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Influence of the diet on the bioaccumulation of heavy metals in zooplankton-eating petrels at Kerguelen archipelago, Southern Indian Ocean

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Abstract

Concentrations of cadmium, mercury, copper and zinc were measured in muscle, kidney and liver tissues and in the main prey of five species of zooplankton-eating petrels: blue petrel (Halobaena caerulea), thin-billed (Pachyptila belcheri) and Antarctic (P. desolata) prions, and South Georgian (Pelecanoides georgicus) and common (Pelecanoides urinatrix) diving petrels. Since some of these species are closely related species with respect to body size, timing of moult and life span, their diet has been examined to evaluate its influence on heavy-metal bioaccumulation. Inter-specific differences were significant for Hg concentrations in the liver and for Zn concentrations in both liver and kidney tissues. Blue petrels exhibited the highest Hg concentrations in the liver (3.9±2.02 µg.g−1 wet weight). No significant differences were found in Cd concentrations between species. Exposure to heavy metals through the most important prey species in the diet during the breeding period was evaluated. The most evident result was the influence of fish prey on Hg levels. Although crustacean species exhibit different cadmium concentrations, the diet composition does not appear to be discriminant for Cd bioaccumulation within the small petrel community at Kerguelen.

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Acknowledgements

We are very grateful to Damian Lidgard for reviewing the English of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Biologie et Environnement Marins, EA 3168, Université de La Rochelle, Avenue Michel Crépeau, 17042 , La Rochelle cedex, France

    P. Bocher, F. Caurant, P. Miramand & P. Bustamante

  2. Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UPR 1934 du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, , 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France

    P. Bocher & Y. Cherel

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  1. P. Bocher
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  2. F. Caurant
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  5. P. Bustamante
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Correspondence to F. Caurant.

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Bocher, P., Caurant, F., Miramand, P. et al. Influence of the diet on the bioaccumulation of heavy metals in zooplankton-eating petrels at Kerguelen archipelago, Southern Indian Ocean. Polar Biol 26, 759–767 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-003-0552-6

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