meillere-demographicconsequences-2014.pdf (603.99 kB)
Demographic consequences of heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants in a vulnerable long-lived bird, the wandering albatross
journal contribution
posted on 2014-07-22, 00:00 authored by A Goutte, C Barbraud, Alizee MeillereAlizee Meillere, A Carravieri, P Bustamante, P Labadie, H Budzinski, K Delord, Y Cherel, H Weimerskirch, O ChastelSeabirds are top predators of the marine environment that accumulate contaminants over a long life-span. Chronic exposure to pollutants is thought to compromise survival rate and long-term reproductive outputs in these long-lived organisms, thus inducing population decline. However, the demographic consequences of contaminant exposure are largely theoretical because of the dearth of long-term datasets. This study aims to test whether adult survival rate, return to the colony and long-term breeding performance were related to blood mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd) and persistent organic pollutants (POPs), by using a capture-mark-recapture dataset on the vulnerable wandering albatross Diomedea exulans. We did not find evidence for any effect of contaminants on adult survival probability. However, blood Hg and POPs negatively impacted long-term breeding probability, hatching and fledging probabilities. The proximate mechanisms underlying these deleterious effects are likely multifaceted, through physiological perturbations and interactions with reproductive costs. Using matrix population models, we projected a demographic decline in response to an increase in Hg or POPs concentrations. This decline in population growth rate could be exacerbated by other anthropogenic perturbations, such as climate change, disease and fishery bycatch. This study gives a new dimension to the overall picture of environmental threats to wildlife populations.
History
Journal
Proceedings of the royal society b: biological sciencesVolume
281Issue
1787Pagination
1 - 8Publisher
The Royal Society PublishingLocation
London, Eng.Publisher DOI
Link to full text
ISSN
0962-8452eISSN
1471-2954Language
engPublication classification
C Journal article; C1.1 Refereed article in a scholarly journalCopyright notice
2014, The Author(s)Usage metrics
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Keywords
Diomedea exulanscapture–recapturemercurypesticidespolybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE)polychlorinated biphenylAnimalsBirdsEnvironmental ExposureEnvironmental MonitoringFemaleIndian Ocean IslandsLongevityMaleMetals, HeavyModels, BiologicalOrganic ChemicalsReproductionSex FactorsWater Pollutants, ChemicalScience & TechnologyLife Sciences & BiomedicineBiologyEcologyEvolutionary BiologyLife Sciences & Biomedicine - Other TopicsEnvironmental Sciences & Ecologycapture-recaptureRECAPTURE MODELSCLIMATE-CHANGEINDIAN-OCEANSURVIVALMETHYLMERCURYMULTIEVENTUNCERTAINPATTERNSWILDLIFEEcology
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