Abstract: Environmental factors that can influence telomeres are diverse, but the association between telomeres and exposure to environmental contaminants is yet to be elucidated. To date, prior studies have focused on legacy persistent chlorinated pollutants (POPs), while the effects of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been poorly documented. Here, we investigated the associations among PFAS congeners, absolute telomere length (cross-sectional approach), and telomere dynamics (rate of telomere length change over time, longitudinal approach) in one of the most contaminated arctic top predators, the glaucous gull Larus hyperboreus from Svalbard. We further estimated the effect of PFAS on apparent survival rates and re-sighting probabilities using a 10-year capture/recapture dataset (2010–2019). We found that birds exposed to higher concentrations of perfluorononadecanoate (PFNA) (median of 1565 pg/mL of ww in males and 1370 pg/mL of ww in females) and perfluorotetradecanoate (PFTeDA) (median of 370 pg/mL of ww in males and 210 pg/mL of ww in females) showed the slowest rate of telomere shortening. We also found that high blood concentrations of perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) (median of 120 pg/mL of ww in males and 150 pg/mL of ww in females) and perfluorohexanesulfonate (PFHxS) (median of 495 pg/mL of ww in males and 395 pg/mL of ww in females) were positively associated with higher re-sighting probabilities and apparent survival in males but not in females. Our work is the first to report an association between single PFAS compounds and telomeres, and the first to link PFAS exposure with survival probabilities, suggesting that the effect of PFAS exposure might be more tied to the type of compound rather than the total concentration of PFAS.

Abstract: Burrow-nesting seabirds constitute an important part of seabird diversity, yet accurate estimates of their abundance are largely lacking, limiting our understanding of their population dynamics and conservation status. We conducted a survey to estimate the number of South Georgia diving petrel (Pelecanoides georgicus) burrows during the 2013–14 breeding season on Ile de la Possession, Crozet archipelago, southern Indian Ocean. We used distance sampling and acoustic playback in order to estimate burrow densities in a priori-selected favourable nesting areas. A total of 855 burrows were detected. The mean altitude of burrows was 601.8 ± 69.4 m. The mean burrow detection distance was 1.77 ± 1.63 m. The burrow density was estimated at 15.649 burrows ha-1 (95% confidence interval (CI): 10.245–23.903) and the slope-corrected total favourable area was 2365.53 ha, which yielded an estimate 37 018 burrows (95% CI: 24 235–56 544). The playback response rate was 15.8 ± 1.3%, and 40.8 ± 1.7% of burrows were occupied or showed signs of occupation. Occupancy rates were low compared to those measured by systematic burrow inspection in other studies. Assuming that laying occurred in 80–93% of the estimated number of burrows, as estimated by previous studies, gives an estimate of 29 614 (95% CI: 19 388–45 235) to 34 426 (95% CI: 22 538–52 585) breeding pairs.

Abstract: Incubating eggs represents a trade-off for parent birds between spending enough time fasting to take care of the clutch and to get enough nutrients for self-maintenance. It is believed that the pituitary hormone prolactin plays an important role in such allocation processes. Incubation does not solely imply the active warming of the eggs but also the active egg-turning to facilitate absorption of albumen by the embryo, reduce malposition and prevent the embryo from adhering to the inner shell membrane. However, how prolactin secretion is related to egg-turning behaviors is presently poorly addressed. In addition, several environmental contaminants can affect parental care behaviors through their endocrine disrupting properties but the effects of such contaminants on egg-turning behaviors remain so far unexplored. Using artificial eggs equipped with miniaturized data loggers, we investigated the relationships between egg-turning behaviors, prolactin secretion and contaminants burden in Arctic black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla). Specifically, we examined the relationships between blood concentrations of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), organochlorines (OCs), mercury (Hg), plasma prolactin levels and both egg-turning frequency and angular change. We also incorporated baseline corticosterone levels since this glucocorticoid is known to affect parental care. Plasma prolactin levels were positively related to angular change in female kittiwakes while corticosterone was not related to egg-turning behaviors in either sex. Hg was not related to egg-turning behaviors in either sex. We found contrasting associations between OCs and PFASs, since polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were negatively associated with angular change in females, contrary to linear perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOSlin) and perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) which were positively related to egg-turning frequency and angular change in both sexes. Additionally, PFASs concentrations were positively related to prolactin levels in female kittiwake. The possible stimulation of prolactin secretion by PFASs could therefore make adult kittiwakes to allocate more time taking care of their eggs, and thus possibly modify the trade-off between spending enough time caring for the clutch and obtaining enough nutrients at sea.

Abstract: Concentrations of 9 organophosphate esters (OPEs), 16 perfluoroalkylated substances (PFASs) and 17 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were investigated in surface snow samples collected at Dome C on the Antarctic Plateau in summer 2016. Tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TCPP), tris-(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP) and tri-n-butylphosphate (TnBP) were the dominant compounds of OPEs, with mean concentrations of 8157 ± 4860, 1128 ± 928 and 1232 ± 1147 pg/L. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA, mean: 358 ± 71 pg/L) was the dominant compound of PFASs, and following by perfluoro-n-hexanoic acid (PFHxA, mean: 222 ± 97 pg/L), perfluoro-n-heptanoic acid (PFHpA, 183 ± 60 pg/L) and perfluoro-n-pentanoic acid (PFPeA, 175 ± 105 pg/L). 2-(Heptafluoropropoxy)propanoic acid (HFPO-DA, mean: 9.2 ± 2.6 pg/L) was determined in the Antarctic for the first time. Significantly positive correlations were observed between HFPO-DA and the short-chain PFASs, implying they have similar emission sources and long-range transport potential. High levels of 2-methylnaphthalene and 1-methylnaphthalene, as well as the ratios of PAH congeners indicated PAHs were attributable mostly to combustion origin. Occurrence and profiles of the indicators of OPEs, PFASs and PAHs, as well as air mass back-trajectory analysis provided direct evidences of human activities on Concordia station and posed obvious impacts on local environments in the Antarctic. Nevertheless, the exchange processes among different environmental matrices may drive the long-range transport and redistribution of the legacy and emerging Organic contaminants from coast to inland in the Antarctic.

Abstract: Camera traps for motion-triggered or continuous time-lapse recordings are readily available on the market. For demanding applications in ecology and environmental sciences, however, commercial systems often lack flexibility to freely adjust recording time intervals, suffer from mechanical component wear, and can be difficult to combine with auxiliary sensors such as GPS, weather stations, or light sensors. We present a robust time-lapse camera system that has been operating continuously since 2013 under the harsh climatic conditions of the Antarctic and Subantarctic regions. Thus far, we have recorded over one million images with individual cameras. The system consumes 122 mW of power in standby mode and captures up to 200,000 high-resolution (16 MPix) images without maintenance such as battery or image memory replacement. It offers time-lapse intervals between 2 s and 1 h, low-light or night-time power saving, and data logging capabilities for additional inputs such as GPS and weather data.