title: Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in blubber of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) along the northern Gulf of Mexico coast, USA.
abstract: A number of studies were initiated in response to the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill to understand potential injuries to bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) that inhabit the northern Gulf of Mexico (NGoM) estuarine waters. As part of these studies, remote biopsy skin and blubber samples were collected from dolphins at six field sites that received varying degrees of oiling: Barataria Bay (BB), Chandeleur Sound West (CSW), Chandeleur Sound East (CSE), Mississippi Sound South (MSS), Mississippi Sound North (MSN), and St. Joseph Bay (SJ). Blubber samples from 108 male dolphins were analyzed for persistent organic pollutant (POP) concentrations, as high levels of POPs have been previously reported in other southeastern U.S. dolphins and the potential contribution of these compounds to adverse health effects in NGoM dolphins must be considered. Dolphin blubber levels of summed POPs (ΣPOPs) did not differ significantly across sites (F-test, P=0.9119) [μg/g lipid; geometric mean and 95% CI]; CSW [65.9 (51.4-84.6)], SJ [74.1 (53.0-104)], MSN [74.3 (58.7-93.9)], BB [75.3 (56.4-101)], CSE [80.5 (57.8-112)], and MSS [82.5 (65.9-103)]. Overall, POP concentrations were in the lower half of the range compared to previously reported concentrations from other southeastern U.S. sites. Increased dolphin mortalities have been ongoing in the NGoM and have been suggested to be linked with the DWH oil spill. In addition, lung disease, impaired adrenal function, and serum biochemical abnormalities have been reported in dolphins from BB, an area that was heavily oiled. The results of this study suggest that POPs are likely not a primary contributor to the poor health conditions and increased mortality observed in some populations of NGoM dolphins following the DWH oil spill.
authors.affiliation: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, 331 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412, USA; Chicago Zoological Society, c/o Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, FL 34236, USA. Electronic address: Brian.Balmer@noaa.gov.
authors.forename: Brian C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Balmer
authors.affiliation: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, 2725 Montlake Boulevard East, Seattle, WA 98112, USA.
authors.forename: Gina M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Ylitalo
authors.affiliation: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, 331 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412, USA.
authors.forename: Lauren E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: McGeorge
authors.affiliation: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, 2725 Montlake Boulevard East, Seattle, WA 98112, USA.
authors.forename: Keri A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Baugh
authors.affiliation: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, 2725 Montlake Boulevard East, Seattle, WA 98112, USA.
authors.forename: Daryle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Boyd
authors.affiliation: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, 3209 Frederic Street, Pascagoula, MS 39567, USA.
authors.forename: Keith D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Mullin
authors.affiliation: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, 646 Cajundome Boulevard, Lafayette, LA 70506, USA.
authors.forename: Patricia E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Rosel
authors.affiliation: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, 3209 Frederic Street, Pascagoula, MS 39567, USA.
authors.forename: Carrie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sinclair
authors.affiliation: Chicago Zoological Society, c/o Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, FL 34236, USA.
authors.forename: Randall S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Wells
authors.affiliation: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, 331 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412, USA.
authors.forename: Eric S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Zolman
authors.affiliation: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, 331 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412, USA.
authors.forename: Lori H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Schwacke
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D050681:Bottle-Nosed Dolphin / Q000378:metabolism*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D060851:Gulf of America; D008297:Male; D008922:Mississippi; D059392:Petroleum Pollution; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Common bottlenose dolphin; Deepwater Horizon oil spill; Gulf of Mexico; Persistent organic pollutants; Tursiops truncatus