Foraging Ecology Differentiates Life Stages and Mercury Exposure in Common Terns (Sterna hirundo).

ABSTRACT: Some populations of common terns (Sterna hirundo) breeding at inland lakes in North America are declining, including the Laurentian Great Lakes. Terns nesting at inland colonies forage in freshwater during the breeding season and primarily in coastal marine environments during the nonbreeding season. As piscivores, they are susceptible to dietary Hg exposure. To characterize patterns of Hg exposure in this population, we 1) quantified within and among season differences in total mercury (THg) concentrations (μg/g) in blood and feathers at 2 Lake Superior breeding colonies, and 2) documented spatial and temporal variation in exposure by studying adult foraging ecology using geospatial tracking devices and stable isotopes. We used general linear models to assess the relationship between isot

SUBMITTER: Bracey AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8108127 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature