1
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Stockin KA, Machovsky-Capuska GE, Palmer EI, Amiot C. Multidimensional trace metals and nutritional niche differ between sexually immature and mature common dolphins (Delphinus delphis). Environ Pollut 2023; 333:121935. [PMID: 37263561 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
There is a need to understand the links between metals and nutrition for apex marine predators, which may be subject to different ecotoxicological effects at different life stages. We combined stomach content analyses (SCA), prey composition analysis (PCA), the Multidimensional Niche Framework (MNNF) with Bayesian multivariate ellipses, trace metal analysis and nicheROVER to investigate nutrition and trace metals across sex, age, and sexual maturity status in common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) from New Zealand. A broader prey composition niche breadth (SEAc) was estimated for immature compared to mature conspecifics, showing a higher degree of prey and nutrient generalism driven by protein (P) intake. Cd and Zn niche similarities suggests these metals were incorporated through similar prey in both immature and mature dolphins, whereas Hg and Se niche divergence indicates uptake occurred via different prey. Our multidisciplinary assessment demonstrated how nutrients and metal interactions differ in common dolphins depending upon sexual maturity. This approach has relevance when considering how marine pollution, environmental fluctuations and climate change may affect nutritional and trace metal interactions during different reproductive stages within marine predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen A Stockin
- Cetacean Ecology Research Group, School of Natural Sciences, Massey University, Auckland, 0745, New Zealand; Animal Welfare Science and Bioethics Centre, School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North, 4442, New Zealand.
| | - Gabriel E Machovsky-Capuska
- Cetacean Ecology Research Group, School of Natural Sciences, Massey University, Auckland, 0745, New Zealand; Nutri Lens, East Ryde, NSW, 2113, Australia
| | - Emily I Palmer
- Cetacean Ecology Research Group, School of Natural Sciences, Massey University, Auckland, 0745, New Zealand
| | - Christophe Amiot
- UFR Science et Technologie, Nantes Université, 44000, Nantes, France; BiodivAG, Angers Université, Angers, 49000, France
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2
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Grainger R, Raoult V, Peddemors VM, Machovsky-Capuska GE, Gaston TF, Raubenheimer D. Integrating isotopic and nutritional niches reveals multiple dimensions of individual diet specialisation in a marine apex predator. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:514-534. [PMID: 36421071 PMCID: PMC10107186 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Dietary specialisations are important determinants of ecological structure, particularly in species with high per-capita trophic influence like marine apex predators. These species are, however, among the most challenging in which to establish spatiotemporally integrated diets. We introduce a novel integration of stable isotopes with a multidimensional nutritional niche framework that addresses the challenges of establishing spatiotemporally integrated nutritional niches in wild populations, and apply the framework to explore individual diet specialisation in a marine apex predator, the white shark Carcharodon carcharias. Sequential tooth files were sampled from juvenile white sharks to establish individual isotopic (δ-space; δ13 C, δ15 N, δ34 S) niche specialisation. Bayesian mixing models were then used to reveal individual-level prey (p-space) specialisation, and further combined with nutritional geometry models to quantify the nutritional (N-space) dimensions of individual specialisation, and their relationships to prey use. Isotopic and mixing model analyses indicated juvenile white sharks as individual specialists within a broader, generalist, population niche. Individual sharks differed in their consumption of several important mesopredator species, which suggested among-individual variance in trophic roles in either pelagic or benthic food webs. However, variation in nutrient intakes was small and not consistently correlated with differences in prey use, suggesting white sharks as nutritional specialists and that individuals could use functionally and nutritionally different prey as complementary means to achieve a common nutritional goal. We identify how degrees of individual specialisation can differ between niche spaces (δ-, p- or N-space), the physiological and ecological implications of this, and argue that integrating nutrition can provide stronger, mechanistic links between diet specialisation and its intrinsic (fitness/performance) and extrinsic (ecological) outcomes. Our time-integrated framework is adaptable for examining the nutritional consequences and drivers of food use variation at the individual, population or species level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Grainger
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Vincent Raoult
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Ourimbah, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Victor M Peddemors
- New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Fisheries, Sydney Institute of Marine Science, Mosman, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Gabriel E Machovsky-Capuska
