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  • Mercury levels in humpback whales, and other Southern Ocean marine megafauna

    Author(s)
    Bengtson Nash, Susan M
    Casa, Maria Valeria
    Kawaguchi, So
    Staniland, Iain
    Bjerregaard, Poul
    Griffith University Author(s)
    Bengtson Nash, Susan M.
    Year published
    2021
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Abstract
    Mercury is a known potent neurotoxin. The biogeochemical cycle of mercury in the remote Antarctic region is still poorly understood, with Polar climate change contributing added complexity. Longitudinal biomonitoring of mercury accumulation in Antarctic marine megafauna can contribute top-down insight into the bio-physical drivers of wildlife exposure. The bioaccumulative nature of organic mercury renders high trophic predators at the greatest risk of elevated exposure. Humpback whales represent secondary consumers of the Antarctic sea-ice ecosystem and an ideal biomonitoring species for persistent and bioaccumulative compounds ...
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    Mercury is a known potent neurotoxin. The biogeochemical cycle of mercury in the remote Antarctic region is still poorly understood, with Polar climate change contributing added complexity. Longitudinal biomonitoring of mercury accumulation in Antarctic marine megafauna can contribute top-down insight into the bio-physical drivers of wildlife exposure. The bioaccumulative nature of organic mercury renders high trophic predators at the greatest risk of elevated exposure. Humpback whales represent secondary consumers of the Antarctic sea-ice ecosystem and an ideal biomonitoring species for persistent and bioaccumulative compounds due to their extended life-spans. This study provides the first results of mercury accumulation in humpback whales, and places findings within the context of mercury accumulation in both prey, as well as six other species of Antarctic marine megafauna. Combined, these findings contribute new baseline information regarding mercury exposure to Antarctic wildlife, and highlights methodological prerequisites for routine mercury biomonitoring in wildlife via non-lethally biopsied superficial tissues.
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    Journal Title
    Marine Pollution Bulletin
    Volume
    172
    DOI
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112774
    Subject
    Biological oceanography
    Environmental sciences
    Marine and estuarine ecology (incl. marine ichthyology)
    Publication URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/10072/406867
    Collection
    • Journal articles

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