Publications
| Title | Abstract | Year Filter | PMID(sorted ascending) Filter |
|---|
| pesticide and pcb of common eider, herring gull and great black-backed gull eggs. | 2000 | 111743 | |
| shell thinning and residues of organochlorines and mercury in seabird eggs, eastern canada, 1970-76. | organochlorine and mercury concentrations are reported for 252 eggs of leach's storm-petrel (oceanodroma leucorhoa), double-crested cormorant (phalarocorax auritus), common eider (somateria mollissima), common tern (sterna hirundo), razorbill (alca torda), common murre (uria aalge) black guillemot (cepphus grylle), and atlantic puffin (fratercula arctica) from the bay of fundy, the gulf of st. lawrence, and the open atlantic shore of canada during 1970-76. concentrations of all organochlorines e ... | 1979 | 117427 |
| sexual behavior and plasma androgen concentrations in the male eider duck (somateria mollissima). | eider ducks showed clear tidal and seasonal cycles of display when involved in pair-formation behaviour. plasma androgen (testosterone and dihydrotestosterone) concentrations did not follow similar tidal cycles but there was a 4-fold increase of androgen in spring when rates of display increased 2-fold. there was no difference in androgen levels in blood samples taken from paired birds before and after coitus. androgens therefore appear to be essential for the expression of sexual behaviour, bu ... | 1977 | 557550 |
| avian cholera in eider ducks in maine. | outbreaks of avian cholera (pasteurella multocida) occur frequently in common eiders (somateria mollissima dresseri) in maine during early summer. studies over a seven year period show that over 90% of the loss occurred in incubating females and might be associated with their weakened condition because females do not feed during the incubation period. high nesting densities also may contribute to the losses. the exact source of p. multocida is unknown although carrier birds were found. | 1978 | 650794 |
| seasonal siderosis in female eider nesting in svalbard. | specimens of female and male eider (somateria mollissima) were collected in svalbard. atomic absorption analyses revealed mean hepatic iron concentrations of 280 micrograms per g wet weight 2 to 3 weeks before egg laying, 2620 micrograms per g after 2 to 3 weeks brooding and 800 micrograms per g 2 weeks after hatching. at the highest concentration, there was massive siderosis with the iron located in both parenchymal and non-parenchymal cells. no signs of liver injury were seen. the female eider ... | 1991 | 2019677 |
| chemical and morphological studies of liver from eider (somateria mollissima) in svalbard with special reference to the distribution of copper. | specimens of male and brooding female eider (somateria mollissima) were collected in svalbard. chemical analyses revealed hepatic copper concentrations ranging from 20 to 1050 micrograms per g wet weight. this is in agreement with previous results. the selenium, zinc and cadmium values were equal to or slightly higher than previously recorded. it is suggested that the wide variation in copper concentration is a result of differences in intake of copper-containing food among the birds. high selen ... | 1990 | 2365857 |
| oxidative capacity of tissues contributing to thermogenesis in eider (somateria mollissima) ducklings: changes associated with hatching. | 1. the development of liver and skeletal muscle oxidative capacities during hatching of the common eider (somateria mollissima) in the arctic has been investigated by monitoring tissue cytochrome c oxidase activity. 2. the specific activity of the liver enzyme did not change as the embryo underwent hatching, nor during subsequent growth of the duckling into adulthood. 3. thigh muscle enzyme specific activity increased by a factor of 3.4 during the 24 h prehatching period, remained elevated for a ... | 1988 | 2854830 |
| profilicollis botulus (van cleave, 1916) from diving ducks and shore crabs of british columbia. | adults of profilicollis botulus were found in 6 species of diving ducks in british columbia including 3 new hosts: common goldeneye, bucephala clangula (l.); barrow's goldeneye, b. islandica (gmelin); and greater scaup, aythya marila (l.). the identification of the species was verified by the examination of co-types and specimens from eider ducks, somateria mollissima (l.), from scotland and oldsquaw, clangula hyemalis (l.), from new brunswick. cystacanths from the hairy shore crab, hemigrapsus ... | 1989 | 2918442 |
| the development of homeothermy in common eider ducklings (somateria mollissima). | oxygen consumption (vo2), body temperature (tb) and electric muscle activity (emg) were measured at varying ambient temperatures (ta) in common eider ducklings from the eggs pipped to 1 day after hatching. eggs at pipping and ducklings still wet from hatching doubled their vo2 at ta = 2-4 degrees c compared with ta = 27 degrees c, but were unable to maintain constant tb. increased emg activity was recorded from ducklings 30 min after hatching. artificially dried 1-h-old ducklings maintained norm ... | 1988 | 3227894 |
| serum protein polymorphism in common eiders detected by isoelectric focusing. | 1987 | 3606557 | |
| lead fragments in tissues from wild birds: a cause of misleading analytical results. | seriously damaged eider ducks (somateria mollissima) and long-tailed ducks (clangula hyemalis) were shot in connection with an oil spill in 1974. liver and kidney tissues were analyzed for environmental pollutants and lead analysis gave irreproducible results. by means of x-ray photographs, x-ray-dense particles could be observed in the tissues. the foreign particles were extracted by dissolution of the organ tissues in soluene-350 (packard instruments co. inc) and then washed with toluene. the ... | 1986 | 3810131 |
| in search of biomonitors for cadmium: cadmium content of wild swedish fauna during 1973-1976. | forty-five species of birds and 22 species of mammals of the terrestrial and aquatic fauna, herbivores as well as carnivores, were investigated during the period 1973-1976 for cadmium-accumulating properties in order to find biomonitors for cadmium in the swedish environment. the herbivores of the terrestrial fauna, birds as well as mammals, are preferred to carnivores, since they demonstrate generally higher renal cd levels. the moose (alces alces), roe deer (capreolus capreolus) and hare (lepu ... | 1986 | 3810147 |
