peer reviewed | Metallothioneins are signals of metal exposure and widely used in biomonitoring. Franciscana dolphin is an endemic cetacean from the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean, classified as Vulnerable A3d by the IUCN. Metallothionein, copper and zinc in Franciscana were assessed in two geographic groups; one inhabits La Plata River estuary, anthropogenically impacted, and the other inhabits marine coastal ecosystems, with negligible pollution. Despite the environment, hepatic and renal MT concentrations were similar, but there was a declining trend from early to later developmental stages. Metallothionein K/L, Cu and Zn levels corresponded to normal reported ranges. MT was not related with Cd. Fetal concentrations were higher than its mother. These results and the health status of dolphins are suggesting that MT correspond to physiological ranges for the species, and they are closely to homeostasis of Zn and Cu, according to its ontogenetic changes. The information constitutes the first MT information on Franciscana dolphin and can be considered as baseline for the species conservation.

peer reviewed | Associations of tunas and dolphins in the wild are quite frequent events and the question arises how predators requiring similar diet in the same habitat share their environmental resources. As isotopic composition of an animal is related to that of its preys, stable isotopes (13C/12C and 15N/14N) analyses were performed in three predator species from the Northeast Atlantic: the striped dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba, the common dolphin Delphinus delphis, and the albacore tuna, Thunnus alalunga, and compared to their previously described stomach content. Heavy metals (Cd, Zn, Cu and Fe) are mainly transferred through the diet and so, have been determined in the tissues of the animals. Tunas muscles display higher delta15N than in common and striped dolphins (mean: 11.4 0/00 vs. 10.3 0/00 and 10.4 0/00, respectively) which reflects its higher trophic level nutrition. Higher delta13C are found in common (-18.4 0/00) and striped dolphin (-18.10/00) muscles than in albacore tuna (-19.3 0/00) likely in relation with its migratory pattern. The most striking feature is the presence of two levels of cadmium concentrations in the livers of the tunas (32 mg kg-1 dry weight vs. 5 mg kg-1 dry weight). These two groups also differ by their iron concentrations and their delta15N and delta 13C liver values. These results suggest that in the Biscay Bay, tunas occupy two different ecological niches likely based on different squid input in their diet.

peer reviewed | Previous studies described high concentrations of mercury (Hg) and selenium (Se) in the blood of harbour seals, Phoca vitulina from the North Sea. In the present study, we evaluated the in vitro potential protective effects of sodium selenite (Na2SeO3) and selenomethionine (SeMet) on cell proliferation of harbour seal lymphocytes exposed to MeHgCl 0.75 µM. In vitro exposure of ConA-stimulated T lymphocytes resulted in severe inhibition of DNA synthesis, likely linked to severe loss of mitochondrial membrane potential at 0.75 µM. Neither selenite nor SeMet showed a protective effect against MeHg toxicity expressed at the T lymphocyte proliferation level for harbour seals. Selenite and SeMet did not show negative effects regarding lymphocyte proliferation and mitochondrial membrane potential. To conclude, our results clearly demonstrated that MeHg affected in vitro immune cells exposure with no protective effects of selenium at a molar ratio Hg:Se of 1:10 in harbour seals from the North Sea.

peer reviewed | Risso’s dolphins, pilot whales and sperm whales rarely strand in the northwestern Mediterranean. Thus, their feeding ecology, through the analysis of stomach contents, is poorly known. The aim of this study was to gain further insight into the segregation/superposition of the diet and habitat of Risso’s dolphins, pilot whales and sperm whales using chemical tracers, namely, stable isotopes (d13C, d15N) and orga- nochlorines. Significantly different d15N values were obtained in Risso’s dolphins (11.7 ± 0.7‰), sperm whales (10.8 ± 0.3‰) and pilot whales (9.8 ± 0.3‰), revealing different trophic levels. These differences are presumably due to various proportions of Histioteuthidae cephalopods in each toothed whale’s diet. Similar d13C contents between species indicated long-term habitat superposition or corroborated impor- tant seasonal migrations. Lower congener 180 concentrations (8.20 vs. 21.73 lg.g􏰀1 lw) and higher tDDT/ tPCB ratios (0.93 vs. 0.42) were observed in sperm whales compared with Risso’s dolphins and may indi- cate wider migrations for the former. Therefore, competition between these species seems to depend on different trophic levels and migration patterns.

