Improved reproductive success in otters (Lutra lutra), grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) and sea eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla) from Sweden in relation to concentrations of organochlorine contaminants

Roos, Anna; Bäcklin, Britt-Marie; Helander, Björn; Rigét, Frank; Eriksson, Urban

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2012.07.017

Cited by 87 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Environmental exposure to toxicants have been linked to declines in populations of wild mink near industrial point sources and those consuming highly contaminated fish1721. Similar population-level effects have occurred in other marine species exposed to environmental toxicants, including otters32, seals3233 and cetaceans634. Similar to our model findings, experimental and field studies with mink and other species have identified reproduction and development as sensitive targets for PCBs and related organic pollutants.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 78%

Using energy budgets to combine ecology and toxicology in a mammalian sentinel species

Desforges

Sonne

Dietz

2017

Sci Rep

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Process-driven modelling approaches can resolve many of the shortcomings of traditional descriptive and non-mechanistic toxicology. We developed a simple dynamic energy budget (DEB) model for the mink (Mustela vison), a sentinel species in mammalian toxicology, which coupled animal physiology, ecology and toxicology, in order to mechanistically investigate the accumulation and adverse effects of lifelong dietary exposure to persistent environmental toxicants, most notably polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Our novel mammalian DEB model accurately predicted, based on energy allocations to the interconnected metabolic processes of growth, development, maintenance and reproduction, lifelong patterns in mink growth, reproductive performance and dietary accumulation of PCBs as reported in the literature. Our model results were consistent with empirical data from captive and free-ranging studies in mink and other wildlife and suggest that PCB exposure can have significant population-level impacts resulting from targeted effects on fetal toxicity, kit mortality and growth and development. Our approach provides a simple and cross-species framework to explore the mechanistic interactions of physiological processes and ecotoxicology, thus allowing for a deeper understanding and interpretation of stressor-induced adverse effects at all levels of biological organization.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 78%

Using energy budgets to combine ecology and toxicology in a mammalian sentinel species

Desforges

Sonne

Dietz

2017

Sci Rep

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“…The authors point out that the poor nutritional status of the seals is likely to have mobilized DDT from blubber to other tissues, increasing their vulnerability to possible toxic effects. Roos et al ( 2012 ) reported a decline in DDT residues in seal blubber from 192 to 2.8 ppm (lipid weight basis) from 1973 to 2010. Increases in uterine health and pregnancies and reduced uterine cancer were associated during the same period with declining residues of persistent organochlorines, including DDT, suggesting possible causation.…”

Section: Ddt In Marine Mammalsmentioning

confidence: 96%

DDT, Chlordane, Toxaphene and PCB Residues in Newport Bay and Watershed: Assessment of Hazard to Wildlife and Human Health

Byard¹,

Paulsen

Tjeerdema

et al. 2014

Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology Volume 235

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“…The concentrations of these marine pollutants are expected to increase at higher latitudes due to their circulation from source points via long-range atmospheric or marine transportation (Wania 2003). These contaminants may have deleterious effects on the normal enzymatic activity of long-lived predators such as marine mammals, leading to reproductive impairment (Roos et al 2012) and reduced immune function (de Swart et al 1996).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

No evidence for recovery in the population of sperm whale bulls off Western Australia, 30 years post-whaling

Carroll¹,

Hedley²,

Bannister³

et al. 2014

Endang. Species. Res.

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The global sperm whale Physeter macrocephalus population has been protected from large-scale commercial whaling for > 25 yr, yet there is no clear evidence of recovery in any heavily exploited stock. This may indicate that whaling has long-term demographic effects on this species or that other endogenous or exogenous processes are inhibiting population growth. This study investigates the status of mature sperm bulls off Albany, Western Australia, a population reduced through whaling by 74% between 1955 and 1978. We conducted an aerial survey designed as far as possible to provide an index of abundance comparable with that derived from the whale 'spotter' planes employed by the Albany whaling company from 1968 to 1978, using the number of sperm bulls seen on each morning flight as a comparative index between bulls seen historically and in 2009. The mean number of sperm bulls seen on transect in 2009 was 2.43 (95% percentile interval [0.96, 6.08]); this increased to 3.38 (95% percentile interval [1.30, 7.60]) when sightings off transect were included. Both 2009 point estimates were lower than the mean (± SE) number seen in any of the years between 1968 and 1978, which ranged from 6.30 (±1.18) in 1976 to 12.45 (±1.83) in 1968. The lack of recovery in the population of bull sperm whales off Albany, despite full protection, is of concern and adds weight to the growing body of evidence that suggests that sperm whales may not be recovering effectively from past exploitation.

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Improved reproductive success in otters (Lutra lutra), grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) and sea eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla) from Sweden in relation to concentrations of organochlorine contaminants

Cited by 87 publications

References 27 publications

Using energy budgets to combine ecology and toxicology in a mammalian sentinel species

Using energy budgets to combine ecology and toxicology in a mammalian sentinel species

DDT, Chlordane, Toxaphene and PCB Residues in Newport Bay and Watershed: Assessment of Hazard to Wildlife and Human Health

No evidence for recovery in the population of sperm whale bulls off Western Australia, 30 years post-whaling

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