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Selva N, Hobson KA, Zalewski A, Cortés-Avizanda A, Donázar JA. Mammal communities of primeval forests as sentinels of global change. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17045. [PMID: 38014477 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2023] [Revised: 10/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the drivers and consequences of global environmental change is crucial to inform predictions of effects on ecosystems. We used the mammal community of Białowieża Forest, the last lowland near-primeval forest in temperate Europe, as a sentinel of global change. We analyzed changes in stable carbon (δ13 C) and nitrogen (δ15 N) isotope values of hair in 687 specimens from 50 mammal species across seven decades (1946-2011). We classified mammals into four taxonomic-dietary groups (herbivores, carnivores, insectivores, and bats). We found a significant negative trend in hair δ15 N for the mammal community, particularly strong for herbivores. This trend is consistent with temporal patterns in nitrogen deposition from (15 N depleted) industrial fertilizers and fossil fuel emissions. It is also in line with global-scale declines in δ15 N reported in forests and other unfertilized, non-urban terrestrial ecosystems and with local decreases in N foliar concentrations. The global depletion of 13 C content in atmospheric CO2 due to fossil fuel burning (Suess effect) was detected in all groups. After correcting for this effect, the hair δ13 C trend became non-significant for both community and groups, except for bats, which showed a strong decline in δ13 C. This could be related to an increase in the relative abundance of freshwater insects taken by bats or increased use of methane-derived carbon in food webs used by bats. This work is the first broad-scale and long-term mammal isotope ecology study in a near-primeval forest in temperate Europe. Mammal communities from natural forests represent a unique benchmark in global change research; investigating their isotopic temporal variation can help identify patterns and early detections of ecosystem changes and provide more comprehensive and integrative assessments than single species approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuria Selva
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
- Departamento de Ciencias Integradas, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Física, Matemáticas y Computación, Universidad de Huelva, Huelva, Spain
| | - Keith A Hobson
- University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Andrzej Zalewski
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Białowieża, Poland
| | - Ainara Cortés-Avizanda
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Seville, Sevilla, Spain
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Sevilla, Spain
| | - José Antonio Donázar
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Sevilla, Spain
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Endo T, Kimura O, Terasaki M, Nakagun S, Kato Y, Fujii Y, Haraguchi K, Baker CS. Carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen stable isotope ratios of striped dolphins and short-finned pilot whales stranded in Hokkaido, northern Japan, compared with those of other cetaceans stranded and hunted in Japan. ISOTOPES IN ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH STUDIES 2023; 59:230-247. [PMID: 37549039 DOI: 10.1080/10256016.2023.2234590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
Strandings of striped dolphins (SD) and short-finned pilot whales (PW) in Hokkaido, northern Japan, are rare but have recently increased, probably due to global warming. We quantified δ13C, δ15N, and δ18O in muscles of SD (n = 7) and PW (n = 3) stranded in Hokkaido and compared these values with those in muscles (red meat products) of hunted SD and PW in three areas of central and southern Japan. δ18O in stranded SD, except for the calf, decreased with increasing body length (BL), whereas δ13C increased, with no BL-related changes in δ15N. The variability of δ18O (range of maximum and minimum) was larger in the stranded SD (7.5 ‰) than of the hunted SD in three areas (0.9, 1.9, and 1.4 ‰), whereas that of δ15N was smaller in the stranded SD than in the hunted SD. Similarly, the variability of δ18O was larger in the stranded PW in Hokkaido (3.3 ‰) than in the hunted PW in central Japan (1.4 ‰). The larger variability of δ18O and smaller variability of δ15N in stranded SD imply long-term sojourning in coastal waters and feeding on small amounts of limited prey species at low trophic levels before death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tetsuya Endo
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, Ishikari-Tobetsu, Japan
| | - Osamu Kimura
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, Ishikari-Tobetsu, Japan
| | - Masaru Terasaki
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, Ishikari-Tobetsu, Japan
| | - Shotaro Nakagun
- Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
| | - Yoshihisa Kato
- Kagawa School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokushima Bunri University, Sanuki, Japan
| | - Yukiko Fujii
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Daiichi University of Pharmacy, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Koichi Haraguchi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Daiichi University of Pharmacy, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - C Scott Baker
- Marine Mammal Institute and Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
