SEABIRD MONITOR

The aim of the project is to establish a cost effective monitoring methodology which allows a risk assessment with respect to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in Norwegian coastal and Arctic marine ecosystems. The methodology is based on the use of seabirds as sentinell organisms.

The background is that POPs are biomagnified and seabirds are exposed to relatively high concentrations. Furthermore, the fact that the developing embryo and young developing individuals seem to be particularly sensitive to the harmfull effects of POPs, has encouraged us to focus on the application of hormones and vitamines in newly hatched seabirds chicks as biomarkers. Levels of hormones and vitamines have been demonstrated to be affected by POPs in several animal species.

The study is based on a combination of exposure studies in the laboratory, where domestic ducklings has been used as a model species, and sampling from different locations in the field. In 2002 samples were collected from European shag from Sklinna at the coast of Norway, Kittiwakes from Runde at the Coast of Norway and Kings Bay at Spitsbergen. At Spitsbergen, samples were also taken of Brunnichs guillemot and Eider ducklings. Plasma and liver samples are being analysed for retinoid status (Vitamin A), and the yolk sack is used for analysing pollutant load.

The project was finished in february 2006, when our PhD student Kari Mette Murvoll defended her thesis:
Levels and effects of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in seabirds: Retinoids and α-tocopherol – potential biomarkers of POPs in birds?

Partcipants:

PhD-student Kari Mette Murvoll - kari.mette.murvoll@bio.ntnu.no

Professor Janneche Utne Skaare - janneche.skaare@vetinst.no

Professor Bjørn Munro Jenssen - bjorn.munro.jenssen@bio.ntnu.no


Publications from the project:
Murvoll KM, Jenssen BM, Skaare JU, 2005. Effects of pentabrominated diphenylether (PBDE-99) on vitamin status in domestic duck (Anas platyrhynchus) hatchlings. J. Toxicol. Environ. Health 68: 515-533. Link

Murvoll KM, Skaare JU, Anderssen E, Jenssen BM. 2006. Exposure and effects of polyhalogenated compounds in European shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis) hatchlings from the coast of Norway. Environ Toxicol Chem. 25: 190-198. Link

Murvoll KM, Skaare JU, Moe B, Anderssen E, Jenssen BM. Spatial trends and effects of PCBs, pesticides and BFRs in North-Atlantic kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) hatchlings. Environ Toxicol Chem. 25:1648-1656. Link