TY - JOUR
T1 - Use of DDTs and PCBs as chemical tracers in assessing the foraging locations and habits of northern elephant seals from Guadalupe Island (Mexico)
AU - Muntaner-López, Gádor
AU - González-Armas, Rogelio
AU - Galván-Magaña, Felipe
AU - Lowe, Christopher G.
AU - Elorriaga-Verplancken, Fernando R.
AU - Lorenzi, Varenka
AU - Villalobos, Hector
AU - Hoyos-Padilla, Edgar Mauricio
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Society for Marine Mammalogy.
PY - 2023/4
Y1 - 2023/4
N2 - Organochlorine contaminants (OCs) accumulate in top predators, reaching high levels associated with negative physiological effects. Measuring OCs is key for assessing the accumulation of their loads and evaluating the efficiency of contaminant regulations. Some OCs generate specific signatures in certain areas, which allow us to track potential movements and feeding habits of species. Thirty-five blubber biopsies were taken from northern elephant seals (NES) during fall at Guadalupe Island (GI), Mexico, an important site for hauling-out, molting, and breeding. Biopsies were analyzed for dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its metabolites (tDDTs), hexachlorobenzene, chlordanes, and total PCB congeners (tPCBs). tDDTs were higher in adults than in juveniles, suggesting age class-based bioaccumulation, related to time and differences in foraging and habitat use between age groups. Females had higher variability of OCs than males, attributed to multiple causes, including variation in the use of foraging grounds and niche segregation. The DDT:PCB ratios were the highest, showing similarity with the Palos Verdes (California) contaminant signature, suggesting the use of similar feeding areas in relation to juvenile NES from Southern California. Our baseline of OC levels for NES at GI, allows future monitoring of changes in legacy contaminants over time, and the evaluation of the efficiency of their regulations.
AB - Organochlorine contaminants (OCs) accumulate in top predators, reaching high levels associated with negative physiological effects. Measuring OCs is key for assessing the accumulation of their loads and evaluating the efficiency of contaminant regulations. Some OCs generate specific signatures in certain areas, which allow us to track potential movements and feeding habits of species. Thirty-five blubber biopsies were taken from northern elephant seals (NES) during fall at Guadalupe Island (GI), Mexico, an important site for hauling-out, molting, and breeding. Biopsies were analyzed for dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its metabolites (tDDTs), hexachlorobenzene, chlordanes, and total PCB congeners (tPCBs). tDDTs were higher in adults than in juveniles, suggesting age class-based bioaccumulation, related to time and differences in foraging and habitat use between age groups. Females had higher variability of OCs than males, attributed to multiple causes, including variation in the use of foraging grounds and niche segregation. The DDT:PCB ratios were the highest, showing similarity with the Palos Verdes (California) contaminant signature, suggesting the use of similar feeding areas in relation to juvenile NES from Southern California. Our baseline of OC levels for NES at GI, allows future monitoring of changes in legacy contaminants over time, and the evaluation of the efficiency of their regulations.
KW - DDT
KW - Guadalupe Island
KW - PCB
KW - Pacific Ocean
KW - contaminants
KW - northern elephant seal
KW - persistent organic pollutant
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85150345574&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/mms.13004
DO - 10.1111/mms.13004
M3 - Artículo
AN - SCOPUS:85150345574
SN - 0824-0469
VL - 39
SP - 611
EP - 625
JO - Marine Mammal Science
JF - Marine Mammal Science
IS - 2
ER -