Skip to main content
Duke University Libraries
DukeSpace Scholarship by Duke Authors
  • Login
  • Ask
  • Menu
  • Login
  • Ask a Librarian
  • Search & Find
  • Using the Library
  • Research Support
  • Course Support
  • Libraries
  • About
View Item 
  •   DukeSpace
  • Theses and Dissertations
  • Nicholas School of the Environment
  • View Item
  •   DukeSpace
  • Theses and Dissertations
  • Nicholas School of the Environment
  • View Item
JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

A long-term temporal analysis of heavy metal concentrations in seabird feathers with implications for overgeneralized trophic dynamics

Thumbnail
View / Download
1.2 Mb
Date
2019-04-26
Author
Johnson, Elizabeth
Advisors
Van Houtan, Kyle
Pimm, Stuart
Repository Usage Stats
176
views
154
downloads
Abstract
Anthropogenic deposition and natural cycling of heavy metal can impact ecosystem function: They can accumulate in marine sediment layers and remain there for long periods of time. As these metals accumulate and move through the ecosystem to higher trophic level organisms, these metals have known toxic effects including decreased reproductive success and compromised immune systems. Seabird feather levels may be representative of broader ecosystem signals and heavy metal cycling. This study combines heavy metal concentration data from seabird feathers and builds on the results of previous studies looking at trophic declines across time. The aim is to emphasize the importance of tracking trophic levels of top predators, looking at heavy metal concentrations from the 1880s to 2016, as well as carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes to determine if changing trophic levels will alter estimated trends and environmental heavy metal concentrations. We present temporal trends in seabird tissue concentration, and examine the complex field of trophic transfer, proposing a protocol for interpreting environmental concentrations. Our results show that trophic declines do not drastically impact directional trends, but that extrapolating to other trophic levels creates a large margin of uncertainty. We observe declines in heavy metals that correspond with relevant legislation, and suggest further studies into lesser known metals to strengthen environmental monitoring methods.
Type
Master's project
Department
Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences
Subject
trophic dynamics
heavy metals
seabirds
trophic transfer
Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/10161/18438
Citation
Johnson, Elizabeth (2019). A long-term temporal analysis of heavy metal concentrations in seabird feathers with implications for overgeneralized trophic dynamics. Master's project, Duke University. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/18438.
Collections
  • Nicholas School of the Environment
More Info
Show full item record
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Rights for Collection: Nicholas School of the Environment


Works are deposited here by their authors, and represent their research and opinions, not that of Duke University. Some materials and descriptions may include offensive content. More info

Make Your Work Available Here

How to Deposit

Browse

All of DukeSpaceCommunities & CollectionsAuthorsTitlesTypesBy Issue DateDepartmentsAffiliations of Duke Author(s)SubjectsBy Submit DateThis CollectionAuthorsTitlesTypesBy Issue DateDepartmentsAffiliations of Duke Author(s)SubjectsBy Submit Date

My Account

LoginRegister

Statistics

View Usage Statistics
Duke University Libraries

Contact Us

411 Chapel Drive
Durham, NC 27708
(919) 660-5870
Perkins Library Service Desk

Digital Repositories at Duke

  • Report a problem with the repositories
  • About digital repositories at Duke
  • Accessibility Policy
  • Deaccession and DMCA Takedown Policy

TwitterFacebookYouTubeFlickrInstagramBlogs

Sign Up for Our Newsletter
  • Re-use & Attribution / Privacy
  • Harmful Language Statement
  • Support the Libraries
Duke University