Comparison of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) between small cetaceans in coastal and estuarine waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico

Brian Balmer; Gina Ylitalo; Stephanie Watwood; Brian Quigley; Jennie Bolton; Keith Mullin; Patricia Rosel; Teri Rowles; Todd Speakman; Lynsey Wilcox; Eric Zolman; Lori Schwacke

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.05.017

Comparison of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) between small cetaceans in coastal and estuarine waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico

Mar Pollut Bull. 2019 Aug:145:239-247. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.05.017. Epub 2019 Jun 3.

Authors

Brian Balmer¹, Gina Ylitalo², Stephanie Watwood³, Brian Quigley⁴, Jennie Bolton², Keith Mullin⁵, Patricia Rosel⁶, Teri Rowles⁷, Todd Speakman⁴, Lynsey Wilcox⁶, Eric Zolman⁴, Lori Schwacke⁴

Affiliations

¹ National Marine Mammal Foundation, 3419 Maybank Highway Suite B, Johns Island, SC 29455, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Environmental and Fisheries Sciences Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2725 Montlake Boulevard East, Seattle, WA 98112, USA.
³ Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Newport, Environmental Branch, 1176 Howell Street, Newport, RI 02841, USA.
⁴ National Marine Mammal Foundation, 3419 Maybank Highway Suite B, Johns Island, SC 29455, USA.
⁵ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, 3209 Frederic Street, Pascagoula, MS 39567, USA.
⁶ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, 646 Cajundome Boulevard, Lafayette, LA 70506, USA.
⁷ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Protected Resources, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA.

PMID: 31590782
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.05.017

Abstract

Small cetaceans continue to be exposed to elevated levels of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). The goals of this study were to use data from remote biopsy sampling and photographic-identification to compare POP concentrations between small cetacean stocks in the northern Gulf of Mexico. During 2015-2017, 74 remote biopsies were collected in St. Andrew Bay and adjacent coastal waters from two species: common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) (N = 28, ♀; N = 42, ♂) and Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis) (N = 2, ♀; N = 2, ♂). Common bottlenose dolphin POP concentrations were significantly higher in St. Andrew Bay than coastal waters. Male St. Andrew Bay dolphins had the highest Σ DDT (dichlorodiphenyl-dichloroethane) levels measured in the southeastern U.S. (67 μg/g, 50-89 μg/g; geometric mean and 95% CI) and showed a significant negative relationship between Σ DDT and sighting distance from a St. Andrew Bay point source.

Keywords: Photographic-identification; Pollutants; Remote biopsy; Small cetaceans.

Publication types

Comparative Study

MeSH terms

Adipose Tissue / chemistry
Animals
Bottle-Nosed Dolphin*
DDT / analysis
Environmental Monitoring
Estuaries
Female
Gulf of Mexico
Male
Photography
Southeastern United States
Stenella*
Water Pollutants, Chemical / analysis*

Substances

Water Pollutants, Chemical
DDT