title: Effects of dietary selenium on the health and survival of captive wintering lesser scaup.
abstract: Accumulation of selenium (Se) by lesser and greater scaup (Aythya affinis, A. marila) at staging and wintering areas could have contributed to the decline in their continental population. We exposed lesser scaup to background (0.8 μg/g), moderate (8.1 μg/g) and high (20.7 μg/g) levels of dietary Se in captivity and measured survival rates and indices of health in relation to hepatic Se concentrations. There was 100% survival in scaup exposed to Se for 10-weeks (average staging duration at Great Lakes), but ducks in the high treatment group had less lipids. There was 93% survival after 23-weeks (average wintering duration at Great Lakes), but no differences among treatment groups in body composition. There were no effects of Se on oxidative stress and cell-mediated immunity; rather we recorded immuno-stimulatory effects on antibody production. Results from our captive study suggest Se alone did not cause the continental decline in scaup populations.
authors: Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Ave., London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada.
authors: Caroline
authors: C
authors: Brady
authors: Scott
authors: S
authors: Petrie
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Schummer
authors: Shannon
authors: S
authors: Badzinski
authors: Nelson
authors: N
authors: Belzile
authors: Yu-Wei
authors: YW
authors: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D046090:Anseriformes / Q000378:metabolism*; D004032:Diet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D012621:Seasons; D012643:Selenium / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D012643:Selenium