| profilicollis botulus (acanthocephala) abundance in the eider duck (somateria mollissima) on the ythan estuary, aberdeenshire. | the abundance of profilicollis botulus was monitored in eider ducks for 3 years. no significant difference in p. botulus abundance was found between eiders taken alive and those collected dead from the shore line, or between adult males and adult females. adult male eiders had a seasonal pattern of infection. incubating female eiders lost their infection in almost all cases, suggesting that a seasonal pattern of infection must also occur in these birds. eiders in their first winter had p. botulu ... | 1985 | 4080420 |
| levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (pcb) and organochlorine insecticides in eggs from eider (somateria mollissima). | 1973 | 4199485 | |
| interaction between early experience and depth avoidance in young eider ducks (somateria mollissima l.). | 1974 | 4817519 | |
| lactate dehydrogenase in diving animals--a comparative study with special reference to the eider (somateria mollissima). | 1971 | 5133336 | |
| the morphology and life-history of notocotylus atlanticus n. sp., a digenetic trematode of eider ducks, somateria mollissima, and the designation, notocotylus duboisi nom. nov., for notocotylus imbricatus (looss, 1893) szidat, 1935. | 1966 | 5979663 | |
| leucocytozoon simondi infection in european and american eiders. | an adult european eider (somateria mollissima mollissima) died at the st louis zoo and was found to be infected with numerous blood and tissue stages of leucocytozoon simondi. necropsy revealed massive air sac aspergillosis, but histologic examination revealed a diffusely distributed protozoon organism that was identified as l simondi. examination of tissues from a previously necropsied european eider and from 2 american eiders (somateria mollissima dresseri) that later died also revealed eviden ... | 1983 | 6417090 |
| heavy metals (cadmium, copper, lead and mercury) in common eiders (somateria mollissima) from denmark. | in an examination of 50 danish common eiders, the liver and kidney content of cadmium, copper, lead and mercury was determined. eiders were chosen for analysis, because this species feed almost exclusively on the common mussel (mytilus edulis), which is known to accumulate heavy metals. the concentrations recorded of cadmium, copper, and mercury were lower than what is usually regarded as toxic for birds, except for one eider which carried more than 2000 mg copper/kg liver tissue (dry weight). o ... | 1983 | 6674934 |
| in vitro metabolism of 3,3',4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl in relation to ethoxyresorufin-o-deethylase activity in liver microsomes of some wildlife species and rat. | a qualitative study was performed of the capacity of hepatic microsomes of several wildlife species to metabolize 3,3',4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl (tcb). hepatic microsomes of species environmentally exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls (pcbs): harbour porpoise (phocoena phocoena), harbour seal (phoca vitulina), common tern (sterna hirundo), and hepatic microsomes from species experimentally exposed to pcbs: eider duck (somateria mollissima), rainbow trout (salmo gairdneri), flounder (platichthys f ... | 1994 | 8039554 |
| ethoxyresorufin o-deethylase (erod) and aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (ahh)-inducing potency and lethality of chlorinated naphthalenes in chicken (gallus domesticus) and eider duck (somateria mollissima) embryos. | the 7-ethoxyresorufin o-deethylase (erod)- and aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (ahh)-inducing potencies and lethalities of a technical preparation of polychlorinated naphthalenes (pcns) (halowax 1014, approximate congener ratio: 20% tetrachloronaphthalenes, 40% pentachloronaphthalenes, 40% hexachloronaphthalenes), a mixture of 50% 1,2,3,5,6,7-hexachloronaphthalene and 50% 1,2,3,4,6,7-hexachloronaphthalene (hxcn-mix), and 1,2,3,4,5,6,7-heptachloronaphthalene (hpcn) were studied in chicken (gallus do ... | 1994 | 8166603 |
| the shivering response during cross-circulation in the common eider duck (somateria mollissima). | the possible role of humoral factors in the control of shivering in the common eider duck (somateria mollissima) was investigated using a cross-circulation technique. pairs of animals were coupled so that the arterial system of one animal was connected to the venous system of the other. the rate of blood transferral was 12.8 ml min-1. by adequate heparinization of the extracorporeal blood supply, cross-circulation could be maintained for periods of up to 12 h. the temperature of blood entering e ... | 1993 | 8213187 |
| lead poisoning of spectacled eiders (somateria fischeri) and of a common eider (somateria mollissima) in alaska. | lead poisoning was diagnosed in four spectacled eiders (somateria fischeri) and one common eider (somateria mollissima) found dead or moribund at the yukon delta national wildlife refuge, alaska (usa) in 1992, 1993, and 1994. ingested lead shot was found in the lower esophagus of one spectacled eider and in the gizzard of the common eider. lead concentrations in the livers of the spectacled eiders were 26 to 38 ppm wet weight, and 52 ppm wet weight in the liver of the common eider. a blood sampl ... | 1995 | 8583651 |
| mortality associated with renal and intestinal coccidiosis in juvenile eiders in iceland. | the cause of unusual mortality observed in late june 1993 among hundreds of eider-ducklings (somateria mollissima) originating from a colony of approximately 600 breeding eider ducks at bildudalur, west-iceland, was studied. the mortality occurred two weeks after a large-scale washing of gravel was initiated in a river-bed close to the colony. as a consequence marked environmental changes occurred in the area when a mud-layer gradually accumulated on the sea-bed around the colony. necropsies, ba ... | 1997 | 9802087 |
| novel primers for the mitochondrial control region and its homologous nuclear pseudogene in the eider duck somateria mollissima. | 1998 | 9883523 | |
| relationships between kidney mass and body size in some anseriformes. | relationships between kidney mass (km) and body mass (bm), body length (bl), and sternum length (sl) were studied in adults of both sexes of 4 mergini anseriforms: clangula hyemalis (n = 74), melanitta fusca (n = 29), m. nigra (n = 15), and somateria mollissima (n = 8). the following indices were established for the four species and for the mergini tribe: km/bm (as per cent body mass), km/bl, and km/sl. additionally, allometric equations describing the relationships studied were developed for th ... | 1999 | 10208037 |