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Nutri Lens, East Ryde, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Troy F Gaston
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Ourimbah, New South Wales, Australia
| | - David Raubenheimer
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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3
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Stockin KA, Pantos O, Betty EL, Pawley MDM, Doake F, Masterton H, Palmer EI, Perrott MR, Nelms SE, Machovsky-Capuska GE. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis identifies microplastics in stranded common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) from New Zealand waters. Mar Pollut Bull 2021; 173:113084. [PMID: 34775153 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.113084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Revised: 10/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Here we provide a first assessment of microplastics (MPs) in stomach contents of 15 common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) from both single and mass stranding events along the New Zealand coast between 2019 and 2020. MPs were observed in all examined individuals, with an average of 7.8 pieces per stomach. Most MPs were fragments (77%, n = 90) as opposed to fibres (23%, n = 27), with translucent/clear (46%) the most prevalent colour. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy revealed polyethylene terephthalate (65%) as the most predominant polymer in fibres, whereas polypropylene (31%) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (20%) were more frequently recorded as fragments. Mean fragment and fibre size was 584 μm and 1567 μm, respectively. No correlation between total number of MPs and biological parameters (total body length, age, sexual maturity, axillary girth, or blubber thickness) was observed, with similar levels of MPs observed between each of the mass stranding events. Considering MPs are being increasingly linked to a wide range of deleterious effects across taxa, these findings in a typically pelagic marine sentinel species warrants further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen A Stockin
- Cetacean Ecology Research Group, School of Natural Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 102 904, Auckland 0745, New Zealand.
| | - Olga Pantos
- Institute of Environmental Science and Research, 27 Creyke Rd, Ilam, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand
| | - Emma L Betty
- Cetacean Ecology Research Group, School of Natural Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 102 904, Auckland 0745, New Zealand
| | - Matthew D M Pawley
- Cetacean Ecology Research Group, School of Natural Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 102 904, Auckland 0745, New Zealand
| | - Fraser Doake
- Institute of Environmental Science and Research, 27 Creyke Rd, Ilam, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand
| | - Hayden Masterton
- Institute of Environmental Science and Research, 27 Creyke Rd, Ilam, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand
| | - Emily I Palmer
- Cetacean Ecology Research Group, School of Natural Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 102 904, Auckland 0745, New Zealand
| | - Matthew R Perrott
- School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Private Bag 11 222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
| | - Sarah E Nelms
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall TR10 9EZ, United Kingdom
| | - Gabriel E Machovsky-Capuska
- Cetacean Ecology Research Group, School of Natural Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 102 904, Auckland 0745, New Zealand
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4
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Stockin KA, Yi S, Northcott GL, Betty EL, Machovsky-Capuska GE, Jones B, Perrott MR, Law RJ, Rumsby A, Thelen MA, Graham L, Palmer EI, Tremblay LA. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), trace elements and life history parameters of mass-stranded common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) in New Zealand. Mar Pollut Bull 2021; 173:112896. [PMID: 34601248 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Profiles of 33 PFAS analytes and 12 essential and non-essential trace elements were measured in livers of stranded common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) from New Zealand. PFAS concentrations reported were largely comparable to those measured in other marine mammal species globally and composed mostly of long-chain compounds including perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoDA), perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA) and perfluorooctanesulfonamide (FOSA). PFAS profiles did not vary significantly by location, body condition, or life history. Notably, significant positive correlations were observed within respective PFAS and trace elements. However, only negative correlations were evident between these two contaminant types, suggesting different exposure and metabolic pathways. Age-associated concentrations were found for PFTrDA and four trace elements, i.e. silver, mercury, cadmium, selenium, indicating differences in the bioaccumulation biomagnification mechanisms. Overall, our results contribute to global understanding of accumulation of PFAS by offering first insights of PFAS exposure in cetaceans living within South Pacific Australasian waters.
