Levels of arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury in the branchial plate and muscle tissue of mobulid rays

Ooi, Michelle S.M.; Townsend, Kathy A.; Bennett, Michael B.; Richardson, Anthony J.; Fernando, Daniel; Villa, C. Alexander; Gaus, Caroline

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.02.005

Cited by 21 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…In order to evaluate whether ingestion leads to bioaccumulation in tissues, researchers should measure phthalate, heavy metal, and POP levels in mobulid tissue biopsies from wild populations and samples collected from fisheries. Previous studies found elevated levels of some heavy metals in mobulid tissues (Essumang, 2009(Essumang, , 2010Ooi et al, 2015), but low levels of POPs (Germanov et al, in prep; Fernando, unpublished). Phthalates and/or POPs have been recorded in tissue samples of baleen whales, basking sharks and whale sharks in areas with high levels of microplastic pollution (Fossi et al, 2014(Fossi et al, , 2016(Fossi et al, , 2017, indicating that filter feeding organisms are likely bioaccumulating these pollutants as a result of plastic ingestion.…”

Section: Identifying Trophic Interactions With Pollutantsmentioning

confidence: 83%

Research Priorities to Support Effective Manta and Devil Ray Conservation

et al. 2018

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Manta and devil rays are filter-feeding elasmobranchs that are found circumglobally in tropical and subtropical waters. Although relatively understudied for most of the Twentieth century, public awareness and scientific research on these species has increased dramatically in recent years. Much of this attention has been in response to targeted fisheries, international trade in mobulid products, and a growing concern over the fate of exploited populations. Despite progress in mobulid research, major knowledge gaps still exist, hindering the development of effective management and conservation strategies. We assembled 30 leaders and emerging experts in the fields of mobulid biology, ecology, and conservation to identify pressing knowledge gaps that must be filled to facilitate improved science-based management of these vulnerable species. We highlight focal research topics in the subject areas of taxonomy and diversity, life history, reproduction and nursery areas, population trends, bycatch and fisheries, spatial dynamics and Stewart et al. Research Priorities for Mobulid Rays movements, foraging and diving, pollution and contaminants, and sub-lethal impacts. Mobulid rays remain a poorly studied group, and therefore our list of important knowledge gaps is extensive. However, we hope that this identification of high priority knowledge gaps will stimulate and focus future mobulid research.

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Section: Identifying Trophic Interactions With Pollutantsmentioning

confidence: 83%

Research Priorities to Support Effective Manta and Devil Ray Conservation

et al. 2018

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“…species (e.g., foul-hooking, vessel strikes, entanglement, climate change, pollution, tourism) through research, monitoring, modeling, and management (NOAA 2020) Pate & Marshall (2020). and our SDMs suggest that manta rays are frequently associated with nearshore habitats; as such, they are at elevated risk for exposure to a variety of contaminants and pollutants, including brevetoxins, heavy metals, polychlorinated biphenyls, and plastics(Essumang 2010;Ooi et al 2015). Many of these toxins can bioaccumulate over decades in long-lived lter feeders, leading to a disruption of biological processes (e.g., endocrine disruption), and potentially altering reproductive tness(Germanov et al 2019).…”

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confidence: 82%

The Distribution of Giant Manta Rays In The Western North Atlantic Ocean Off The Eastern United States

Farmer¹,

Garrison²,

Horn³

et al. 2021

Preprint

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In 2018, the giant manta ray (Manta birostris) was listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. We integrated decades of sightings and survey effort data from multiple sources in a comprehensive species distribution modeling (SDM) framework to evaluate the distribution of giant manta rays off the eastern United States, including the Gulf of Mexico. Manta rays were most commonly detected at productive nearshore and shelf-edge upwelling zones at surface thermal frontal boundaries within a temperature range of approximately 15–30 °C. SDMs predicted high nearshore concentrations off Northeast Florida during April, with the distribution extending northward along the shelf-edge as temperatures warm, leading to higher occurrences north of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina from June to October, and then south of Savannah, Georgia from November to March as temperatures cool. In the Gulf of Mexico, the highest nearshore concentrations were predicted near the Mississippi River delta from April to June and again from October to November. SDM predictions will allow resource managers to more effectively protect manta rays from fisheries bycatch, boat strikes, oil and gas activities, contaminants and pollutants, and other threats.

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“…Ironically, consumption of unregulated animal products from unknown sources carries a number of potential health risks from heavy metal accumulation, toxic chemicals used in processing, and zoonotic transmission of infectious diseases (Still, ; Clarke et al ., ; Alves et al ., ). Mobulid gill plates and tissues tested have been found to contain potentially unsafe levels of heavy metals, including arsenic, cadmium, and mercury (Essumuang, ; Whitcraft et al ., ; Oi et al ., ), with some gill plate samples tested exceeding the Pharmacopoeia of China recommended limit for arsenic by as much as 20 times (Li et al ., ; Whitcraft et al ., ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization of the trade in manta and devil ray gill plates in China and South‐east Asia through trader surveys

O’Malley

Townsend

Hilton

et al. 2016

Aquatic Conservation

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ABSTRACT1. Dried gill plates from manta and devil rays, some of the world's most biologically vulnerable fishes, have become a valued commodity in Asian dried-seafood and traditional Chinese medicine markets. This trade is a primary driver of fisheries, which have led to declines in many mobulid populations.2. With no reliable trade statistics and scarce data on mobulid fisheries, this study estimates the number and species of mobulids required to supply this trade, and investigates the consumers and suppliers involved and drivers of demand. Following preliminary market research, 525 trader surveys were conducted in Hong Kong, Singapore, Macau, Taiwan, and southern China.3. Guangzhou, China was identified as the centre of the trade accounting for 99% of total estimated market volume of 60.5 tons of dried gill plates in 2011, increasing to 120.5 tons by 2013. The estimated number of mobulids converted from tons of gill plates more than doubled over the period to 130 000, comprising 96% devil rays, Mobula japanica, Mobula thurstoni, and Mobula tarapacana, and 4% Manta spp. By 2015 the Guangzhou market had declined sharply, reportedly due to conservation campaigns and government policies. However Hong Kong's gill plate sales increased dramatically between 2011 and 2015.4. China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, and India were reported most frequently as gill plate sources. 5. Vendors recommend gill plates (trade name pengyusai) for ailments ranging from acne to cancer and as a general health tonic. While pengyusai is a new addition to traditional Chinese medicine literature and is rarely prescribed by traditional medicine practitioners, it is readily available over the counter and aggressively marketed by vendors.6. Working in concert with consumer demand reduction efforts, increased measures to restrict mobulid fisheries and trade are recommended to prevent further population declines of these highly vulnerable species.

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Levels of arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury in the branchial plate and muscle tissue of mobulid rays

Cited by 21 publications

References 28 publications

Research Priorities to Support Effective Manta and Devil Ray Conservation

Research Priorities to Support Effective Manta and Devil Ray Conservation

The Distribution of Giant Manta Rays In The Western North Atlantic Ocean Off The Eastern United States

Characterization of the trade in manta and devil ray gill plates in China and South‐east Asia through trader surveys

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