Influence of Species?Specific Feeding Ecology on Mercury Concentrations in Seabirds Breeding on the Chatham Islands, New Zealand

Mercury (Hg) is a toxic metal that accumulates in organisms and biomagnifies along food webs; hence, long-lived predators such as seabirds are at risk result of high Hg bioaccumulation. Seabirds have been widely used to monitor the contamination marine ecosystems. In present study, we investigated concentrations blood, muscle, feathers 7 procellariform breeding on Chatham Islands, New Zealand. Using bulk compound-specific stable isotope ratios carbon nitrogen proxy trophic position distribution, also tested whether related species-specific feeding ecology. exposure varied within seabird community. The highest contaminated species, Magenta petrel, had approximately 29 times more its blood than broad-billed prion, 35 grey-backed storm petrel. Variations were significantly positively linked habitats position, highlighting occurrence efficient biomagnification processes web. Species 2 main drivers Pterodroma species feather concentrations, which can be caused by their specific physiology and/or because foraging behavior during interbreeding period (i.e., from Tasman Sea Humboldt Current system). These threatened suffering detrimental effects further studies required investigate potential negative impacts, especially reproduction capability. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:454–472. © 2020 Authors. Environmental Toxicology Chemistry published Wiley Periodicals LLC behalf SETAC.