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Pereira LG, Ferreira GVB, Justino AKS, de Oliveira KMT, de Queiroz MT, Schmidt N, Fauvelle V, Carvalho VL, Lucena-Frédou F. Exploring microplastic contamination in Guiana dolphins (Sotalia guianensis): Insights into plastic pollution in the southwestern tropical Atlantic. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2023; 194:115407. [PMID: 37611337 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115407] [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: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
Marine mammals are considered sentinel species and may act as indicators of ocean health. Plastic residues are widely distributed in the oceans and are recognised as hazardous contaminants, and once ingested can cause several adverse effects on wildlife. This study aimed to identify and characterise plastic ingestion in the Guiana dolphins (Sotalia guianensis) from the Southwestern Tropical Atlantic by evaluating the stomach contents of stranded individuals through KOH digestion and identification of subsample of particles by LDIR Chemical Imaging System. Most of the individuals were contaminated, and the most common polymers identified were PU, PET and EVA. Microplastics were more prevalent than larger plastic particles (meso- and macroplastics). Smaller particles were detected during the rainy seasons. Moreover, there was a positive correlation between the stomach content mass and the number of microplastics, suggesting contamination through trophic transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Letícia Gonçalves Pereira
- Associação de Pesquisa e Preservação de Ecossistemas Aquáticos - Aquasis, Programa de Mamíferos Marinhos, Rua Pintor João Figueiredo, s/n, Iparana, Caucaia, CE 61627-250, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade - Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Brazil.
| | - Guilherme V B Ferreira
- Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco (UFRPE), Departamento de Pesca e Aquicultura (DEPAQ), Rua Dom Manuel de Medeiros, s/n, Recife, PE 52171-900, Brazil
| | - Anne K S Justino
- Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco (UFRPE), Departamento de Pesca e Aquicultura (DEPAQ), Rua Dom Manuel de Medeiros, s/n, Recife, PE 52171-900, Brazil
| | - Kelen Melo Tavares de Oliveira
- Associação de Pesquisa e Preservação de Ecossistemas Aquáticos - Aquasis, Programa de Mamíferos Marinhos, Rua Pintor João Figueiredo, s/n, Iparana, Caucaia, CE 61627-250, Brazil
| | - Monique Torres de Queiroz
- Associação de Pesquisa e Preservação de Ecossistemas Aquáticos - Aquasis, Programa de Mamíferos Marinhos, Rua Pintor João Figueiredo, s/n, Iparana, Caucaia, CE 61627-250, Brazil; Instituto Oceanográfico - Universidade de São Paulo, Praça Oceanográfico, 191, São Paulo, SP 05508-120, Brazil
| | - Natascha Schmidt
- Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU), Fram Centre, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Vincent Fauvelle
- Université de Toulouse, LEGOS (CNES/CNRS/IRD/UPS), Toulouse, France
| | - Vitor Luz Carvalho
- Associação de Pesquisa e Preservação de Ecossistemas Aquáticos - Aquasis, Programa de Mamíferos Marinhos, Rua Pintor João Figueiredo, s/n, Iparana, Caucaia, CE 61627-250, Brazil
| | - Flávia Lucena-Frédou
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade - Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Brazil; Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco (UFRPE), Departamento de Pesca e Aquicultura (DEPAQ), Rua Dom Manuel de Medeiros, s/n, Recife, PE 52171-900, Brazil
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Goodman K, Niella Y, Bliss‐Henaghan T, Harcourt R, Smoothey AF, Peddemors VM. Ontogenetic changes in the tooth morphology of bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas). JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2022; 101:1033-1046. [PMID: 35848707 PMCID: PMC9804735 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Teeth are an integral component of feeding ecology, with a clear link between tooth morphology and diet, as without suitable dentition prey cannot be captured nor broken down for consumption. Bull sharks, Carcharhinus leucas, undergo an ontogenetic niche shift from freshwater to marine habitats, which raises the question: does tooth morphology change with ontogeny? Tooth shape, surface area and thickness were measured using both morphometrics and elliptic Fourier analysis to determine if morphology varied with position in the jaw and if there was an ontogenetic change concordant with this niche shift. Significant ontogenetic differences in tooth morphology as a function of position in the jaw and shark total length were found, with upper and lower jaws of bull sharks presenting two different tooth morphologies. Tooth shape and thickness fell into two groupings, anterior and posterior, in both the upper and lower jaws. Tooth surface area, however, indicated three groupings, mesial, intermediate and distal, in both the upper and lower jaws. While tooth morphology changed significantly with size, showing an inflection at sharks of 135 cm total length, each morphological aspect retained the same tooth groupings throughout. These ontogenetic differences in tooth morphologies reflect tooth strength, prey handling and heterodonty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle Goodman
- School of Natural SciencesMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Yuri Niella
- School of Natural SciencesMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | | | - Robert Harcourt
- School of Natural SciencesMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Amy F. Smoothey
- NSW Department of Primary Industries, Fisheries ResearchSydney Institute of Marine ScienceMosmanNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Victor M. Peddemors
- NSW Department of Primary Industries, Fisheries ResearchSydney Institute of Marine ScienceMosmanNew South WalesAustralia
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Forecasting intraspecific changes in distribution of a wide-ranging marine predator under climate change. Oecologia 2021; 198:111-124. [PMID: 34787703 PMCID: PMC8803685 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-05075-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Globally, marine animal distributions are shifting in response to a changing climate. These shifts are usually considered at the species level, but individuals are likely to differ in how they respond to the changing conditions. Here, we investigate how movement behaviour and, therefore, redistribution, would differ by sex and maturation class in a wide-ranging marine predator. We tracked 115 tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) from 2002 to 2020 and forecast class-specific distributions through to 2030, including environmental factors and predicted occurrence of potential prey. Generalised Linear and Additive Models revealed that water temperature change, particularly at higher latitudes, was the factor most associated with shark movements. Females dispersed southwards during periods of warming temperatures, and while juvenile females preferred a narrow thermal range between 22 and 23 °C, adult female and juvenile male presence was correlated with either lower (< 22 °C) or higher (> 23 °C) temperatures. During La Niña, sharks moved towards higher latitudes and used shallower isobaths. Inclusion of predicted distribution of their putative prey significantly improved projections of suitable habitats for all shark classes, compared to simpler models using temperature alone. Tiger shark range off the east coast of Australia is predicted to extend ~ 3.5° south towards the east coast of Tasmania, particularly for juvenile males. Our framework highlights the importance of combining long-term movement data with multi-factor habitat projections to identify heterogeneity within species when predicting consequences of climate change. Recognising intraspecific variability will improve conservation and management strategies and help anticipate broader ecosystem consequences of species redistribution due to ocean warming.
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