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Affiliation(s)
- K A Stockin
- Cetacean Ecology Research Group, School of Natural Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 102 904, Auckland 0745, New Zealand.
| | - S Yi
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - G L Northcott
- Northcott Research Consultants Limited, 20 River Oaks Place, Hamilton 3200, New Zealand
| | - E L Betty
- Cetacean Ecology Research Group, School of Natural Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 102 904, Auckland 0745, New Zealand
| | - G E Machovsky-Capuska
- Cetacean Ecology Research Group, School of Natural Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 102 904, Auckland 0745, New Zealand; The Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - B Jones
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, PO Box 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - M R Perrott
- School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Private Bag 11 222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
| | - R J Law
- Cetacean Ecology Research Group, School of Natural Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 102 904, Auckland 0745, New Zealand; Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Pakefield Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk NR33 0HT, United Kingdom
| | - A Rumsby
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - M A Thelen
- Cetacean Ecology Research Group, School of Natural Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 102 904, Auckland 0745, New Zealand
| | - L Graham
- AsureQuality Limited, PO Box 31 242, Lower Hutt, New Zealand
| | - E I Palmer
- Cetacean Ecology Research Group, School of Natural Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 102 904, Auckland 0745, New Zealand
| | - L A Tremblay
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, PO Box 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand; Cawthron Institute, Private Bag 2, Nelson 7042, New Zealand
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Peneaux C, Grainger R, Lermite F, Machovsky-Capuska GE, Gaston T, Griffin AS. Detrimental effects of urbanization on the diet, health, and signal coloration of an ecologically successful alien bird. Sci Total Environ 2021; 796:148828. [PMID: 34271392 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Theory suggests that overcrowding and increased competition in urban environments might be detrimental to individual condition in avian populations. Unfavourable living conditions could be compounded by changes in dietary niche with additional consequences for individual quality of urban birds. We analysed the isotopic signatures, signal coloration, body condition, parasitic loads (feather mites and coccidia), and immune responsiveness of 191 adult common (Indian) mynas (Acridotheres tristis) captured in 19 localities with differing levels of urbanization. The isotopic signature of myna feathers differed across low and high urbanized habitats, with a reduced isotopic niche breadth found in highly urbanized birds. This suggests that birds in high urban environments may occupy a smaller foraging niche to the one of less urbanized birds. In addition, higher degrees of urbanization were associated with a decrease in carotenoid-based coloration, higher ectoparasite loads and higher immune responsiveness. This pattern of results suggests that the health status of mynas from more urbanized environments was poorer than mynas from less modified habitats. Our findings are consistent with the theory that large proportions of individual birds that would otherwise die under natural conditions survive due to prevailing top-down and bottom-up ecological processes in cities. Detrimental urban ecological conditions and search for more favourable, less crowded habitats offers the first reasonable explanation for why an ecological invader like the common myna continues to spread within its global invasive range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloe Peneaux
- School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia.
| | - Richard Grainger
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia; School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia
| | - Françoise Lermite
- School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
| | | | - Troy Gaston
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
| | - Andrea S Griffin
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
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Abstract
Human activities are changing our environment. Along with climate change and a widespread loss of biodiversity, plastic pollution now plays a predominant role in altering ecosystems globally. Here, we review the occurrence of plastic ingestion by wildlife through evolutionary and ecological lenses and address the fundamental question of why living organisms ingest plastic. We unify evolutionary, ecological, and cognitive approaches under the evolutionary trap theory and identify three main factors that may drive plastic ingestion: (i) the availability of plastics in the environment, (ii) an individual's acceptance threshold, and (iii) the overlap of cues given by natural foods and plastics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robson G Santos
- Laboratório de Biologia Marinha e Conservação, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Cidade Universitária 57072-900, Maceió, AL, Brazil.
