Urban birds under chemical pressure: the influence of exposure to flame retardants on movement patterns

Ring-billed gulls (Larus delawarensis) living in the metropolitan area of Montreal (QC, Canada) have been documented to be highly exposed to a class of industrial and potentially toxic contaminants, the halogenated flame retardants (HFRs), that might also negatively affect humans. Interestingly, those gulls showed intraspecific variations in tissular concentrations in HFRs, related to their foraging habits, which allowed assessing the endocrinal disrupting effect of the HFRs accumulation. Other adverse effects of HFRs have been documented in birds, including the impairment of neurological system and reproductive behavior through a decrease in nest attendance. However, the influence of the exposure to HFRs on the movement patterns, which can further amplify the associated fitness costs of exposure to HFRs has not been investigated yet. The objective of this project is to assess the effect of the accumulation of HFRs in GPS tracked ring-billed gulls on their behavior and movement. TO BE CONT’D

Faculty Supervisor:

Jonathan Verreault

Student:

Partner:

Tel Aviv University

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Life Sciences (not health); Environmental Science and Technology; Other

University:

Université du Québec à Montréal

Program: