Publications by authors named "Philip T Sontag"
Article Synopsis
- Researchers studied mercury (Hg) levels in Adélie, gentoo, and chinstrap penguins near Anvers Island, revealing low Hg concentrations in Adélie and gentoo penguins but higher levels in chinstrap penguins, likely due to their broader winter migrations.
- The study found that stable carbon (δC) and nitrogen (δN) isotope ratios in penguin feathers were the lowest reported for Southern Ocean penguins, indicating dietary foraging patterns influenced Hg accumulation.
- The analysis showed that δC values were the best predictor for Hg concentrations across penguin populations, highlighting how feeding ecology affects mercury levels more significantly than species or geographic differences.
We examined mercury (Hg) accumulation in juvenile and adult subpopulations of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) collected west of the Antarctic Peninsula. Samples were collected along a northern cross-shelf transect beginning near Anvers Island and farther south near the sea ice edge in the austral summers of 2011, 2013, 2014, and 2015. Regardless of geographical position, mean concentrations of total Hg and methylmercury (MeHg), the form of Hg that biomagnifies in marine food webs, were significantly higher in juvenile than adult krill in all years.
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