| | - Gabriel E Machovsky-Capuska
- Cetacean Ecology Research Group, Massey University, Albany, AKL 0745, New Zealand.,The Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Ryan Andrades
- Laboratório de Ictiologia, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Goiabeiras 29075-910, Vitória, ES, Brazil
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7
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Peneaux C, Machovsky-Capuska GE, Endler JA, Griffin AS. Eat yourself sexy: how selective macronutrient intake influences the expression of a visual signal in common mynas. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:237821. [PMID: 33758023 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.241349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Producing colored signals often requires consuming dietary carotenoid pigments. Evidence that food deprivation can reduce coloration, however, raises the question of whether other dietary nutrients contribute to signal coloration, and furthermore, whether individuals can voluntarily select food combinations to achieve optimal coloration. We created a two-way factorial design to manipulate macronutrient and carotenoid access in common mynas (Acridotheres tristis) and measured eye patch coloration as a function of the food combinations individuals selected. Mynas had access to either water or carotenoid-supplemented water and could either eat a standard captive diet or choose freely between three nutritionally defined pellets (protein, lipid or carbohydrate). Mynas supplemented with both carotenoids and macronutrient pellets had higher color scores than control birds. Male coloration tended to respond more to nutritional manipulation than females, with color scores improving in macronutrient- and carotenoid-supplemented individuals compared with controls. All mynas consuming carotenoids had higher levels of plasma carotenoids, but only males showed a significant increase by the end of the experiment. Dietary carotenoids and macronutrient intake consumed in combination tended to increase plasma carotenoid concentrations the most. These results demonstrate for the first time that consuming specific combinations of macronutrients along with carotenoids contributes to optimizing a colorful signal, and point to sex-specific nutritional strategies. Our findings improve our knowledge of how diet choices affect signal expression and, by extension, how nutritionally impoverished diets, such as those consumed by birds in cities, might affect sexual selection processes and, ultimately, population dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloe Peneaux
- School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
| | - Gabriel E Machovsky-Capuska
- Charles Perkins Centre and Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia
| | - John A Endler
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong Waurn Ponds, VIC 3216, Australia
| | - Andrea S Griffin
- School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
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8
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Santos RG, Andrades R, Demetrio GR, Kuwai GM, Sobral MF, Vieira JDS, Machovsky-Capuska GE. Exploring plastic-induced satiety in foraging green turtles. Environ Pollut 2020; 265:114918. [PMID: 32544788 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2020] [Revised: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/30/2020] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
In the last decade many studies have described the ingestion of plastic in marine animals. While most studies were dedicated to understanding the pre-ingestion processes involving decision-making foraging choices based on visual and olfactory cues of animals, our knowledge in the post-ingestion consequences remains limited. Here we proposed a theoretical complementary view of post-ingestion consequences, attempting to connect plastic ingestion with plastic-induced satiety. We analyzed data of plastic ingestion and dietary information of 223 immature green turtles (Chelonia mydas) from tropical Brazilian reefs in order to understand the impacts of plastic ingestion on foraging behavior. Generalized linear mixing models and permutational analysis of variance suggested that plastic accumulations in esophagus, stomach and intestine differed in their impact on green turtle's food intake. At the initial stages of plastic ingestion, where the plastic still in the stomach, an increase in food intake was observed. The accumulation of plastic in the gastrointestinal tract can reduce food intake likely leading to plastic-induced satiety. Our results also suggest that higher amounts of plastics in the gastrointestinal tract may led to underweight and emaciated turtles. We hope that adopting and refining our proposed framework will help to clarify the post-ingestion consequences of plastic ingestion in wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robson G Santos
- Laboratório de Biologia Marinha e Conservação, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Av. Lourival Melo Mota, s/n, Cidade Universitária, 57072-900, Maceió, AL, Brazil.
| | - Ryan Andrades
- Laboratório de Ictiologia, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Av. Fernando Ferrari, 514, Goiabeiras, 29075-910, Vitória, ES, Brazil
| | - Guilherme Ramos Demetrio
- Laboratório de Ecologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Alagoas/Campus Arapiraca - Unidade de Ensino Penedo, Avenida Beira Rio, s/n, Centro Histórico, 57200-000, Penedo, AL, Brazil
| | - Gabriela Miki Kuwai
- Laboratório de Biologia Marinha e Conservação, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Av. Lourival Melo Mota, s/n, Cidade Universitária, 57072-900, Maceió, AL, Brazil
| | - Mañana Félix Sobral
- Laboratório de Biologia Marinha e Conservação, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Av. Lourival Melo Mota, s/n, Cidade Universitária, 57072-900, Maceió, AL, Brazil
| | - Júlia de Souza Vieira