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Garcia-Garin O, Sahyoun W, Net S, Vighi M, Aguilar A, Ouddane B, Víkingsson GA, Chosson V, Borrell A. Intrapopulation and temporal differences of phthalate concentrations in North Atlantic fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus). CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 300:134453. [PMID: 35390406 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.134453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) is a migratory filter-feeding species that is susceptible to ingest plastics while lunge feeding across the oceans. Plastic additives, such as phthalates, are compounds that are added to plastics to give them specific characteristics, such as flexibility. These so-called plasticizers are currently raising major concern because of their potential adverse effects on marine fauna. However, little is known about phthalate concentrations in tissues of baleen whales as well as their potential relation with biological variables (i.e., sex, body length and age) and their trends with time. In this study, we assessed the concentration of 13 phthalates in the muscle of 31 fin whales sampled in the feeding grounds off western Iceland between 1986 and 2015. We detected 5 of the 13 phthalates investigated, with di-n-butylphthalate (DBP), diethylphthalate (DEP) and bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) being the most abundant. None of the biological variables examined showed a statistically significant relationship with phthalate concentrations. Also, phthalate concentrations did not significantly vary over the 29-year period studied, a surprising result given the global scenario of increasing plastic pollution in the seas. The lack of time trends in phthalate concentration may be due in part to the fact that phthalates also originate from other sources. Although no adverse effects of phthalates on fin whales have been detected to date, further monitoring of these pollutants is required to identify potential toxic effects in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Odei Garcia-Garin
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, and Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio). Faculty of Biology. University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Wissam Sahyoun
- Université de Lille 1, Sciences et Technologies, Laboratoire LASIR (UMR 8516 CNRS), Cité Scientifique, 59655, Villeneuve d'Ascq, France
| | - Sopheak Net
- Université de Lille 1, Sciences et Technologies, Laboratoire LASIR (UMR 8516 CNRS), Cité Scientifique, 59655, Villeneuve d'Ascq, France
| | - Morgana Vighi
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, and Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio). Faculty of Biology. University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alex Aguilar
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, and Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio). Faculty of Biology. University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Baghdad Ouddane
- Université de Lille 1, Sciences et Technologies, Laboratoire LASIR (UMR 8516 CNRS), Cité Scientifique, 59655, Villeneuve d'Ascq, France
| | - Gísli A Víkingsson
- Marine and Freshwater Research Institute, Fornubúðum 5, 220, Hafnarfjörður, Iceland
| | - Valerie Chosson
- Marine and Freshwater Research Institute, Fornubúðum 5, 220, Hafnarfjörður, Iceland
| | - Asunción Borrell
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, and Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio). Faculty of Biology. University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
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Mansouri F, Winfield ZC, Crain DD, Morris B, Charapata P, Sabin R, Potter CW, Hering AS, Fulton J, Trumble SJ, Usenko S. Evidence of multi-decadal behavior and ecosystem-level changes revealed by reconstructed lifetime stable isotope profiles of baleen whale earplugs. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 757:143985. [PMID: 33321341 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Revised: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Biological time series datasets provide an unparalleled opportunity to investigate regional and global changes in the marine environment. Baleen whales are long-lived sentinel species and an integral part of the marine ecosystem. Increasing anthropogenic terrestrial and marine activities alter ocean systems, and such alterations could change foraging and feeding behavior of baleen whales. In this study, we analyzed δ13C and δ15N of baleen whale earplugs from three different species (N = 6 earplugs, n = 337 laminae) to reconstruct the first continuous stable isotope profiles with a six-month resolution. Results of our study provide an unprecedented opportunity to assess behavioral as well as ecological changes. Abrupt shifts and temporal variability observed in δ13C and δ15N profiles could be indicative of behavior change such as shift in foraging location and/or trophic level in response to natural or anthropogenic disturbances. Additionally, five out of six individuals demonstrated long-term declining trends in δ13C profiles, which could suggest influence of emission of depleted 13CO2 from fossil fuel combustion referred to as the Suess effect. After adjusting the δ13C values of earplugs for the estimated Suess effect and re-evaluating δ13C profiles, significant decline in δ13C values as well as different rate of depletion suggest contribution of other sources that could impact δ13C values at the base of the food web.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farzaneh Mansouri
- Department of Environmental Science, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76706, USA
| | - Zach C Winfield
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76706, USA
| | | | - Brooke Morris
- Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76706, USA
| | | | - Richard Sabin
- Division of Vertebrates, Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Charles W Potter
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC 20013, USA
| | - Amanda S Hering
- Department of Statistical Science, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76706, USA
| | - James Fulton
- Department of Geoscience, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76706, USA
| | | | - Sascha Usenko
- Department of Environmental Science, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76706, USA; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76706, USA; Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76706, USA.
