期刊
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
卷 509, 期 -, 页码 206-215出版社
ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.07.087
关键词
Polynya; Methylmercury; Food web; Biomagnification; Stable isotopes; Arctic
资金
- Natural Resources Canada [PCSP-213-11]
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council [312237-2012, 312237-2005, 341960-2008, 418551-2012, 424234-2012]
- Canada Research Chairs program [950-211803, 950-203477, 50-223724]
- Canada Foundation for Innovation [203477]
Recurring polynyas are important areas of biological productivity and feeding grounds for seabirds and mammals in the Arctic marine environment. In this study, we examined food web structure (using carbon and nitrogen isotopes, delta C-13 and delta N-15) and mercury (Hg) bioaccumulation and biomagnification in a small recurring polynya ecosystem near Nasaruvaalik Island (Nunavut, Canada). Methyl Hg (MeHg) concentrations increased by more than 50-fold from copepods (Calanus hyperboreus) to Arctic terns (Sterna paradisaea), the abundant predators at this site. The biomagnification of MeHg through members of the food web - using the slope of log MeHg versus delta N-15 - was 0.157 from copepods (C. hyperboreus) to fish. This slope was higher (0.267) when seabird chicks were included in the analyses. Collectively, our results indicate that MeHg biomagnification is occurring in this small polynya and that its trophic transfer is at the lower end of the range of estimates from other Arctic marine ecosystems. In addition, we measured Hg concentrations in some poorly studied members of Arctic marine food webs [e.g. Arctic alligatorfish (Ulcina olrikii) and jellyfish, Medusozoal, and found that MeHg concentrations in jellyfish were lower than expected given their trophic position. Overall, these findings provide fundamental information about food web structure and mercury contamination in a small Arctic polynya, which will inform future research in such ecosystems and provide a baseline against which to assess changes over time resulting from environmental disturbance. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
作者
我是这篇论文的作者
点击您的名字以认领此论文并将其添加到您的个人资料中。
推荐
暂无数据