Dear MARMAMers,

Our latest open access article is now available online

Stockin KA, Machovsky-Capuska GE, Palmer EI, Amiot C (2023). Multidimensional trace metals and nutritional niche differ between sexually immature and mature common dolphins (Delphinus delphis). Environmental Pollution 333: 121935.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121935

ABSTRACT:

There is a need to understand the links between metals and nutrition for apex marine predators, which may be subject to different ecotoxicological effects at different life stages. We combined stomach content analyses (SCA), prey composition analysis (PCA), the Multidimensional Niche Framework (MNNF) with Bayesian multivariate ellipses, trace metal analysis and nicheROVER to investigate nutrition and trace metals across sex, age, and sexual maturity status in common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) from New Zealand. A broader prey composition niche breadth (SEAc) was estimated for immature compared to mature conspecifics, showing a higher degree of prey and nutrient generalism driven by protein (P) intake. Cd and Zn niche similarities suggests these metals were incorporated through similar prey in both immature and mature dolphins, whereas Hg and Se niche divergence indicates uptake occurred via different prey. Our multidisciplinary assessment demonstrated how nutrients and metal interactions differ in common dolphins depending upon sexual maturity. This approach has relevance when considering how marine pollution, environmental fluctuations and climate change may affect nutritional and trace metal interactions during different reproductive stages within marine predators.

nāku noa, Karen

Karen A Stockin, PhD

Professor – Marine Biology

Rutherford Discovery Fellow – Royal Society Te Aparangi

Cetacean Ecology Research Group | School of Natural Sciences | Massey University

Private Bag 102 904, North Shore, Auckland 0745, New Zealand

Physical Address: Cetacean Research Unit, 5 University Avenue, Massey University, Albany, North Shore, Auckland

+64 (0)21 423997   * k.a.stockin@massey.ac.nz : http://www.cetaceanecology.org