Persistent organic pollutants in blood samples of southern giant Petrels (Macronectes giganteus) on King George and Elephant islands, south Shetland, Antarctica

Abstract

Seabirds play an important role as top consumers in the food chain and can serve as bioindicators of exposure to pollutants, drawing attention to potential threats to the environment and other animals. Contamination studies involving seabirds generally depend on the sampling of dead specimens, as practical and ethical aspects related to the collection of birds constitute an obstacle to research on contamination and impede the use of these animals as bioindicators. Thus, the validation of non-destructive sampling methods, such as the analysis of pollutants in the blood stream, can help overcome these limitations and is of considerable importance to monitoring studies, allowing better follow up of the concentrations of pollutants and the evaluation of their toxic effects. The aim of the present study is to contribute to the development of non-destructive methods for the study of organic pollutants in the Southern Giant Petrel (Macronectes giganteus) that is an important top predator of the South Atlantic and the Southern Ocean. Characteristics such as accentuated sexual dimorphism, segregated eating habits between males and females, low reproduction rate, late maturity and extended longevity make M. giganteus an ideal species for ecological, sexual trophic segregation and environmental contamination studies. Considering the potential of seabirds as bioindicators of pollution and environmental changes, this study will allow the long-term monitoring of individuals and populations and will furnish scientific evidence for the conservation of these species as well as their breeding grounds and migration routes. (AU)