Mercury exposure may suppress baseline corticosterone levels in juvenile birds
Environmental Science & Technology
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Abstract
Mercury exposure has been associated with a wide variety of negative reproductive responses in birds, however few studies have examined the potential for chick impairment via the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The HPA axis regulates corticosterone levels during periods of stress. We examined the relationship between baseline fecal corticosterone metabolite concentrations and mercury concentrations in down feathers of recently hatched (<3 days) and blood of older (15-37 days) Forster's tern (Sterna forsteri) chicks in San Francisco Bay, California. Baseline fecal corticosterone metabolite concentrations were negatively correlated with mercury concentrations in blood of older chicks (decreasing by 81% across the range of observed mercury concentrations) while accounting for positive correlations between corticosterone concentrations and number of fledgling chicks within the colony and chick age. In recently hatched chicks, baseline fecal corticosterone metabolite concentrations were weakly negatively correlated with mercury concentrations in down feathers (decreasing by 45% across the range of observed mercury concentrations) while accounting for stronger positive correlations between corticosterone concentrations and colony nest abundance and date. These results indicate that chronic mercury exposure may suppress baseline corticosterone concentrations in tern chicks and suggests that a juvenile bird's ability to respond to stress may be reduced via the downregulation of the HPA axis.
Suggested Citation
Herring, G., Ackerman, J., Herzog, M., 2012, Mercury exposure may suppress baseline corticosterone levels in juvenile birds: Environmental Science & Technology, v. 46, no. 11, p. 6339-6346, https://doi.org/10.1021/es300668c.
ISSN: 1520-5851 (online)
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Mercury exposure may suppress baseline corticosterone levels in juvenile birds |
| Series title | Environmental Science & Technology |
| DOI | 10.1021/es300668c |
| Volume | 46 |
| Issue | 11 |
| Publication Date | May 21, 2012 |
| Year Published | 2012 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | ACS Publications |
| Publisher location | Washington, DC |
| Contributing office(s) | San Francisco Bay-Delta, Western Ecological Research Center |
| Description | 8 p. |
| First page | 6339 |
| Last page | 6346 |