WA3 Metals and Bioaccumulation
254 Portland Ballroom
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM, Wednesday
() Metals in arctic seabirds: Species, geographic, and seasonal trends.
Fisk, A1, Borga, K2, Gabrielsen, G2, Norstrom, R3, 1 University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA2 Norwegian Polar Institute, Tromso, Norway3 Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
ABSTRACT- Recent reviews of heavy metals in the Arctic ecosystems have concluded that there is a knowledge gap regarding factors influencing the exposure of marine biota to metals. This is a concern as a number of metals, including mercury, have been shown to be increasing in some arctic fauna. To address this gap, tissues samples from seabirds were collected from northern Baffin Bay (8 species) and the Barents Sea (4 species) and analyzed for 22 elements including mercury (Hg). Metal concentrations in the seabirds varied among species within and between the two regions. In Baffin Bay, Hg concentrations were greatest in the higher trophic level organisms and notably higher levels of Cadmium (Cd) and Sesium (Se) in northern fulmars (Fulmaris glacialis) and Se in black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) were found. In the Barents Sea, Hg was not related to trophic position among the 4 species and levels of Se were highest in the dovekie (Alle alle). High organochlorine contamination levels in the low trophic level dovekie are found in the same birds. Comparison of metal concentrations between the regions for the same species varied depending on the species and metals. For example, Hg concentrations were greater in black guillemot (Cypphus grylle) from northern Baffin Bay (0.27 ± 0.04 ug/g) compared with Barents Sea (0.05 ± 0.01) but lower in dovekie from Baffin Bay (0.08 ± 0.01) compared with Barents Sea (0.12 ± 0.04). Decreasing seasonal trends in metal concentrations in thick-billed murre (Uria lomvia) were observed in northern Baffin Bay. Factors influencing species, geographical and seasonal trends will be discussed.
Key words: seabird, mercury, arctic, bioaccumulation