| an experimental study on the effects of polymorphiasis in common eider ducklings. | eight common eider (somateria mollissima) ducklings were experimentally infected from 1 june through 13 june, 1995 with acanthocephalans (polymorphus minutus) by allowing the birds to feed on gammarus spp. (gammarus oceanicus, g. salinus, g. zaddachi, and g. lacustris) containing acanthocephalan cystacanths. uninfected gammarus spp. were fed to a control group of seven ducklings. no mortality of ducklings occurred during the experiment. however, the infected ducklings gained weight more slowly t ... | 1999 | 10479080 |
| estimation of the rate of oxygen consumption of the common eider duck (somateria mollissima), with some measurements of heart rate during voluntary dives. | the relationship between heart rate (f(h)) and rate of oxygen consumption (v(o2)) was established for a marine diving bird, the common eider duck (somateria mollissima), during steady-state swimming and running exercise. both variables increased exponentially with speed during swimming and in a linear fashion during running. eleven linear regressions of v(o2) (ml kg(-1 )min(-1)) on f(h) (beats min(-1)) were obtained: five by swimming and six by running the birds. the common regression was descri ... | 2000 | 10952881 |
| use of serum biochemistry to evaluate nutritional status and health of incubating common eiders (somateria mollissima) in finland. | during 1997-1999, we collected serum samples from 156 common eider (somateria mollissima) females incubating eggs in the finnish archipelago of the baltic sea. we used serum chemistry profiles to evaluate metabolic changes in eiders during incubation and to compare the health and nutritional status of birds nesting at a breeding area where the eider population has declined by over 50% during the past decade, with birds nesting at two areas with stable populations. several changes in serum chemis ... | 2001 | 11331505 |
| [on a helminthofauna of seabirds of the archangelskaya bay ( northern island of novaya zemlya)]. | in the archangelskaya bay (north island of novaya zemlya), 25 specimens of sea birds have been collected: 5 kittiwakes, 5 murres, 5 little auks, 4 common eiders, 4 purple sandpipers, and 2 glaucous gulls. following numbers of helminth parasite species have been recovered in this material: trematodes--1, cestodes--5, proboscic worms--2, and nematodes--2 species. the description of morphological characters of anomotaenia micracantha micracantha (cestoda: dilepididae) from the kittiwake is given. t ... | 2001 | 11548578 |
| [treatment of breast injuries in marine ducks hospitalized at a wildlife shelter]. | seabirds kept in care centers frequently show secondary lesions subsequent to detention conditions: this is the case with scabs. these scabs are very often looked upon as a cause for euthanasia, mainly after an ecological disaster, such as an oil spill, when the number of oiled birds is very large. seaducks (melanitta nigra, melanitta fuscus, somateria mollissima) were very numerous at the veterinary school of nantes after the wreck of the tanker erika in december 1999. a protocol for the treatm ... | 2001 | 11565370 |
| trace elements in king eiders and common eiders in the canadian arctic. | we determined concentrations of selected trace elements in tissues of king and common eiders at three locations in the canadian arctic. renal and hepatic cadmium concentrations in king eiders at a location in the eastern arctic were among the highest ever recorded in eider ducks: there, they were higher in king eiders than in common eiders. cadmium concentrations were lower in king eiders from the western arctic than in those from the east. in the western arctic, cadmium concentrations did not d ... | 2001 | 11598787 |
| concentrations of cadmium, mercury and selenium in blood, liver and kidney of common eider ducks from the canadian arctic. | we determined concentrations of selected trace elements in livers, kidneys and blood samples from common eiders (somateria mollissima borealis) from the eastern canadian arctic during 1997 and 1998. concentrations of total mercury and organic mercury were generally low in the livers of these birds (less than 6 and 4 microg g(-1) dry wt, respectively). selenium ranged between 11-47 microg g(-1) in livers. renal cadmium concentrations were among the highest ever published for this species (range: ... | 2001 | 11683231 |
| temperature and heart rate as stress indicators of handled common eider. | three eider ducks were handled every 4 min for 16 min to measure their cloacal temperature. this simple handling triggered a rise in their core temperatures from 41.5+/-0.6 degrees c at minute 0 to 43.5+/-0.5 degrees c at minute 16. this increase in body temperature occurred with no obvious motor load from the eiders, but was facilitated by peripheral vasoconstriction and, moreover, was blocked significantly by salicylate, suggesting that the increase in temperature was due to fever. after 10 da ... | 2001 | 11790407 |
| factors affecting plasma concentrations of prolactin in the common eider somateria mollissima. | in the common eider only the females incubate while they fast for 25 days. thus, since they rely entirely on their body reserves for successful incubation, they can be defined as capital incubators. to assess the potential effects of their initial body mass, the incubation duration, and depletion in body reserves on prolactinemia, blood samples of eiders were analyzed during the breeding cycle and an experimental manipulation of the duration of incubation. levels of circulating prolactin increas ... | 2002 | 11884084 |
| isolation and characterization of a reovirus from common eiders (somateria mollissima) from finland. | samples of brain, intestine, liver, lung, spleen, and bursa of fabricius were collected from five common eider (somateria mollissima) duckling carcasses during a die-off in the western gulf of finland (59 degrees 50'n, 23 degrees 15'e) in june 1996. no viral activity was observed in specific-pathogen-free chicken embryos inoculated with tissue suspensions, but samples of bursa of fabricius from three birds were positive when inoculated into muscovy duck (cairina moschata) embryo fibroblasts. the ... | 2002 | 12061662 |
| concentrations of trace elements in eggs and blood of spectacled and common eiders on the yukon-kuskokwim delta, alaska, usa. | we examined the relations among nesting success, egg viability, and blood and egg concentrations of as, cd, pb, hg, and se in a threatened population of spectacled eiders (somateria fischeri) and a sympatric population of common eiders (s. mollissima) on the yukon-kuskokwim delta, alaska, usa, during 1995 and 1996. during the early breeding season, males and females had mean se concentrations in their blood of 19.2 microg/g and 12.8 microg/g wet weight, respectively. blood se concentrations of f ... | 2002 | 12152768 |
