North Sea; marine mammals; stable isotopes; heavy metals; harbour porpoise; health status
Abstract :
[en] There is growing concern about the health status of the harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena in the North Sea and adjacent areas. The interaction between toxicological results (Zn, Cd, Cu, Fe, Se, Hg), stable isotope data (delta(13)C and delta(15)N) and the most common pathological findings, namely emaciation and lesions of the respiratory system, were investigated in 132 porpoises collected along the coasts of northern France, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Iceland and Norway between 1994 and 2001. The body condition of harbour porpoises stranded on the French, Belgian and German coasts was poor compared to that of by-catch individuals from Iceland and Norway, as reflected by blubber thickness and hepatic to total body-mass ratio. High Zn and Hg concentrations were observed in some porpoises collected along the southern North Sea coast compared to by-catch individuals from Iceland, Norway and the Baltic Sea. Increasing Zn levels were observed with deteriorating health condition (emaciation and bronchopneumonia), while Hg increases were not significant. The increases were not related to shrinking liver mass which remained unchanged. These observations indicate a general redistribution of trace metals within the organs (muscles and blubber to liver), as a result of protein and lipid catabolism. Muscle delta(13)C and delta(15)N values remained unchanged with deteriorating body condition. Cd concentrations were associated only with age and low delta(15)N values, indicating that high Cd concentrations in Iceland and Norway porpoises may be partly diet-related, i.e. a result of Cd contaminated prey.
Research Center/Unit :
MARE - Centre Interfacultaire de Recherches en Océanologie - ULiège
Disciplines :
Veterinary medicine & animal health Aquatic sciences & oceanology
Author, co-author :
Das, Krishna ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Sciences et Gestion de l'Environnement > Océanologie
Siebert, Ursula; Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel - CAU Kiel > Research and Technology Center Westcoast (FTZ)
Fontaine, Michaël ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Sciences et Gestion de l'Environnement > Océanologie
Jauniaux, Thierry ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de morphologie et pathologie > Département de morphologie et pathologie
Holsbeek, Ludo; Vrij Universiteit Brussel - VUB
Bouquegneau, Jean-Marie ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Sciences et Gestion de l'Environnement > Océanologie
Language :
English
Title :
Ecological and pathological factors related to trace metal concentrations in harbour porpoises Phocoena phocoena from the North Sea and adjacent areas
F.R.S.-FNRS - Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique BELSPO - Service Public Fédéral de Programmation Politique scientifique FRIA - Fonds pour la Formation à la Recherche dans l'Industrie et dans l'Agriculture EU - European Union
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