Mercury stable isotopes in seabirds in the Ebro Delta (NE Iberian Peninsula): Inter-specific and temporal differences.

Mercury (Hg) is a global pollutant, which particularly affects aquatic ecosystems, both marine and freshwater. Top-predators depending on these environments, such as seabirds, are regarded as suitable bioindicators of Hg pollution. In the Ebro Delta (NE Iberian Peninsula), legacy Hg pollution from a chlor-alkali industry operating in Flix and located ca.

Temporal mercury dynamics throughout the rice cultivation season in the Ebro Delta (NE Spain): An integrative approach.

During the last few decades, inputs of mercury (Hg) to the environment from anthropogenic sources have increased. The Ebro Delta is an important area of rice production in the Iberian Peninsula. Given the industrial activity and its legacy pollution along the Ebro river, residues containing Hg have been transported throughout the Ebro Delta ecosystems.

Understanding the role of ecological factors affecting mercury concentrations in the blue shark (Prionace glauca).

Human activities have increased environmental concentrations of pollutants in marine ecosystems, which can cause harmful effects on marine organisms. Top predators are particularly susceptible to bioaccumulation and biomagnification of pollutants through the food webs and are described as good sentinels for monitoring metal accumulation such mercury (Hg) in marine ecosystems. However, to be used as sentinels, it is important to understand the main ecological factors affecting the concentrations of pollutants in these organisms.

Effect of different rice farming practices on the bioavailability of mercury: A mesocosm experiment with common goldfish (Carassius auratus).

Wetlands such as rice paddies are important ecosystems that provide habitat for a numerous range of species but are considered as a major source of mercury in the most toxic form of methylmercury. An in situ mesocosm experiment was conducted during the rice cultivation season of 2018 in rice paddies from the Ebro Delta (NE Spain) to investigate the bioaccumulation of mercury in fish. Common goldfish (Carassius auratus) were exposed to three types of rice-fields subject to different agricultural management (conventional or ecological agriculture) and different hydric practices (wet, dry) and were sampled monthly.

Repeatable social network node-based metrics across populations and contexts in a passerine.

Behavioural traits are considered animal personality traits when individuals differ consistently in their expression across time and across context. Here, we test this idea on three metrics derived from social interaction networks (strength, betweenness and closeness). Using experimental data from house sparrows in captive populations, and observational data from house sparrows in a wild population, we show that all three metrics consistently exhibit repeatability across both study populations and two methods of recording interactions.

Rhamphotheca as a useful indicator of mercury in seabirds.

The evaluation of mercury (Hg) toxicity in wildlife species has prompted a search for sensitive indicators to accurately measure the body burden of Hg. Despite the extensive use of feathers as an indicator of Hg in birds, they do not appear to be an entirely suitable indicator of the extent of contamination in certain conditions and bird species since Hg levels are influenced by the growth period, timing of the last moult and migration. This research aimed to evaluate rhamphotheca as a potential indicator of environmental Hg concentrations in seabirds.

Following up mercury pollution in the Ebro Delta (NE Spain): Audouin's gull fledglings as model organisms to elucidate anthropogenic impacts on the environment.

As top-predators in marine ecosystems, seabirds are regarded as appropriate bioindicator species for a variety of contaminants. Mercury (Hg) is a global pollutant, which can biomagnify along marine and freshwater food webs. Therefore, mercury body burden in seabirds, such as gulls, will integrate information about pollution in the environment.

Meta-analysis challenges a textbook example of status signalling and demonstrates publication bias.

The status signalling hypothesis aims to explain within-species variation in ornamentation by suggesting that some ornaments signal dominance status. Here, we use multilevel meta-analytic models to challenge the textbook example of this hypothesis, the black bib of male house sparrows (). We conducted a systematic review, and obtained primary data from published and unpublished studies to test whether dominance rank is positively associated with bib size across studies.