Anthropogenic input of heavy metals in two Audouin’s gull breeding colonies

García-Tarrasón, Manuel; Pacho, Sergio; Jover, Lluís; Sanpera, Carola

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2013.06.043

Cited by 16 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…Our Pb levels appear to be lower than those reported in feathers of other seabirds (0.71 to 1.88 mg kg −1 d.w.) from the Northern Hemisphere Ribeiro et al 2009). Also, our Pb levels are lower than Audouin's gull breeding colonies subject to Pb contamination (García-Tarrasón et al 2013). The levels of Pb and Cd in feathers of Gentoo penguins found in our study were below those known to cause adverse effect on bird organism (Metcheva et al 2011).…”

Section: Metals In Featherscontrasting

confidence: 62%

Trace Element Concentrations in Biotic Matrices of Gentoo Penguins (Pygoscelis Papua) and Coastal Soils from Different Locations of the Antarctic Peninsula

Celis

Barra

Espejo

et al. 2014

Water Air Soil Pollut

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The aim of this work is to increase the information on trace metals in seabirds and coastal soils in the Antarctica. Concentrations (mg kg −1 dry weight) of Cd, Cu, Cr, Ni, Mn, Zn and Pb were determined by ICP-MS in fresh excreta and feathers of Gentoo penguins as well as in soils around the nesting sites where this species inhabits. Samples were collected in four locations throughout the Antarctic Peninsula (January 2014): O'Higgins Base, Stranger Point, Neko Harbor and Doumer Island. The highest levels of elements were found in excreta from O'Higgins Base (2.92, 266.83, 2.99, 44.75, 18.15, 1.68 and 317.92 for Cd, Cu, Cr, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn, respectively) and Stranger Point (1.97, 222.51, 2.98, 36.62, 13.41, 1.46 and 201.18 for Cd, Cu, Cr, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn, respectively. Similarly, the highest levels were found in feathers from O'Higgins , Ni, Pb and Zn, respectively). In soils, the highest levels were found in O'Higgins Base (4.31, 421.94, 64.75, 404.76, 28.13, 281.54 and 484.99 for Cd, Cu, Cr, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn, respectively), whereas the lowest levels were found in Neko Harbor and Doumer Island. These results observed could be related to the major human presence in the northern area of the Antarctic Peninsula and large-scale transport of pollutants. The metals detected in the excreta of the Gentoo penguin can contribute to increase the contamination of coastal terrestrial ecosystems, which could also affect other living organisms.

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Section: Metals In Featherscontrasting

confidence: 62%

Trace Element Concentrations in Biotic Matrices of Gentoo Penguins (Pygoscelis Papua) and Coastal Soils from Different Locations of the Antarctic Peninsula

Celis

Barra

Espejo

et al. 2014

Water Air Soil Pollut

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“…For Audouin's gull prey, we used published reference values (mean ± SD) from the Ebro Delta following García‐Tarrasón et al. (). Figure shows a graphical representation of individual Audouin's gulls and their potential prey.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…; García‐Tarrasón et al. ). The integration of positional information with SIA is becoming an increasingly used tool in disentangling the foraging behavior of seabirds and designing new conservation measures.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…In addition, diet tracers such as Stable Isotope Analysis (SIA), especially of carbon and nitrogen isotopes, are nowadays widely used to assess trophic ecology in a precise period, depending on the analyzed tissue (Kelly 2000). For example, it is well known that marine habitats present enriched carbon signatures compared to freshwater (Cotin et al 2011;Garc ıa-Tarras on et al 2013). The integration of positional information with SIA is becoming an increasingly used tool in disentangling the foraging behavior of seabirds and designing new conservation measures.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sex‐specific foraging behavior in response to fishing activities in a threatened seabird