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5
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Garcia-Garin O, Sala B, Aguilar A, Vighi M, Víkingsson GA, Chosson V, Eljarrat E, Borrell A. Organophosphate contaminants in North Atlantic fin whales. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 721:137768. [PMID: 32197282 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Revised: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/05/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Pollution of the marine environment by litter composed of plastics is a growing concern. Chemical additives such as organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs), which are added to plastics to improve their qualities, are in focus because they allegedly cause adverse effects on marine fauna. Here we analyse OPFR levels in the muscle of fin whales because, as a mysticete, this cetacean obtains its food by filter-feeding and is thus highly vulnerable to marine litter. Moreover, the fin whale performs long-range migrations from low-latitude areas in winter to high-latitude areas in summer, a trait that makes it a potentially good large-scale biomonitor of pollution. We also analyse OPFR levels in its main prey, the krill Meganyctiphanes norvegica, to assess transfer through diet. The samples analysed consisted of muscle tissue from 20 fin whales and whole-body homogenates of 10 krill samples, all collected off West Iceland. From the 19 OPFRs analysed, we detected 7 in the fin whale and 5 in the krill samples. Tri-n-butyl phosphate (TNBP), Isopropylated triphenyl phosphate (IPPP) and Triphenylphosphine oxide (TPPO) were the most abundant compounds found in both species. Mean ∑OPFR concentration, expressed on a lipid weight basis, was 985 (SD = 2239) ng g-1 in fin whale muscle, and 949 (SD = 1090) ng g-1 in krill homogenates. These results constitute the first evidence of the presence of OPFRs in the tissues of fin whales. Furthermore, they seem to support the non-significance of bioaccumulation of OPFRs through lifespan and of biomagnification trough the food web.
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Affiliation(s)
- Odei Garcia-Garin
- Institute of Biodiversity Research (IRBio), Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Berta Sala
- Water, Environmental and Food Chemistry, Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alex Aguilar
- Institute of Biodiversity Research (IRBio), Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Morgana Vighi
- Institute of Biodiversity Research (IRBio), Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gísli A Víkingsson
- Marine and Freshwater Research Institute, P. O. Box 1390, Skúlagata 4, 121 Reykjavík, Iceland
| | - Valerie Chosson
- Marine and Freshwater Research Institute, P. O. Box 1390, Skúlagata 4, 121 Reykjavík, Iceland
| | - Ethel Eljarrat
- Water, Environmental and Food Chemistry, Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Asunción Borrell
- Institute of Biodiversity Research (IRBio), Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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Gauffier P, Borrell A, Silva MA, Víkingsson GA, López A, Giménez J, Colaço A, Halldórsson SD, Vighi M, Prieto R, de Stephanis R, Aguilar A. Wait your turn, North Atlantic fin whales share a common feeding ground sequentially. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 155:104884. [PMID: 32072986 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2020.104884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Revised: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Highly migratory marine species pose a challenge for the identification of management units due to the absence of clear oceanographic barriers. The population structure of North Atlantic fin whales has been investigated since the start of whaling operations but is still the subject of an ongoing scientific debate. Here we measured stable isotopes of carbon, nitrogen and oxygen in skin samples collected from 151 individuals from western Iceland, Galicia (NW Spain), the Azores archipelago and the Strait of Gibraltar (SoG). We found spatiotemporal differences in stable isotope ratios suggesting that fin whales sampled in these four areas may share a common feeding ground within the Northeast Atlantic at different times during the year. Our results also suggest that SoG whales use this common feeding ground in summer but exploit Mediterranean resources during the winter months, further supporting the existence of a limited but current exchange of individuals between these two basins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline Gauffier
- CIRCE, Cabeza de Manzaneda, 3, 11390, Pelayo, Algeciras, Spain; Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, IRBio, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Asunción Borrell
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, IRBio, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mónica A Silva