- Laboratório de Biologia Marinha e Conservação, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Av. Lourival Melo Mota, s/n, Cidade Universitária, 57072-900, Maceió, AL, Brazil
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Börger
- Department of Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Allert I Bijleveld
- Department of Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Utrecht University, Den Burg, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Samantha C Patrick
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Garrett M Street
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA
| | - Eric Vander Wal
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada
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10
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Machovsky-Capuska GE, von Haeften G, Romero MA, Rodríguez DH, Gerpe MS. Linking cadmium and mercury accumulation to nutritional intake in common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) from Patagonia, Argentina. Environ Pollut 2020; 263:114480. [PMID: 32283460 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2019] [Revised: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Bioaccumulation of Hg and Cd from food is a complex ecological process that has been oversimplified in the past. Common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) provide a powerful model to biomonitor metal concentrations in marine environments worldwide. We combined proportions-based nutritional geometry with metal analysis, stomach content analysis and the proximate composition of prey, to yield novel insights into the accumulation of Hg and Cd. Our analysis showed an age-related accumulation trend for Cd and Hg in kidney and liver, with highest concentrations found at 18 years of age. When viewed through the lens of nutritional ecology, Argentine anchovy (58.1 Mass %) and South American long-finned squid (22.7 Mass %), provided most of the dietary intake of protein (P) and lipids (L) (P:L ratio = 2.6:1.0) and also represented the main source for Cd and Hg levels accumulated in their bodies. This study presents unprecedented evidence on metal accumulation in relation to age and nutritional intake in a marine predator.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - M Alejandra Romero
- Centro de Investigación Aplicada y Transferencia Tecnológica en Recursos Marinos "Almirante Storni", Güemes 1030, San Antonio Oeste, 8520, Rio Negro, Argentina; Escuela Superior de Ciencias Marinas, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, San Martín 247, San Antonio Oeste, Rio Negro, Argentina
| | - Diego H Rodríguez
- Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras, Departamento de Ciencias Marinas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, CONICET, Funes 3350, Mar del Plata, B7602AYL, Argentina; Laboratorio de Mamíferos Marinos, Departamento de Ciencias Marinas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Marcela S Gerpe
- Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras, Departamento de Ciencias Marinas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, CONICET, Funes 3350, Mar del Plata, B7602AYL, Argentina; Laboratorio de Ecotoxicología, Departamento de Ciencias Marinas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata, Argentina
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11
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Machovsky-Capuska GE, Andrades R, Santos RG. Debris ingestion and nutritional niches in estuarine and reef green turtles. Mar Pollut Bull 2020; 153:110943. [PMID: 32056851 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.110943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Revised: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Little attention has been drawn toward the effects of marine debris ingestion in relation to nutrient acquisition and fitness consequences. We tested whether anthropogenic debris ingestion influence the nutritional niches of endangered green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in estuarine and reef habitats on the Brazilian coast. Our results showed that estuarine turtles consumed diets with lower proportional wet mass composition of protein (P) and water (W) than their reef conspecifics. The amounts of debris, mostly plastics, retrieved from the digestive tracts of estuarine turtles were higher compared with those individuals from reefs. The realized nutritional niche from estuarine turtles was subject to the debris density in the environment, lack of benthic food resources available and the surface foraging behavior, likely preventing them from reaching their nutritional goals and resulting in lower fitness. The study provides critical information for the management and conservation of ecologically threatened individuals, populations, and their natural habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ryan Andrades
- Departamento de Oceanografia e Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Av. Fernando Ferrari, 514, 29075-910 Vitória, ES, Brazil
| | - Robson Guimarães Santos
- Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Av. Lourival Melo Mota, s/n, Cidade Universitária, 57072-900 Maceió, AL, Brazil
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Abstract
Apex predators play pivotal roles in marine ecosystems, mediated principally through diet and nutrition. Yet, compared with terrestrial animals, the nutritional ecology of marine predators is poorly understood. One reason is that the field has adhered to an approach that evaluates diet principally in terms of energy gain. Studies in terrestrial systems, by contrast, increasingly adopt a multidimensional approach, the nutritional geometry framework, that distinguishes specific nutrients and calories. We provide evidence that a nutritional approach is likewise relevant to marine apex predators, then demonstrate how nutritional geometry can characterize the nutrient and energy content of marine prey. Next, we show how this framework can be used to reconceptualize ecological interactions via the ecological niche concept, and close with a consideration of its application to problems in marine predator research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David Raubenheimer
