Trace element concentrations in common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) in the Celtic Seas ecoregion: Interelement relationships and effects of life history and health status

Gosnell, Orla; McHugh, Brendan; Minto, Cóilín; McGovern, Evin; Rogan, Emer; Caurant, Florence; Pierce, Graham J.; Das, Krishna; O’Donovan, Jim; Emerit, Aylis; Murphy, Sinéad

doi:10.1016/j.envint.2024.108826

Environment International

2024

DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108826

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Trace element concentrations in common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) in the Celtic Seas ecoregion: Interelement relationships and effects of life history and health status

Orla Gosnell,

Brendan McHugh,

Cóilín Minto

et al.

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2024

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Cited by 3 publications

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Emaciated enigma: Decline in body conditions of common dolphins in the Celtic Seas ecoregion

Albrecht,

Minto,

Rogan

et al. 2024

Ecology and Evolution

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Monitoring the nutritional health of cetaceans has become increasingly important in a changing environment, where multiple stressors impact animals. Particularly for those species that require consumption of energy‐dense prey, such as the common dolphin. Thus far, no uniform measure for monitoring body condition has been recommended across cetaceans, and species‐specific measures may need to be developed if employed as a population condition indicator under Descriptor 1 of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. Here, nine morphometric body condition indices were applied to long‐term common dolphin stranding data sets originating from Ireland and the UK. We report a recent decline in the nutritional health of common dolphins in the Celtic Seas ecoregion comparing animals from 2017 to 2019 to animals from 1990 to 2006, with an increase in cases of animals dying due to starvation. Using ordinal regression trees, ventral blubber thickness (VBT) was identified as the most important index to predict nutritional status, defined at necropsy, followed by the scaled mass index (SMI). Using generalised linear models, both the VBT and SMI indices differentiated individuals that died from chronic and acute causes of death (i.e., bycatch), where animals in chronic conditions had significantly thinner VBT and lower SMI. Both significant temporal and seasonal patterns in VBT were identified, with poorer body conditions observed during the autumn and better body conditions observed during the spring, as well as an overall decline detected in VBT during the study period. While VBT was positively correlated with total body length, SMI showed the opposite trend. The VBT index is recommended for monitoring nutritional health within the species when total body length and season are considered. Further research is needed to understand the underlying causes for the observed decline, including shifts in prey availability and/or quality, to inform targeted conservation management strategies.

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Emaciated enigma: Decline in body conditions of common dolphins in the Celtic Seas ecoregion

Albrecht,

Minto,

Rogan

et al. 2024

Ecology and Evolution

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Non-lethal sampling of phalanges for heavy metal bioaccumulation in Pelophylax nigromaculatus from historical mercury mining areas in Southwestern China

Zhang,

Lu,

Chen

et al. 2024

Sci Rep

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Metal Levels in Striped Dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) and Common Dolphins (Delphinus delphis) Stranded along the Sicilian Coastlines of the Mediterranean Sea

Naccari,

Ferrantelli,

Cammilleri

et al. 2024

Animals

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Dolphins, top predators of the aquatic food chain, are used as sentinel species of marine pollution as they are sensitive to environmental changes and able to accumulate a large content of contaminants. Several EU directives promote study of marine mammalians as bio-indicators to evaluate the presence of contaminants in the aquatic environment, such as the Mediterranean Sea, which is rich in environmental pollutants due to its geographic and geo-morphological characteristics. The aim of this study was to evaluate the content of toxic and essential metals and metalloids (Hg, Pb, Cd, As, Se and Zn), through ICP-MS analysis, in organs/tissues (liver, muscle, lung, kidney and skin) of striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) and common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) stranded along the Sicilian coastlines of the Mediterranean Sea. The results confirm the exposure of dolphins to toxic metals and metalloids, with the highest Hg levels observed in skin and liver, although a low Metal Pollution Index (MPI) was found in all samples of both dolphin species. From a comparative analysis of trace metals and metalloids according to sex and state of development, the highest levels of Cd and As were found in females vs. males and adults vs. juveniles, except for Pb in both species, and significant differences were observed between the two species, size of specimens, and organs/tissues analyzed. The highest Hg levels were correlated to those of essential metals Se and Zn, expressed as molar ratios, to evaluate the potential synergic effect of these detoxifying elements against Hg toxicity. This study confirms the rule of Stenella coeruleoalba and Delphinus delphis as valid sentinel species of the Mediterranean Sea, to verify the trend of metals pollution in this aquatic environment and, consequently, the health of these marine species.

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Trace element concentrations in common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) in the Celtic Seas ecoregion: Interelement relationships and effects of life history and health status

Cited by 3 publications

References 61 publications

Emaciated enigma: Decline in body conditions of common dolphins in the Celtic Seas ecoregion

Emaciated enigma: Decline in body conditions of common dolphins in the Celtic Seas ecoregion

Non-lethal sampling of phalanges for heavy metal bioaccumulation in Pelophylax nigromaculatus from historical mercury mining areas in Southwestern China

Metal Levels in Striped Dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) and Common Dolphins (Delphinus delphis) Stranded along the Sicilian Coastlines of the Mediterranean Sea

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