| environmental contaminants in four eider species from alaska and arctic russia. | population declines in four species of eider; common (somateria mollissima), king (somateria spectabilis), spectacled (somateria fischeri) and steller's (polysticta stelleri), have raised concerns about exposure to contaminants. livers and kidney tissues were collected from eiders in alaska and russia for organic and elemental analyses. results showed that organochlorine and many elemental levels were below toxic thresholds; however, in many cases, cadmium, copper, lead and serenium appeared hig ... | 2002 | 12152828 |
| immune function, stress response, and body condition in arctic-breeding common eiders in relation to cadmium, mercury, and selenium concentrations. | we examined relationships between trace metal concentrations in tissues of common eider ducks (cadmium, mercury, and selenium) and selected biomarkers of health (stress response, immune function, and body condition). this study was conducted at an eider nesting colony in the canadian arctic in 1998 and 1999. capture-induced stress, measured as the rise in corticosterone concentrations following capture, was positively related (p=0.03) to renal cadmium concentration in 1998 when incubating eiders ... | 2002 | 12359190 |
| differential investment and costs during avian incubation determined by individual quality: an experimental study of the common eider (somateria mollissima). | individuals of different quality may have different investment strategies, shaping responses to experimental manipulations, thereby rendering the detection of such patterns difficult. however, previous clutch-size manipulation studies have infrequently incorporated individual differences in quality. to examine costs of incubation and reproductive investment in relation to changes in clutch size, we enlarged and reduced natural clutch sizes of four and five eggs by one egg early in the incubation ... | 2003 | 12641909 |
| an ultrastructural study of reproduction in the parthenogenetic metacercariae of cercaria margaritensis ching, 1982 (digenea: gymnophallidae). | the parthenogenetic metacercarial stages of the gymnophallid trematode cercaria margaritensis are found in the extrapallial cavity of the subtidal prosobranch mollusc margarites helicinus. the primary metacercariae (m1) produce second-generation metacercariae (m2) which become independent and give rise to m3 metacercariae which are infective to the definitive host, the common eider (somateria mollissima). this study used transmission electron microscopy to follow the development of m2 inside m1 ... | 2003 | 12666885 |
| an adenovirus associated with intestinal impaction and mortality of male common eiders (somateria mollissima) in the baltic sea. | we examined 10 common eider (somateria mollissima) males found dead in 1998 during a die-off in the northern baltic sea off the southwestern coast of finland. we diagnosed impaction of the posterior small intestine with mucosal necrosis as the cause of death in all 10 and isolated adenoviruses from cloacal samples of six birds. the adenovirus isolates were not neutralized by reference antisera to group i, ii, or iii avian adenoviruses. cloacal swabs from 22 apparently healthy eider females nesti ... | 2003 | 12685074 |
| cadmium, zinc, copper, arsenic, selenium and mercury in seabirds from the barents sea: levels, inter-specific and geographical differences. | trace elements cd, zn, cu, as, se and hg were analysed in muscle and liver of brünnich's guillemot, common guillemot, puffin, black guillemot, little auk, razorbill, common eider, king eider, glaucous gull, herring gull, black-legged kittiwake, northern fulmar and arctic tern collected in 1991-1992 at the main breeding colonies in the barents sea. the highest levels of the most toxic elements cd and hg were found in birds nesting north of spitsbergen. extremely high levels of as were detected in ... | 2003 | 12699923 |
| biomarker responses in nesting, common eiders in the canadian arctic in relation to tissue cadmium, mercury and selenium concentrations. | populations of many north american sea ducks are declining. biomarkers may offer valuable insights regarding the health and fitness of sea ducks in relation to contaminant burdens. in this study we examined body condition, immune function, corticosterone stress response, liver glycogen levels and vitamin a status in relation to tissue concentrations of mercury, selenium and cadmium in female common eiders during the nesting period. the study was conducted in the eastern canadian arctic during ju ... | 2003 | 12739870 |
| reduced immunocompetence and cost of reproduction in common eiders. | immunocompetence may be especially important in long-lived species where infectious organisms may have detrimental effects upon future reproductive value of hosts. the resource demand for immunocompetence may reduce resource availability for reproduction and a trade-off between these traits has therefore been proposed. capital breeders, such as the common eider (somateria mollissima), rely upon accumulated body reserves during reproduction. eiders lose more than 40% of pre-breeding body mass dur ... | 2003 | 12783295 |
| bird skins in museum collections: are they suitable as indicators of environmental metal load after conservation procedures? | to find out whether modern conservation treatments alter the level of metals in feathers, we analysed the content of 10 metals in feathers before and after skins were washed with detergent and treated with eulan u-33 (a commonly used preservative at museums). feathers of 31 birds of goshawk accipiter gentilis, eagle owl bubo bubo. feral pigeon columba livia domest, and common eider somateria mollissima were analysed. we found that in most cases metals were partly washed out of the feathers, but ... | 2003 | 12889635 |
| high human exposure to lead through consumption of birds hunted with lead shot. | we assess lead contamination of greenland seabirds killed with lead shot having studied thick-billed murre and common eider, the two most important species in the diet. the lead concentration is very high in meat of eiders killed with lead shot (mean 6.1 microg/g-wet wt, 95% cl 2.1-12). this level is about 44 times higher than in drowned eiders and eight times higher than in shot murres. analyzing whole breasts instead of sub-samples reveals about seven times higher lead levels in birds' meat. w ... | 2004 | 14554002 |
