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Wintering in the Western Subarctic Pacific Increases Mercury Contamination of Red-Legged Kittiwakes
Environmental Science & Technology (2019)
  • Abram B. Fleishman, San Jose State University
  • Rachael A. Orben, Oregon State University
  • Nobuo Kokubun, National Institute of Polar Research
  • Alexis Will, National Institute of Polar Research
  • Rosana Paredes, Oregon State University
  • Joshua T. Ackerman, United States Geological Survey
  • Akinori Takahashi, National Institute of Polar Research
  • Alexander S. Kitaysky, University of Alaska Fairbanks
  • Scott A. Shaffer, San Jose State University
Abstract
Marine methylmercury concentrations vary geographically and with depth, exposing organisms to different mercury levels in different habitats. Red-legged kittiwakes (Rissa brevirostris), a specialist predator, forage on fish and invertebrates from the mesopelagic zone, a part of the ocean with elevated methylmercury concentrations. We used kittiwakes as bioindicators of MeHg concentrations in remote mesopelagic systems by examining how wintering distribution and habitat affected kittiwakes’ mercury exposure. In 2011–2017, we sampled winter-grown feathers on St. George Island, Alaska, from birds equipped with geolocation loggers. We measured total mercury (THg) and nitrogen stable isotopes in nape and head feathers grown during winter, respectively. THg concentration of kittiwake nape feathers averaged 4.61 ± 0.97 μg/g dry weight. Hierarchical cluster analysis was used to classify winter habitats with remotely sensed environmental variables along each bird’s track. Five habitat clusters were identified. Birds that spent more time in the Western Subarctic Gyre and those that wintered further south had elevated THg concentrations. In contrast to THg, trophic level varied annually but did not show strong spatial patterns. Our results documented spatial variability in THg exposure based on the oceanic wintering locations of red-legged kittiwakes and highlight their use as a bioindicator of MeHg across ocean basins.
Disciplines
Publication Date
November 6, 2019
DOI
10.1021/acs.est.9b03421
Publisher Statement
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Citation Information
Abram B. Fleishman, Rachael A. Orben, Nobuo Kokubun, Alexis Will, et al.. "Wintering in the Western Subarctic Pacific Increases Mercury Contamination of Red-Legged Kittiwakes" Environmental Science & Technology Vol. 53 Iss. 22 (2019) p. 13398 - 13407
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/scott_shaffer/82/