Migratory seabirds as a tracer of contaminant biotransport

• Project/Area Number: 17K07901
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Aquatic bioproduction science
• Research Institution: University of Tsukuba (2019); Hokkaido University (2017-2018)
• Principal Investigator: SHOJI Akiko 筑波大学, 生命環境系, 准教授 (30792080)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2019)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,680,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,080,000); Fiscal Year 2019: ¥780,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥180,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥1,040,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥240,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥2,860,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥660,000)
• Keywords: 海鳥 / 物質輸送 / 水銀 / バイオロギング / 海洋生態学 / 汚染物質 / 動物行動 / 安定同位体比分析 / 越冬海域 / 環境汚染物質分析 / 環境汚染 / 海洋生態 / 国際研究者交流（カナダ）

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Seabirds are being widely used as indicators of marine pollution, including mercury, as they incorporate contaminants during their migration, and hence track contamination levels across wide ranges of space and time. However, the relative role of seabirds’ wintering distribution and habitat in contaminant biotransport remains unclear. Here, we leverage the differential uptake of contaminants across tissues to test if seabirds can record how contaminants vary in space and time. To this effect, we measured mercury concentration in three tissues that are regenerated at different timepoints during wintering, and monitored behaviour with biologging devices for rhinoceros auklets breeding on both sides of the North Pacific. In both populations, mercury concentration in bird tissues correlates with local environmental contamination, highlighting the efficacy of seabirds to estimate mercury distribution at a wide-range of ocean.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

経済活動の活発化に伴う海洋汚染は国際的に深刻な環境問題であり、海洋生態系及び海洋資源を保全するためにはその解決が急務である。一方、海鳥類が海域から陸上へ汚染物質を運搬していることが指摘されているが、物質輸送のメカニズムについてはほとんどわかっていない。本研究により、その解明方法が示されたとともに、広大な海域に散在する汚染物質の位置の特定について、海鳥類を用いる方法が有効であることがわかった。今後本研究を発展させ、他の海洋動物へのバイオロギング技術の利用、他の体組織の分析を行うことにより、様々な汚染物質の分布状況を調べることが可能であり、海洋汚染問題の解決の一助となることが期待される。

Research Products

• [Int'l Joint Research] McGill University/University of Ottawa(カナダ)
• [Int'l Joint Research] University of Oxford(英国)
• [Int'l Joint Research] Inst. Seabird Research and Conservation(米国)
• [Int'l Joint Research] McGill University/University of Ottawa(カナダ)
• [Int'l Joint Research] I. Seabird Res.Cons.(米国)
• [Int'l Joint Research] Kyle Elliott/McGill University(Canada)
• [Int'l Joint Research] Stephane Aris-Brosou/University of Ottawa(Canada)
• [Int'l Joint Research] Annette Fayet/Oxford University(UK)
• [Int'l Joint Research] Tim Guilford/Oxford University(UK)
• [Int'l Joint Research] Mark Bolton/Royal Society of protections for birds(UK)
• [Int'l Joint Research]
• [Journal Article] Biotransport of Metallic Trace Elements from Marine to Terrestrial Ecosystems by Seabirds (2019)
  • Author(s): A. Shoji, K.H. Elliott, S. Aris-Brosou, H. Mizukawa, S.M.M. Nakayama, Y. Ikenaka, M. Ishizuka, T. Kuwae, K. Watanabe, J. Escoruela Gonzalez and Y. Watanuki
  • Journal Title: Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Volume: 38 Pages: 106-114
  • DOI: 10.1002/etc.4286
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Mercury concentrations found in feathers of adult and nestling Osprey <i>Pandion haliaetus</i> from Hokkaido, Japan (2019)
  • Author(s): 庄子 晶子, 杉山 淳, 谷 日向子, 新妻 靖章
  • Journal Title: Japanese Journal of Ornithology Volume: 68 Issue: 2 Pages: 343-347
  • DOI: 10.3838/jjo.68.343
  • ISSN: 0913-400X, 1881-9710
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] Black-legged kittiwake chicks show no significant behavioral response to DMS: an experimental study (2020)
  • Author(s): Naya Sena, Yutaka Watanuki, Kyle H. Elliott, Scott Hatch and Akiko Shoji
  • Organizer: Pacific Seabird Annual Meeting
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Testing the attraction of two Procellariiform seabirds to DMS (2020)
  • Author(s): Naya Sena,Akiko Shoji,Bungo Nishizawa,Jumpei Okado,Ken Yoda,Yutaka Watanuki
  • Organizer: Pacific Seabird Annual Meeting
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] 北海道天売島で繁殖する ウトウの採餌場所 (2019)
  • Author(s): 大門純平,庄子晶子,伊藤元裕,綿貫豊
  • Organizer: 日本鳥学会
• [Presentation] 海鳥の越冬行動と水銀濃度 (2019)
  • Author(s): 庄子晶子,Stephane Aris-Brosou,綿貫豊,Kyle Elliott
  • Organizer: 日本鳥学会
• [Presentation] Migratory seabirds transport mercury from marine to terrestrial ecosystems (2019)
  • Author(s): Shoji, K.H. Elliott, S. Aris-Brosou, H. Mizukawa, S.M.M. Nakayama, Y. Ikenaka, M. Ishizuka, T, Kuwae, K. Watanabe, J. Escoruela Gonzalez and Y. Watanuki
  • Organizer: Pacific Seabird Annual Meeting
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] 海鳥の越冬期の行動が繁殖地への汚染物質輸送に与える影響 (2018)
  • Author(s): 庄子晶子, K. Elliott, S. Aris-Brosou, 水川葉月, 中山翔太, 池中良徳, 石塚真由美, 桑江朝比呂・渡辺謙太, 綿貫豊
  • Organizer: 日本鳥学会
• [Presentation] 生物を介した水銀物質輸送 (2018)
  • Author(s): 庄子晶子, Kyle H Elliott, Stephane Aris-Brosou, 水川葉月, 中山翔太, 池中良徳, 石塚真由美, 桑江朝比呂, 渡辺謙太, 綿貫豊
  • Organizer: 日本生態学会
• [Presentation] Migratory seabirds transport mercury from marine to terrestrial ecosystems (2018)
  • Author(s): Shoji, A., K. H. Elliott, S. Aris-Brosou, H. Mizukawa, S. M.M. Nakayama, Y. Ikenaka, M. Ishizuka, T. Kuwae, K. Watanabe, J. Escoruela Gonzalez and Y. Watanuki
  • Organizer: Pacific Seabird Annual Meeting
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] 海鳥を介した汚染物質輸送 (2017)
  • Author(s): 庄子晶子, Kyle H Elliott, Stephane Aris-Brosou, 水川葉月, 中山翔太, 池中良徳, 石塚真由美, 桑江朝比呂, 渡辺謙太, 綿貫豊
  • Organizer: 日本鳥学会