| pasteurella multocida from outbreaks of avian cholera in wild and captive birds in denmark. | an outbreak of avian cholera was observed among wild birds in a few localities in denmark in 2001. the highest mortalities were among breeding eiders (somateria mollissima) and gulls (larus spp.). pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (pfge) was conducted using apai and smai as restriction enzymes and restriction enzyme analysis (rea) using hpaii. the pasteurella multocida subsp. multocida strain isolated from birds in this outbreak was indistinguishable from a strain that caused outbreaks in 1996 an ... | 2003 | 14733275 |
| contaminants in molting long-tailed ducks and nesting common eiders in the beaufort sea. | in 2000, we collected blood from long-tailed ducks (clangula hyemalis) and blood and eggs from common eiders (somateria mollissima) at near-shore islands in the vicinity of prudhoe bay, alaska, and at a reference area east of prudhoe bay. blood was analyzed for trace elements and egg contents were analyzed for trace elements, organochlorine pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. except for se (mean=36.1 microg/g dry weight (dw) in common eiders and 48.8 micr ... | 2004 | 14980466 |
| toxic and biochemical effects of 3,3',4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl (cb-77) and clophen a50 on eider duckling (somateria mollissima) in a semi-field experiment. | in this study the possible toxic and biochemical effects of one intraperitoneal dose of 5 or 50 mg kg(-1) of 3,3',4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl (cb-77) or 50 or 200 mg kg(-1) of clophen a50 (cloa50) on 28-day-old eider ducklings (somateria mollissima) were investigated. after ten days, no significant differences could be observed in any of the toxic and biochemical parameters studied, apart from ethoxyresorufin (erod) activity, when comparing group average values of the dosed and control animals. how ... | 1994 | 15091645 |
| embryotoxicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (pahs) in three domestic avian species, and of pahs and coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls (pcbs) in the common eider. | the embryotoxicity of an artificial mixture of 18 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (pahs) was tested by injection into the yolk sacs of eggs of four avian species: chicken gallus domesticus, turkey meleagris gallopavo, domestic duck anas platyrhynchos and common eider somateria mollissima. a dose of 2.0 mg kg egg(-1) of the pah mixture increased the mortality among the embryos of all four species. in the domestic duck, but not in the three other species, there was a significantly increased embry ... | 1990 | 15092218 |
| mitochondrial dna and microsatellite variation in the eider duck (somateria mollissima) indicate stepwise postglacial colonization of europe and limited current long-distance dispersal. | to unravel the postglacial colonization history and the current intercolony dispersal in the common eider, somateria mollissima, we analysed genetic variation at a part of the mitochondrial control region and five unlinked autosomal microsatellite loci in 175 eiders from 11 breeding colonies, covering the entire european distribution range of this species. as a result of extreme female philopatry, mitochondrial dna differentiation is substantial both among local colonies and among distant geogra ... | 2004 | 15140092 |
| eiders (somateria mollissima) obtain nodularin, a cyanobacterial hepatotoxin, in baltic sea food web. | nodularin (nodln) is a cyclic pentapeptide hepatotoxin produced by the cyanobacterium nodularia spumigena, which occurs regularly in the baltic sea during the summer season. nodularia blooms have caused several animal kills in the baltic sea area, and nodln has been found in mussels and fish caught from the northern baltic sea in 1996 to 2002. we analyzed liver samples of common eider (somateria mollissima) for nodln by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa) and liquid chromatography/mass spe ... | 2004 | 15180377 |
| costs of immunity: immune responsiveness reduces survival in a vertebrate. | immune defences are undoubtedly of great benefit to the host, reducing the impact of infectious organisms. however, mounting immune responses also entails costs, which may be measured by inducing immune responses against artificial infections. we injected common eider (somateria mollissima) females with three different non-pathogenic antigens, sheep red blood cells (srbc), diphtheria toxoid and tetanus toxoid, early in their incubation period. in the group of females that mounted a humoral immun ... | 2004 | 15255047 |
| evidence of chromosomal damage in common eiders (somateria mollissima) from the baltic sea. | common eiders nesting in the baltic sea are exposed to generally high levels of contaminants including potentially genotoxic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and organochlorines. blood samples were collected from eiders at eight sites in the baltic sea and two sites in the beaufort sea. dna content variation was estimated using the flow cytometric method, and subsequently utilized as a biomarker of genetic damage. we observed no significant differences in genetic damage among populations within ... | 2004 | 15556194 |
| quantitative lc-esi-ms analyses of microcystins and nodularin-r in animal tissue--matrix effects and method validation. | the matrix effects and signal response in lc-ms analysis of six microcystins and nodularin-r were studied in mussels and liver samples from the common eider and rainbow trout. the instrumentation used in the study was a triple quadrupole ms with electrospray ionization. the results from the spiked tissue samples showed that both signal suppression and enhancement occurred. the recorded matrix effects were not severe; all studied toxins could be detected with sufficient limit of detection in all ... | 2005 | 15892039 |
| [cestode of the family hymenolepididae from ducks of chukotka: microsomacanthus parasobolevi sp. n.--a widely distributed parasite of eider ducks]. | a new species of the genus microsomacanthus lopez-neyra, 1942 is described. the material was collected from eider ducks (somateria mollissima, s. fischeri, and s. spectabilis) in the chaunskaya lowland (north-western chukotka). microsomacanthus parasobolevi sp. n. differs from the closest species of this genus (m. polystictae regel, 1988, m. sobolevi spassky et jurpalova, 1964; m. strictophalius tolkatchieva, 1966) by the structure and size of the copulatory organ. wide distribution of the new s ... | 2005 | 15907028 |
