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Trace Element Concentrations in Feathers of Flesh-footed Shearwaters (Puffinus carneipes) from Across Their Breeding Range

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Abstract

Seabirds are convenient indicators of contamination of the marine environment because feathers can be sampled non-destructively, and a great deal is known about their ecology. Flesh-footed Shearwaters (Puffinus carneipes) are of conservation concern in Australia and New Zealand, partly because ingestion of marine debris may be reducing breeding success at their largest colony. Because marine plastics accumulate contaminants in the ocean environment, an assessment of metal and metalloid contaminants was initiated. We sampled feathers from Kauwahaia (n = 18) and Lady Alice Island, New Zealand (n = 30), Lord Howe Island (n = 24) and Western Australia (n = 33) during the 2008 austral summer, making this the most complete assessment of metal and metalloid contamination of any shearwater. We found colony differences in all elements except lead and thallium. Samples from Western Australia had higher silver, aluminium, cadmium, and copper concentrations, while shearwaters from Lord Howe Island (eastern Australia) had elevated concentrations of mercury (mean ± S.D., 11221 ± 5612 ppb). We conclude that mercury, and potentially arsenic and cadmium represent toxicological concerns for this declining species.

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Acknowledgements

The Commonwealth Environment Research Facilities Programme (CERF Hub), Government of Australia Endeavour Research Fellowship, Marine Biodiversity and Conservation Management Research Grant (CSIRO), and the Royal Navy Bird Watching Society Captain Simpson Scholarship provided funding for this project. Special thanks go to B. Baker, A. Booth, C. Powell, J. Pridham, T. Reid, C. Stone (Ngatiwai Trust), G. Taylor, D. Thompson, and the Lord Howe Island Board. W. Diegor provided analytical support. We also thank E. Butler for valuable discussions and improvements to this manuscript. Previous drafts were also improved by comments from two anonymous reviewers.

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  1. Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL, A1B 3X9, Canada

    Alexander L. Bond

  2. University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, 7001, Australia

    Jennifer L. Lavers

  3. Wealth from Oceans National Flagship, CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research, GPO Box 1538, Hobart, TAS, 7001, Australia

    Jennifer L. Lavers

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Bond, A.L., Lavers, J.L. Trace Element Concentrations in Feathers of Flesh-footed Shearwaters (Puffinus carneipes) from Across Their Breeding Range. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 61, 318–326 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-010-9605-3

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