the most vulnerable. We measured PCB and PBDE concentrations in blubber biopsies collected from individuals in the southern resident, northern resident, and Bigg’s populations between 2019 and 2021. Our data show differences in PCB and PBDE concentrations between populations and sex. Building upon this research, we are combining multiple omics approaches to deepen our understanding of contaminant-related health effects in these populations: 1) metabolomics using a targeted suite of 254 metabolites that include the following classes – energy metabolism, amino acids, biogenic amines, acylcarnitines, phosphatidylchlorlines, sphingomyelins, bile acids, hexose, and fatty acids, 2) transcriptomics with RNA-sequencing that will also allow us to identify key genes responsive to contaminant exposure. Building upon decades of research by our team, these findings will provide a clearer understanding of health effects associated with priority contaminants in killer whales that can be used to inform risk-based prioritization of conservation efforts.