García-Tarrasón

Bécares

Bateman

et al. 2015

Ecology and Evolution

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Some seabird species have learnt to efficiently exploit fishing discards from trawling activities. However, a discard ban has been proposed as necessary in Europe to ensure the sustainability of the seas. It is of crucial importance for the management and conservation purposes to study the potential consequences of a discard ban on the foraging ecology of threatened seabirds. We assessed the influence of fishing activities on the feeding habits of 22 male and 15 female Audouin's gulls (Larus audouinii) from the Ebro Delta (Mediterranean Sea) during the breeding period using GPS loggers together with Stable Isotope Analysis (SIA), which provided new insights into their foraging behavior and trophic ecology, respectively. GPS data revealed different sex-specific foraging patterns between workdays and weekends. Females were highly consistent in that they foraged at sea throughout the week even though discarding stops at weekends. In contrast, males switched from foraging at sea during the week (when discards are produced) to an increased use of rice field habitats at weekends (when fishermen do not work). This sex-specific foraging behavior could be related to specific nutritional requirements associated with previous egg production, an energetically demanding period for females. However, on a broader time scale integrated by the SIA, both sexes showed a high degree of individual specialization in their trophic ecology. The need to obtain detailed information on the dependence and response of seabirds to fishing activities is crucial in conservation sciences. In this regard, sex-specific foraging behavior in relation to fisheries has been overlooked, despite the ecological and conservation implications. For instance, this situation may lead to sex differentiation in bycatch mortality in longlines when trawlers do not operate. Moreover, any new fisheries policy will need to be implemented gradually to facilitate the adaptation of a specialized species to a discard ban scenario.

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“…In addition, rapid industrialization and economic development are accompanied by severe environmental problems (Fang et al 2012). Anthropogenic processes, such as mining, fossil fuel consumption, and agricultural activities, represent important heavy metal sources (Dietz et al 2009;Garcia-Tarrason et al 2013), which contribute significantly to the enhancement of heavy metal contents in coastal wetlands, particularly over the last few decades (Dietz et al 2009;Garcia-Tarrason et al 2013;Pisani et al 2013;Li et al 2013a, b). It is critical to obtain an improved understanding of the current pollution status and sources of heavy metals in coastal wetlands because of their ultimate relevance to the sustainable development of impacted ecosystems and public health.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Heavy metal accumulation reflecting natural sedimentary processes and anthropogenic activities in two contrasting coastal wetland ecosystems, eastern China

Gao

et al. 2015

J Soils Sediments

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Purpose Due to the impacts of natural processes and anthropogenic activities, different coastal wetlands are faced with variable patterns of heavy metal contamination. It is important to quantify the contributions of pollutant sources, in order to adopt appropriate protection measures for local ecosystems. The aim of this research was to compare the heavy metal contamination patterns of two contrasting coastal wetlands in eastern China. In addition, the contributions from various metal sources were identified and quantified, and influencing factors, such as the role of the plant Spartina alterniflora, were evaluated. Materials and methods Sediment samples were taken from two coastal wetlands (plain-type tidal flat at the Rudong (RD) wetland vs embayment-type tidal flat at Luoyuan Bay (LY)) to measure the content of Al, Fe, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Mo, Ni, Sr, Zn, Pb, Cd, and As. Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry, flame atomic absorption spectrometry, and atomic fluorescence spectrometry methods were used for metal detection. Meanwhile, the enrichment factor and geoaccumulation index were applied to assess the pollution level. Principle component analysis and receptor modeling were used to quantify the sources of heavy metals.Results and discussion Marked differences in metal distribution patterns between the two systems were present. Metal contents in LY were higher than those in RD, except for Sr and Mo. The growth status of S. alterniflora influenced metal accumulations in RD, i.e., heavy metals were more easily adsorbed in the sediment in the following sequence: Cu> Cd>Zn>Cr>Al>Pb≥Ni≥Co>Fe>Sr≥Mn>As>Mo as a result of the presence and size of the vegetation. However, this phenomenon was not observed in LY. A higher potential ecological risk was associated with LY, compared with RD, except for Mo. Based on a receptor model output, sedimentary heavy metal contents at RD were jointly influenced by natural sedimentary processes and anthropogenic activities, whereas they were dominated by anthropogenic activities at LY. Conclusions A combination of geochemical analysis and modeling approaches was used to quantify the different types of natural and anthropogenic contributions to heavy metal contamination, which is useful for pollution assessments. The application of this approach reveals that natural and anthropogenic processes have different influences on the delivery and retention of metals at the two contrasting coastal wetlands. In addition, the presence and size of S. alterniflora can influence the level of metal contamination in sedimentary environments.

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Anthropogenic input of heavy metals in two Audouin’s gull breeding colonies

Cited by 16 publications

References 39 publications

Trace Element Concentrations in Biotic Matrices of Gentoo Penguins (Pygoscelis Papua) and Coastal Soils from Different Locations of the Antarctic Peninsula

Trace Element Concentrations in Biotic Matrices of Gentoo Penguins (Pygoscelis Papua) and Coastal Soils from Different Locations of the Antarctic Peninsula

Sex‐specific foraging behavior in response to fishing activities in a threatened seabird

Heavy metal accumulation reflecting natural sedimentary processes and anthropogenic activities in two contrasting coastal wetland ecosystems, eastern China

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