- Okeanos Centre & Institute of Marine Research (IMAR), University of the Azores, 9901-862, Horta, Portugal; Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, 02543, USA
| | - Gísli A Víkingsson
- Marine and Freshwater Research Institute, Skúlagata 4, 101, Reykjavík, Iceland
| | - Alfredo López
- Departamento de Biologia & CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal; Coordinadora para o Estudo dos Mamíferos Mariños (CEMMA), P.O. Box 15, 36380, Pontevedra, Gondomar, Spain
| | - Joan Giménez
- Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Passeig Maritim 37-49, 08003, Barcelona, Spain; MaREI Centre for Marine and Renewable Energy, Environmental Research Institute, Beaufort Building, University College Cork, Ringaskiddy, P43 C573 Cork, Ireland; School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental Sciences (BEES), University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, T23 N73K Cork, Ireland
| | - Ana Colaço
- Okeanos Centre & Institute of Marine Research (IMAR), University of the Azores, 9901-862, Horta, Portugal
| | | | - Morgana Vighi
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, IRBio, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rui Prieto
- Okeanos Centre & Institute of Marine Research (IMAR), University of the Azores, 9901-862, Horta, Portugal; MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre and IMAR, Institute of Marine Research, University of the Azores, 9901-862, Horta, Portugal
| | - Renaud de Stephanis
- CIRCE, Cabeza de Manzaneda, 3, 11390, Pelayo, Algeciras, Spain; Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centro Oceanográfico de Málaga, Puerto Pesquero s/n, 29640 Fuengirola, Málaga, Spain
| | - Alex Aguilar
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, IRBio, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
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Magnadóttir B, Uysal-Onganer P, Kraev I, Svansson V, Hayes P, Lange S. Deiminated proteins and extracellular vesicles - Novel serum biomarkers in whales and orca. COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY D-GENOMICS & PROTEOMICS 2020; 34:100676. [PMID: 32114311 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbd.2020.100676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Revised: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Peptidylarginine deiminases (PADs) are a family of phylogenetically conserved calcium-dependent enzymes which cause post-translational protein deimination. This can result in neoepitope generation, affect gene regulation and allow for protein moonlighting via functional and structural changes in target proteins. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) carry cargo proteins and genetic material and are released from cells as part of cellular communication. EVs are found in most body fluids where they can be useful biomarkers for assessment of health status. Here, serum-derived EVs were profiled, and post-translationally deiminated proteins and EV-related microRNAs are described in 5 ceataceans: minke whale, fin whale, humpback whale, Cuvier's beaked whale and orca. EV-serum profiles were assessed by transmission electron microscopy and nanoparticle tracking analysis. EV profiles varied between the 5 species and were identified to contain deiminated proteins and selected key inflammatory and metabolic microRNAs. A range of proteins, critical for immune responses and metabolism were identified to be deiminated in cetacean sera, with some shared KEGG pathways of deiminated proteins relating to immunity and physiology, while some KEGG pathways were species-specific. This is the first study to characterise and profile EVs and to report deiminated proteins and putative effects of protein-protein interaction networks via such post-translationald deimination in cetaceans, revealing key immune and metabolic factors to undergo this post-translational modification. Deiminated proteins and EVs profiles may possibly be developed as new biomarkers for assessing health status of sea mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bergljót Magnadóttir
- Institute for Experimental Pathology, University of Iceland, Keldur v. Vesturlandsveg, 112 Reykjavik, Iceland.
| | - Pinar Uysal-Onganer
- Cancer Research Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Westminster, London W1W 6UW, UK.
| | - Igor Kraev
- Electron Microscopy Suite, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, Open University, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK.
| | - Vilhjálmur Svansson
- Institute for Experimental Pathology, University of Iceland, Keldur v. Vesturlandsveg, 112 Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Polly Hayes
- Tissue Architecture and Regeneration Research Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Westminster, London W1W 6UW, UK.
| | - Sigrun Lange
- Tissue Architecture and Regeneration Research Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Westminster, London W1W 6UW, UK.
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