| cost of reproduction in a long-lived bird: incubation effort reduces immune function and future reproduction. | life-history theory predicts that increased current reproductive effort should lead to a fitness cost. this cost of reproduction may be observed as reduced survival or future reproduction, and may be caused by temporal suppression of immune function in stressed or hard-working individuals. in birds, consideration of the costs of incubating eggs has largely been neglected in favour of the costs of brood rearing. we manipulated incubation demand in two breeding seasons (2000 and 2001) in female co ... | 2005 | 16024362 |
| spatial and temporal trends of contaminants in terrestrial biota from the canadian arctic. | contaminants in the canadian arctic have been studied over the last twelve years under the guidance of the northern contaminants program. this paper summarizes results from that program from 1998 to 2003 with respect to terrestrial animals in the canadian arctic. the arctic terrestrial environment has few significant contaminant issues, particularly when compared with freshwater and marine environments. both current and historical industrial activities in the north may have a continuing effect o ... | 2005 | 16109438 |
| concentrations of cadmium, mercury and selenium in common eider ducks in the eastern canadian arctic: influence of reproductive stage. | concentrations and total organ content of mercury, selenium and cadmium, as well as liver, kidney and body mass were determined in female common eiders from 1997 to 2000 at the east bay migratory bird sanctuary in the eastern canadian arctic. in 1997 and 1999, female eiders were collected during the pre-nesting period when they eat copious amounts of food and gain substantial weight in preparation for the rigours of nesting. in 1998 and 1999, female eiders were collected during the mid to late s ... | 2005 | 16126251 |
| an assessment of the toxicological significance of anthropogenic contaminants in canadian arctic wildlife. | anthropogenic contaminants have been a concern in the canadian arctic for over 30 years due to relatively high concentrations of bioaccumulating and biomagnifying organochlorine contaminants (ocs) and toxic metals found in some arctic biota and humans. however, few studies have addressed the potential effects of these contaminants in canadian arctic wildlife. prior to 1997, biological effects data were minimal and insufficient at any level of biological organization. the present review summarize ... | 2005 | 16154621 |
| eider females form non-kin brood-rearing coalitions. | kin selection is a powerful tool for understanding cooperation among individuals, yet its role as the sole explanation of cooperative societies has recently been challenged on empirical grounds. these studies suggest that direct benefits of cooperation are often overlooked, and that partner choice may be a widespread mechanism of cooperation. female eider ducks (somateria mollissima) may rear broods alone, or they may pool their broods and share brood-rearing. females are philopatric, and it has ... | 2005 | 16202104 |
| one of the most complex life-cycles among trematodes: a description of parvatrema margaritense (ching, 1982) n. comb. (gymnophallidae) possessing parthenogenetic metacercariae. | this study used light and electron microscopy to provide observations and morphometric details of the life-cycle of the gymnophallids (trematoda, digenea), parvatrema margaritense (ching, 1982) n. comb., the parthenogenetic metacercariae ('germinal sacs') of which were previously described by ching (1982) as cercaria margaritensis. the research was instigated by the discovery, on the barents sea coast, of a high prevalence of gymnophallid sporocysts and cercariae in the bivalve turtonia minuta a ... | 2006 | 16426484 |
| reproductive tactics under severe egg predation: an eider's dilemma. | parental defence against predators may increase offspring survival but entail other costs. egg predation is frequent early in the laying sequence of the common eider, which differs in this and in several other ways from most other waterfowl. we test the hypothesis that permanent presence at the nest from the second or third egg is an adaptation for reducing egg predation in eiders. two other alternative hypotheses for lower predation at later nest stages are early predation loss of the most vuln ... | 2006 | 16468054 |
| fasting-induced changes of immunological and stress indicators in breeding female eiders. | one adaptive significance of immunosuppression during reproduction can be explained by the immunopathology-avoidance hypothesis. this hypothesis states that since heat shock proteins (hsp) are highly conserved proteins found in both pathogen and host, and are expressed at a higher level during reproduction, the risk of autoimmunity is then increased, hsp being the target of the host's immune response. reduced immunocompetence has been attributed to hormonal regulation, in particular by glucocort ... | 2006 | 16574112 |
| redescription and new data on microsomacanthus jaegerskioeldi (fuhrmann, 1913) (cestoda: hymenolepididae). | microsomacanthus jaegerskioeldi (fuhrmann, 1913) is redescribed and illustrated on the basis of type-material from somateria mollissima captured in the vicinity of göteborg (sweden) and specimens from the same host from the barents sea, off iceland and in the east siberian sea. a lectotype is designated and an amended diagnosis is provided. previous reports of this parasite in various hosts and localities are discussed, and the geographical distribution and host range of the species are updated. | 2006 | 16612658 |
| comparison of lead residues among avian bones. | to determine if significant differences exist in lead (pb) accumulation in different bones, especially those most often used for bone-pb studies in wildlife, we compared pb concentrations in radius, ulna, humerus, femur, and tibia of common eider (somateria mollissima); and radius/ulna (combined), femur, and tibia of american woodcock (scolopax minor). there were no significant differences in bone-pb concentrations among woodcock bones over a wide range of pb concentrations (3-311 microg/g). in ... | 2007 | 16815605 |
| phytohemagglutinin response and immunoglobulin index decrease during incubation fasting in female common eiders. | to maximize their fitness, long-lived species face trade-offs between survival and reproduction. the cost of reproduction, which is defined as the negative effect of current parental investment on chances of adult survival and future reproduction, may affect immune function, possibly through hormonal changes. in this study, components of acquired immunity and plasma corticosterone levels of female eiders (somateria mollissima) have been measured throughout the incubation period as a function of ... | 2013 | 16826505 |
