title: Demographic consequences of heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants in a vulnerable long-lived bird, the wandering albatross.
abstract: Seabirds are top predators of the marine environment that accumulate contaminants over a long life-span. Chronic exposure to pollutants is thought to compromise survival rate and long-term reproductive outputs in these long-lived organisms, thus inducing population decline. However, the demographic consequences of contaminant exposure are largely theoretical because of the dearth of long-term datasets. This study aims to test whether adult survival rate, return to the colony and long-term breeding performance were related to blood mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd) and persistent organic pollutants (POPs), by using a capture-mark-recapture dataset on the vulnerable wandering albatross Diomedea exulans. We did not find evidence for any effect of contaminants on adult survival probability. However, blood Hg and POPs negatively impacted long-term breeding probability, hatching and fledging probabilities. The proximate mechanisms underlying these deleterious effects are likely multifaceted, through physiological perturbations and interactions with reproductive costs. Using matrix population models, we projected a demographic decline in response to an increase in Hg or POPs concentrations. This decline in population growth rate could be exacerbated by other anthropogenic perturbations, such as climate change, disease and fishery bycatch. This study gives a new dimension to the overall picture of environmental threats to wildlife populations.
authors.affiliation: Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372, CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, Villiers-en-Bois 79360, France Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266, CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, La Rochelle 17000, France agoutte@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Aurélie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goutte
authors.affiliation: Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372, CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, Villiers-en-Bois 79360, France.
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barbraud
authors.affiliation: Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372, CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, Villiers-en-Bois 79360, France.
authors.forename: Alizée
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Meillère
authors.affiliation: Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372, CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, Villiers-en-Bois 79360, France.
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carravieri
authors.affiliation: Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266, CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, La Rochelle 17000, France.
authors.forename: Paco
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bustamante
authors.affiliation: UMR 5805 EPOC-LPTC, Université Bordeaux, 351 Cours de la Libération, Talence Cedex 33405, France.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Labadie
authors.affiliation: UMR 5805 EPOC-LPTC, Université Bordeaux, 351 Cours de la Libération, Talence Cedex 33405, France.
authors.forename: Hélène
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Budzinski
authors.affiliation: Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372, CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, Villiers-en-Bois 79360, France.
authors.forename: Karine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Delord
authors.affiliation: Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372, CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, Villiers-en-Bois 79360, France.
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cherel
authors.affiliation: Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372, CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, Villiers-en-Bois 79360, France.
authors.forename: Henri
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Weimerskirch
authors.affiliation: Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372, CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, Villiers-en-Bois 79360, France.
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Chastel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000502:physiology*; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005260:Female; D007195:Indian Ocean Islands; D008136:Longevity / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity*; D008954:Models, Biological; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity*; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D012737:Sex Factors; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Diomedea exulans; capture–recapture; mercury; pesticides; polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE); polychlorinated biphenyl