Chronic oil pollution harms Magellanic penguins in the Southwest Atlantic

Borboroglu, Pablo García; Boersma, P. Dee; Ruoppolo, Valéria; Reyes, Laura M.; Rebstock, Ginger A.; Griot, Karen; Heredia, Sergio Rodrigues; Adornes, Andréa Corrado; Silva, Rodolfo Pinho da

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2005.11.004

Cited by 83 publications

(75 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…In fact, in the present study, 95% of the specimens sampled that were classified according to life stage were juveniles. The predominance of juveniles of S. magellanicus along the Brazilian coast was also noticed in previous studies (e.g., García-Borboroglu et al, 2006;Mäder et al, 2010). Satellite telemetry studies have already demonstrated extensive foraging ranges among Magellanic penguins (Stokes and Boersma, 1999;Pütz et al, 2000;Boersma et al, 2009).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

“…On the Atlantic coast, the species disperses northward after the breeding season, usually reaching the southern coast of Brazil (Sick, 1997;García-Borboroglu et al, 2006). S. magellanicus is the most abundant bird species stranding annually along the Brazilian coast, mainly during austral winter and spring (Sick, 1997;Petry et al, 2004;Vega et al, 2009;Mäder et al, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Molecular sexing of unusually large numbers of Spheniscus magellanicus (Spheniscidae) washed ashore along the Brazilian coast in 2008

Reis

Aires²,

Moura³

et al. 2011

Genet. Mol. Res.

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ABSTRACT.There have been few studies on Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus). In 2008, these penguins washed ashore along the Brazilian coast in unusually high numbers, some reaching as far as northeast Brazil. As Magellanic penguins show little sexual dimorphism, sex determination by morphological features is not accurate. Here, we tested a molecular procedure for sexing specimens of S. magellanicus washed ashore along the coasts of Sergipe, Rio de Janeiro and Rio Grande do Sul in 2008, comparing the sex ratio between these localities. Tissue samples were collected from 135 dead, beached specimens. We carried out total genomic DNA extraction and CHD-Z/CHD-W gene amplification by PCR using P2 and P8 primers. Amplicons were separated by 12% acrylamide gel electrophoresis. We found a greater proportion of females (70%). Sex could be determined because females have two intronic regions of CHD gene of different size in the sex chromosomes, visualized as two bands on the gel (380 and 400 bp approximately), while males have only one (400 bp). Therefore, this method proved to be effective and sensitive for sex determination of S. magellanicus individuals. Data on sex ratios are useful for understanding the dynamics and ecology of Magellanic penguin populations.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular sexing of unusually large numbers of Spheniscus magellanicus (Spheniscidae) washed ashore along the Brazilian coast in 2008

Reis

Aires²,

Moura³

et al. 2011

Genet. Mol. Res.

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“…During this migratory route many of these birds are exposed to adverse environmental conditions and some of them are found on beaches, generally showing poor body conditions with dehydration, hypothermia, skin lesions, traumatic process or oiled and then, they are sent to rehabilitation (5)(6)(7)14,16,18). In Brazil, there are 14 institutions, distributed in different states of the country that promote rehabilitation of marine animals (6). The unique specific center for the rehabilitation of marine fauna in Brazil, with emphasis on oiled animals is situated in the South of Brazil in the city of Rio Grande, RS (32ºS/52ºW).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Aspergillosis: a limiting factor during recovery of captive magellanic penguins

Xavier¹,

Soares²,

Meinerz³

et al. 2007

Braz. J. Microbiol.

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The article describes the epidemiology, macroscopic and histological lesions as well as the isolation of Aspergillus flavus and A. fumigatus from Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) during recovery in the Center for Recovery of Marine Animals (CRAM -32ºS/52ºW), over a period of two years. From January 2004 to December 2005 the Center received 52 Magellanic penguins, and 23% (12/52) died. Necropsies were performed and tissue samples were collected for histological and microbiological examination. From 12 dead animals, aspergillosis was confirmed in five animals, corresponding to 42% of the mortality. Granulomatous nodules were observed mainly on air sacs and lungs. Histologically, septate and branching hyphae, measuring 3-5 µm and PAS positive were found. Two of these cases were caused by A. fumigatus, two other by A. flavus, and in one the diagnostic was established by macroscopic lesions observed in the necropsy without sample collection for fungal isolation and identification. The five aspergillosis cases occurred in the first year of the study, when a disinfection program was not yet established in the CRAM. This paper points out the importance of aspergillosis in the rehabilitation process of captive penguins, and emphasize the necessity of an environmental disinfection on the aspergillosis prevention, mycosis that caused a high rate of mortality of the seabirds found on the Brazilian coast and admitted in the CRAM.

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“…At the study site, most episodes released relatively small volumes of oil, at least at 100 km from the breeding islands, which explain the low oiling rates of the studied coastal species. Neverthless, oil pollution is a problem in Brazil for other coastal species, such as the Magellanic penguin, which spends more time in the water and may serve as a better indicator of this form of sea pollution[109]. Curiously, the incidence of magnificent frigatebirds was negatively correlated with the volume of oil spills.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental Predictors of Seabird Wrecks in a Tropical Coastal Area

2016

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Beached bird surveys have been widely used to monitor the impact of oil pollution in the oceans. However, separating the combined effects of oil pollution, environmental variables and methodological aspects of beach monitoring on seabird stranding patterns is a challenging task. The effects of a comprehensive set of oceanographic and climatic variables and oil pollution on seabird strandings in a tropical area of Brazil were investigated herein, using two robust and innovative methods: Generalized Linear Mixed Models and Structural Equation Modeling. We assessed strandings of four resident seabird species along 480 km of beaches divided into 11 sampling areas, between November 2010 and September 2013. We found that increasing the distance from the nearest breeding island reduce the seabird stranding events. Storm activity and biological productivity were the most important factors affecting the stranding events of brown boobies Sula leucogaster, Cabot’s terns Thalasseus acuflavidus and kelp gulls Larus dominicanus. These species are also indirectly affected by warm tropical waters, which reduce chlorophyll-a concentrations. Beach surveys are, thus, useful to investigate the mortality rates of resident species near breeding sites, where individuals are more abundant and exposed to local factors associated with at-sea mortality. In contrast, conservation actions and monitoring programs for far-ranging seabird species are needed in more distant foraging areas. Furthermore, beach monitoring programs investigating the impact of oil pollution on seabirds need to account for the effects of environmental factors on stranding patterns. The present study also demonstrated that seabirds inhabiting tropical coastal waters are sensitive to climate conditions such as adverse weather, which are expected to increase in frequency and intensity in next decades.

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Chronic oil pollution harms Magellanic penguins in the Southwest Atlantic

Cited by 83 publications

References 18 publications

Molecular sexing of unusually large numbers of Spheniscus magellanicus (Spheniscidae) washed ashore along the Brazilian coast in 2008

Molecular sexing of unusually large numbers of Spheniscus magellanicus (Spheniscidae) washed ashore along the Brazilian coast in 2008

Aspergillosis: a limiting factor during recovery of captive magellanic penguins

Environmental Predictors of Seabird Wrecks in a Tropical Coastal Area

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