Mercury concentrations in primary feathers reflect pollutant exposure in discrete non-breeding grounds used by Short-tailed Shearwaters

Watanuki, Yutaka; Yamamoto, Takashi; Yamashita, Ai; Ishii, Chihiro; Ikenaka, Yoshinori; Nakayama, Shouta M. M.; Ishizuka, Mayumi; Suzuki, Yuya; Niizuma, Yasuaki; Meathrel, C. E.; Phillips, R. A.. 2015 Mercury concentrations in primary feathers reflect pollutant exposure in discrete non-breeding grounds used by Short-tailed Shearwaters. Journal of Ornithology, 156 (3). 847-850. 10.1007/s10336-015-1205-6

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Abstract/Summary

We measured mercury concentrations ([Hg]) and nitrogen stable isotope ratios (δ15N) in the primary feathers of Short-tailed Shearwaters (Puffinus tenuirostris) that were tracked year-round. The [Hg] were highest in 14 birds that used the Okhotsk and northern Japan Seas during the non-breeding period (2.5 ± 1.4 μg/g), lowest in nine birds that used the eastern Bering Sea (0.8 ± 0.2 μg/g), and intermediate in five birds that used both regions (1.0 ± 0.5 μg/g), with no effects of δ15N. The results illustrate that samples from seabirds can provide a useful means of monitoring pollution at a large spatial scale.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.1007/s10336-015-1205-6
Programmes:	BAS Programmes > BAS Programmes 2015 > Ecosystems
ISSN:	2193-7192
Additional Keywords:	geolocator, trophic level, northern North Pacific, monitoring
Date made live:	23 Mar 2015 13:15 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/510349

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

10.1007/s10336-015-1205-6

Programmes:

BAS Programmes > BAS Programmes 2015 > Ecosystems

ISSN:

2193-7192

Additional Keywords:

geolocator, trophic level, northern North Pacific, monitoring

Date made live:

23 Mar 2015 13:15 +0 (UTC)