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia;
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
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13
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Pearson HC, Jones PW, Brandon TP, Stockin KA, Machovsky-Capuska GE. A biologging perspective to the drivers that shape gregariousness in dusky dolphins. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2763-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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14
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Machovsky-Capuska GE, Amiot C, Denuncio P, Grainger R, Raubenheimer D. A nutritional perspective on plastic ingestion in wildlife. Sci Total Environ 2019; 656:789-796. [PMID: 30530148 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.11.418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2018] [Revised: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Although the perils of plastics to living organisms including humans have been neglected for decades, they have recently been recognized as a major environmental problem worldwide. Little progress has been made on understanding the factors that drive species' and populations' susceptibilities to the ingestion of plastic. Here, we propose using nutritional ecology as a multidisciplinary framework for bridging the gaps that link nutrition, behavior, plastics, physiology and ecology. We show that nutritional niches are tightly linked to plastic ingestion, illustrating the application of our framework in the context of nutritional niche theory, habitat-specific foraging from species to populations, and transfer patterns in food webs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christophe Amiot
- Université d'Angers, LETG-Angers, LEESA UMR 6554 CNRS, UFR Sciences, France
| | - Pablo Denuncio
- Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras, Departamento de Ciencias Marinas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, CONICET, Funes 3350, Mar del Plata B7602AYL, Argentina
| | - Richard Grainger
- The University of Sydney, Charles Perkins Centre, Sydney, Australia; The University of Sydney, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Sydney, Australia
| | - David Raubenheimer
- The University of Sydney, Charles Perkins Centre, Sydney, Australia; The University of Sydney, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Sydney, Australia
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Machovsky-Capuska GE, Miller MGR, Silva FRO, Amiot C, Stockin KA, Senior AM, Schuckard R, Melville D, Raubenheimer D. The nutritional nexus: Linking niche, habitat variability and prey composition in a generalist marine predator. J Anim Ecol 2018; 87:1286-1298. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2018] [Accepted: 05/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel E. Machovsky-Capuska
- Charles Perkins Centre; The University of Sydney; Sydney NSW Australia
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences; The University of Sydney; Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Mark G. R. Miller
- College of Science and Engineering and Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science; James Cook University; Cairns QLD Australia
| | - Fabiola R. O. Silva
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences; The University of Sydney; Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Christophe Amiot
- Institute of Natural and Mathematical Sciences; Massey University; Auckland New Zealand
| | - Karen A. Stockin
- Institute of Natural and Mathematical Sciences; Massey University; Auckland New Zealand
| | - Alistair M. Senior
- Charles Perkins Centre; The University of Sydney; Sydney NSW Australia
- School of Mathematics and Statistics; The University of Sydney; Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Rob Schuckard
- Ornithological Society of New Zealand; Nelson New Zealand
| | - David Melville
- Ornithological Society of New Zealand; Nelson New Zealand
| | - David Raubenheimer
- Charles Perkins Centre; The University of Sydney; Sydney NSW Australia
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences; The University of Sydney; Sydney NSW Australia
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Bombara CB, Dürr S, Machovsky-Capuska GE, Jones PW, Ward MP. A preliminary study to estimate contact rates between free-roaming domestic dogs using novel miniature cameras. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0181859. [PMID: 28750073 PMCID: PMC5547700 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0181859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2017] [Accepted: 07/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Information on contacts between individuals within a population is crucial to inform disease control strategies, via parameterisation of disease spread models. In this study we investigated the use of dog-borne video cameras–in conjunction with global positioning systems (GPS) loggers–to both characterise dog-to-dog contacts and to estimate contact rates. We customized miniaturised video cameras, enclosed within 3D-printed plastic cases, and attached these to nylon dog collars. Using two 3400 mAh NCR lithium Li-ion batteries, cameras could record a maximum of 22 hr of continuous video footage. Together with a GPS logger, collars were attached to six free roaming domestic dogs (FRDDs) in two remote Indigenous communities in northern Australia. We recorded a total of 97 hr of video footage, ranging from 4.5 to 22 hr (mean 19.1) per dog, and observed a wide range of social behaviours. The majority (69%) of all observed interactions between community dogs involved direct physical contact. Direct contact behaviours included sniffing, licking, mouthing and play fighting. No contacts appeared to be aggressive, however multiple teeth baring incidents were observed during play fights. We identified a total of 153 contacts–equating