| regulation of stroke pattern and swim speed across a range of current velocities: diving by common eiders wintering in polynyas in the canadian arctic. | swim speed during diving has important energetic consequences. not only do costs increase as drag rises non-linearly with increasing speed, but speed also affects travel time to foraging patches and therefore time and energy budgets over the entire dive cycle. however, diving behaviour has rarely been considered in relation to current velocity. strong tidal currents around the belcher islands, nunavut, canada, produce polynyas, persistent areas of open water in the sea ice which are important ha ... | 2006 | 17023591 |
| costs of an immune challenge and terminal investment in a long-lived bird. | an induced immune challenge can have two counteracting effects on an individual's reproductive investment. (1) the resource demand could increase to "fuel" the immunologic reaction, which in turn can lead to an adaptive decrease in investment in resource-costly activities, such as reproduction. one the other hand, (2) the individual could assume that the immune activity it experiences is indicative of a serious infection. the latter can lead to an adaptive increase in reproductive investment in ... | 2006 | 17089653 |
| analysis of nodularin-r in eider (somateria mollissima), roach (rutilus rutilus l.), and flounder (platichthys flesus l.) liver and muscle samples from the western gulf of finland, northern baltic sea. | nodularin (nodln) is a cyanobacterial hepatotoxin that may cause toxic effects at very low exposure levels. the nodln-producing cyanobacterium nodularia spumigena forms massive blooms in the northern baltic sea, especially during the summer. we analyzed liver and muscle (edible meat) samples from common eider (somateria mollissima), roach (rutilus rutilus l.), and flounder (platichthys flesus l.) for nodln-r by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (lc-ms) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay ... | 2006 | 17089704 |
| corticosterone selectively decreases humoral immunity in female eiders during incubation. | immunity is hypothesized to share limited resources with other physiological functions and this may partly account for the fitness costs of reproduction. previous studies have shown that the acquired immunity of female common eider ducks (somateria mollissima) is suppressed during their incubation, during which they entirely fast. corticosterone was proposed to be an underlying physiological mechanism for such immunosuppression. therefore, the current study aimed to assess the effects of exogeno ... | 2006 | 17142684 |
| innate immunity, assessed by plasma no measurements, is not suppressed during the incubation fast in eiders. | immunity is hypothesized to share limited resources with other physiological functions and may mediate life history trade-offs, for example between reproduction and survival. however, vertebrate immune defense is a complex system that consists of three components. to date, no study has assessed all of these components for the same animal model and within a given situation. previous studies have determined that the acquired immunity of common eiders (somateria mollissima) is suppressed during inc ... | 2007 | 17197024 |
| metals and radionuclides in birds and eggs from amchitka and kiska islands in the bering sea/pacific ocean ecosystem. | metals and radionuclide levels in marine birds of the aleutians are of interest because they are part of subsistence diets of the aleut people, and can also serve as indicators of marine pollution. we examined geographic and species-specific variations in concentrations of radionuclides in birds and their eggs from amchitka, the site of underground nuclear tests from 1965 to 1971, and kiska islands (a reference site) in the aleutians, and the levels of lead, mercury and cadmium in eggs. in 2004 ... | 2007 | 17206460 |
| parental effort and reproductive skew in coalitions of brood rearing female common eiders. | members of breeding groups face conflicts over parental effort when balancing antipredatory vigilance and feeding. empirical evidence has shown disparate responses to manipulations of parental effort. we develop a model in which we determine the evolutionarily stable effort of partners given their body conditions, allowing the benefits of shared care to be unevenly divided, and we test this model's predictions with data on common eiders (somateria mollissima). eiders show uniparental female care ... | 2007 | 17206586 |
| radionuclides in marine fishes and birds from amchitka and kiska islands in the aleutians: establishing a baseline. | amchitka island (51degrees n lat, 179 degrees e long) was the site of three underground nuclear tests from 1965-1971. there have been no substantive studies of radionuclides in marine fishes and birds in the area since the mid-1970's. in this study, levels of 60co, 52eu, 90sr, 99tc, 129i, 137cs, and the actinides (241am, 238pu, 239,240pu, 234u, 235u, 236u, and 238u) were studied in ten marine fish species (including pacific cod gadus macrocephalus and pacific halibut hippoglossus stenolepis) and ... | 2007 | 17293699 |
| triiodothyronine suppresses humoral immunity but not t-cell-mediated immune response in incubating female eiders (somateria mollissima). | immunity is believed to share limited resources with other physiological functions and this may partly account for the fitness costs of reproduction. previous studies have shown that the acquired immunity of female common eiders (somateria mollissima) is suppressed during the incubation fast. to save energy, triiodothyronine (t(3)) is adaptively decreased during fasting in most bird species, despite t(3) levels are maintained throughout incubation in female eiders. however, the relationship betw ... | 2007 | 17324431 |
| effects of dietary selenium on tissue concentrations, pathology, oxidative stress, and immune function in common eiders (somateria mollissima). | common eiders (somateria mollissima) were fed added se (as l-selenomethionine) in concentrations increasing from 10 to 80 ppm in a pilot study (study 1) or 20 (low exposure) and up to 60 (high exposure) ppm se in study 2. body weights of study 1 ducks and high-exposure ducks in study 2 declined rapidly. mean concentrations of se in blood reached 32.4 ppm wet weight in study 1 and 17.5 ppm wet weight in high-exposure birds in study 2. mean se concentrations in liver ranged from 351 (low exposure, ... | 2007 | 17454562 |