peer reviewed | Marie-Curie Fellowship

International audience | Organochlorinated compounds including PolyChloroBiphenyles, Dichloro-DiphenylTrichloroethan and metabolites are determinated in Stenella coeruleoalba (n = 37) stranded on the french Mediterranean coasts from 2007 till 2009. Studies are carried out on lung, muscle, kidney, liver, and blubber. The sought-after compounds are all detected to variable levels in each tissue and organ. In general, total PCBs are the most abondant, followed by total DDTs. The concentration (in ng g(-1) of lipid weight) in blubber of S. coeruleoalba, varied from 2,052 to 158,992 for PCBs and from 1,120 to 45,779 for DDTs. The ratios DDE/tDDTs are higher than 80% in almost all samples. The overall results of this work, compared to previous studies concerning the Mediterranean Sea, seems to confirm the tendency to a decrease of the contamination by organics compounds for the cetaceans in the Western Mediterranean Sea. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Marine mammals in the Barents Sea region have among the highest levels of contaminants recorded in the Arctic and the Atlantic walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) is one of the most contaminated species within this region. We therefore investigated the relationships bewteen blubber concentrations of lipophilic persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and plasma concentrations of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and markers of endocrine and immune functions in adult male Atlantic walruses (n = 38) from Svalbard, Norway. To do so, we assessed plasma concentrations of five forms of thyroid hormones and transcript levels of genes related to the endocrine and immune systems as endpoints; transcript levels of seven genes in blubber and 23 genes in blood cells were studied. Results indicated that plasma total thyroxine (TT4) concentrations and ratio of TT4 and reverse triiodothyronine decreased with increasing blubber concentrations of lipophilic POPs. Blood cell transcript levels of genes involved in the function of T and B cells (FC like receptors 2 and 5, cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated protein 4 and protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 22) were increased with plasma PFAS concentrations. These results suggest that changes in thyroid and immune systems in adult male walruses are linked to current levels of contaminant exposure.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) chiral signatures were measured in Greenland sharks (Somniosus microcephalus) and their potential prey in arctic marine food webs from Canada (Cumberland Sound) and Europe (Svalbard) to assess temporal and spatial variation in PCB contamination at the stereoisomer level. Marine mammals had species-specific enantiomer fractions (EFs), likely due to a combination of in vivo biotransformation and direct trophic transfer. Greenland sharks from Cumberland Sound in 2007–2008 had similar EFs to those sharks collected a decade ago in the same location (PCBs 91, 136 and 149) and also similar to their conspecifics from Svalbard for some PCB congeners (PCBs 95, 136 and 149). However, other PCB EFs in the sharks varied temporally (PCB 91) or spatially (PCB 95), suggesting a possible spatiotemporal variation in their diets, since biotransformation capacity was unlikely to have varied within this species from region to region or over the time frame studied.

The effects of reproduction and maternal investment (i.e., milk transfer) on trace element levels remain poorly understood in marine mammals. We examined the blood dynamics of mercury (Hg) and selenium (Se) during lactation in the northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris), a top predator from the North Pacific Ocean. Total Hg and Se levels were measured in whole blood and milk of 10 mother–pup pairs on days 5 and 22 of lactation. Both Hg and Se were transferred to offspring through the milk. Results suggested that the maternal transfer of Se was prominent during lactation, whereas the Hg transfer was larger during gestation. The lactation period affected Hg and Se levels in the blood of elephant seal mothers and pups. Physiological processes and their relationship to body condition should be considered carefully when interpreting trace element levels in the framework of biomonitoring.

Aquatic animals live in an acoustic world in which they often rely on sound detection and recognition for various aspects of life that may affect survival and reproduction. Human exploitation of marine resources leads to increasing amounts of anthropogenic sound underwater, which may affect marine life negatively. Marine mammals and fishes are known to use sounds and to be affected by anthropogenic noise, but relatively little is known about invertebrates such as decapod crustaceans. We conducted experimental trials in the natural conditions of a quiet cove. We attracted shore crabs (Carcinus maenas) and common shrimps (Crangon crangon) with an experimentally fixed food item and compared trials in which we started playback of a broadband artificial sound to trials without exposure. During trials with sound exposure, the cumulative count of crabs that aggregated at the food item was lower, while variation in cumulative shrimp count could be explained by a negative correlation with crabs. These results suggest that crabs may be negatively affected by artificially elevated noise levels, but that shrimps may indirectly benefit by competitive release. Eating activity for the animals present was not affected by the sound treatment in either species. Our results show that moderate changes in acoustic conditions due to human activities can affect foraging interactions at the base of the marine food chain.