to 8 to 147 contacts per dog per 24 hr–from the videos of the five dogs with camera data that could be analysed. These contacts were attributed to 42 unique dogs (range 1 to 19 per video) which could be identified (based on colour patterns and markings). Most dog activity was observed in urban (houses and roads) environments, but contacts were more common in bushland and beach environments. A variety of foraging behaviours were observed, included scavenging through rubbish and rolling on dead animal carcasses. Identified food consumed included chicken, raw bones, animal carcasses, rubbish, grass and cheese. For characterising contacts between FRDD, several benefits of analysing videos compared to GPS fixes alone were identified in this study, including visualisation of the nature of the contact between two dogs; and inclusion of a greater number of dogs in the study (which do not need to be wearing video or GPS collars). Some limitations identified included visualisation of contacts only during daylight hours; the camera lens being obscured on occasion by the dog’s mandible or the dog resting on the camera; an insufficiently wide viewing angle (36°); battery life and robustness of the deployments; high costs of the deployment; and analysis of large volumes of often unsteady video footage. This study demonstrates that dog-borne video cameras, are a feasible technology for estimating and characterising contacts between FRDDs. Modifying camera specifications and developing new analytical methods will improve applicability of this technology for monitoring FRDD populations, providing insights into dog-to-dog contacts and therefore how disease might spread within these populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtenay B. Bombara
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Camden, Australia
| | - Salome Dürr
- Veterinary Public Health Institute, University of Bern, Liebefeld, Switzerland
| | - Gabriel E. Machovsky-Capuska
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Camden, Australia
- The Charles Perkins Centre and School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Peter W. Jones
- School of Electrical and Information Engineering, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Michael P. Ward
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Camden, Australia
- * E-mail:
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Coogan SCP, Machovsky-Capuska GE, Senior AM, Martin JM, Major RE, Raubenheimer D. Macronutrient selection of free-ranging urban Australian white ibis (Threskiornis moluccus). Behav Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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18
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Gosper EC, Raubenheimer D, Machovsky-Capuska GE, Chaves AV. Discrepancy between the composition of some commercial cat foods and their package labelling and suitability for meeting nutritional requirements. Aust Vet J 2016; 94:12-7. [DOI: 10.1111/avj.12397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2014] [Revised: 11/26/2014] [Accepted: 12/16/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- EC Gosper
- The University of Sydney, Faculty of Veterinary Science; New South Wales 2006 Australia
| | - D Raubenheimer
- The University of Sydney, Faculty of Veterinary Science; New South Wales 2006 Australia
- The Charles Perkins Centre; University of Sydney; Sydney NSW Australia
| | - GE Machovsky-Capuska
- The University of Sydney, Faculty of Veterinary Science; New South Wales 2006 Australia
- The Charles Perkins Centre; University of Sydney; Sydney NSW Australia
| | - AV Chaves
- The University of Sydney, Faculty of Veterinary Science; New South Wales 2006 Australia
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Machovsky-Capuska GE, Senior AM, Zantis SP, Barna K, Cowieson AJ, Pandya S, Pavard C, Shiels M, Raubenheimer D. Dietary protein selection in a free-ranging urban population of common myna birds. Behav Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Machovsky-Capuska GE, Howland HC, Raubenheimer D, Vaughn-Hirshorn R, Würsig B, Hauber ME, Katzir G. Visual accommodation and active pursuit of prey underwater in a plunge-diving bird: the Australasian gannet. Proc Biol Sci 2012; 279:4118-25. [PMID: 22874749 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2012.1519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Australasian gannets (Morus serrator), like many other seabird species, locate pelagic prey from the air and perform rapid plunge dives for their capture. Prey are captured underwater either in the momentum (M) phase of the dive while descending through the water column, or the wing flapping (WF) phase while moving, using the wings for propulsion. Detection of prey from the air is clearly visually guided, but it remains unknown whether plunge diving birds also use vision in the underwater phase of the dive. Here we address the question of whether gannets are capable of visually accommodating in the transition from aerial to aquatic vision, and analyse underwater video footage for evidence that gannets use vision in the aquatic phases of hunting. Photokeratometry and infrared video photorefraction revealed that, immediately upon submergence of the head, gannet eyes accommodate and overcome the loss of greater than 45 D (dioptres) of corneal refractive power which occurs in the transition between air and water. Analyses of underwater video showed the highest prey capture rates during WF phase when gannets actively pursue individual fish, a behaviour that very likely involves visual guidance, following the transition after the plunge dive's M phase. This is to our knowledge the first demonstration of the capacity for visual accommodation underwater in a plunge diving bird while capturing submerged prey detected from the air.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel E Machovsky-Capuska
- Nutritional Ecology Research Group, Massey University, Private Bag 102 904 North Shore MSC, Auckland, New Zealand.
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