| associations between persistent organic pollutants and vitamin status in brünnich's guillemot and common eider hatchlings. | the aim of the study was to examine associations between persistent organic pollutants and vitamin a (retinol), retinyl palmitate and vitamin e status (alpha-tocopherol) in two species occupying different trophic positions in the arctic food web. levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (pcbs), some selected organochlorine pesticides (ocps), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (pbdes) and hexabromocyclododecane (hbcd) were analyzed in yolk sac of newly hatched chicks of brünnich's guillemot (uria lomvia) ... | 2007 | 17467774 |
| it is time to move: linking flight and foraging behaviour in a diving bird. | although the adaptive value of flight may seem obvious, it is the most difficult behaviour of birds to monitor. here, we describe a technique to quantify the frequency and the duration of flights over several months by implanting a data logger that records heart rate (fh), hydrostatic pressure (diving depth) and the body angle of a large sea duck species, the common eider (somateria mollissima). according to the mean fh recorded during flight and the parameters recorded to identify the fh flight ... | 2007 | 17504730 |
| decoding dumping ducks. | conspecific brood parasitism, where females of the same species lay eggs in each other's nests, is common in waterfowl, and is usually considered costly to host females, which are stuck looking after eggs and chicks that are not their own. however, since female waterfowl often exhibit an unusual propensity to nest near where they were born, there has been some uncertainty over whether, in ducks and geese, laying in nests of conspecifics really is parasitism. do parasitic and host females tend to ... | 2007 | 17594432 |
| host-parasite kinship in a female-philopatric bird population: evidence from relatedness trend analysis. | conspecific brood parasitism (cbp), an alternative reproductive tactic where some females lay eggs in the nests of other females of the same species, occurs in many animals with egg care. it is particularly common in waterfowl, for reasons that are debated. many waterfowl females nest near their birthplace, making it likely that some local females are relatives. we analyse brood parasitism in a hudson bay population of common eiders, testing predictions from two alternative hypotheses on the rol ... | 2007 | 17594448 |
| coupling contaminants with demography: effects of lead and selenium in pacific common eiders. | we coupled intensive population monitoring with collection of blood samples from 383 nesting pacific common eiders (somateria mollisima v-nigrum) at two locations in alaska (usa) from 2002 to 2004. we investigated annual, geographic, and within-season variation in blood concentrations of lead and selenium; compared exposure patterns with sympatrically nesting spectacled eiders (somateria fischeri); and examined relationships with clutch size, egg viability, probability of hatching, and apparent ... | 2007 | 17665680 |
| assessment of metals in down feathers of female common eiders and their eggs from the aleutians: arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, manganese, mercury, and selenium. | concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, manganese, mercury and selenium were examined in the down feathers and eggs of female common eiders (somateria mollissima) from amchitka and kiska islands in the aleutian chain of alaska to determine whether there were (1) differences between levels in feathers and eggs, (2) differences between the two islands, (3) positive correlations between metal levels in females and their eggs, and (4) whether there was more variation within or among clut ... | 2008 | 17934788 |
| flightlessness and the energetic cost of wing molt in a large sea duck. | although the replacement of feathers apparently represents the major event of somatic production in the annual cycle of wild birds, knowledge about the energetics of molt has always been hampered by logistical and technical difficulties, which are exacerbated by the fact that birds are able to compensate behaviorally to buffer any variation in energy demand. during wing molt, sea ducks (mergini) and other diving birds lose all of their wing feathers at once, leading to a period of temporary flig ... | 2007 | 18051662 |
| social and maternal factors affecting duckling survival in eiders somateria mollissima. | 1. with the aid of a novel survivorship model, an 8-year field study of social and maternal factors affecting duckling survival in eiders (somateria mollissima) revealed that duckling survival probability varies in accordance with maternal brood-rearing strategy. this variability in survival provides compelling evidence of different annual fitness consequences between females that share brood-rearing and those that tend their broods alone. consequently, as prebreeding survival is often a major s ... | 2008 | 18179550 |
| redescription and new data on microsomacanthus diorchis (fuhrmann, 1913) (cestoda: hymenolepididae). | microsomacanthus diorchis (fuhrmann, 1913) is redescribed and illustrated on the basis of the type-material and new findings from common eider somateria mollissima captured in iceland and specimens from the same host species from the barents, white and bering seas. a lectotype is designated and an amended diagnosis is provided. the main differentiating features of m. diorchis are the size and shape of rostellar hooks and the cirrus, the well-marked delay in the antiporal testis development and t ... | 2008 | 18427958 |
| a label of health: a previous immune challenge is reflected in the expression of a female plumage trait. | studies of ornaments as indicators of individual quality have hitherto focused on males, while studies of female ornaments have been almost absent. however, females within the same species may show large variation in both outer appearance and individual quality. we experimentally examined the effect of an immune challenge on the size of white fringes in the wing feathers produced one to two months after the challenge in female common eiders (somateria mollissima), a long-lived sea duck. immune-c ... | 2008 | 18477546 |
| ossification sequence of the avian order anseriformes, with comparison to other precocial birds. | ossification sequences are poorly known for most amniotes, and yet they represent an important source of morphogenetic, phylogenetic, and life history information. here, the author describes the ossification sequences of three ducks, the common eider somateria mollissima dresseri, the pekin duck anas platyrhynchos, and the muscovy duck cairina moschata. sequence differences exist both within and among these species, but are generally minor. the common eider has the most ossified skeleton prior t ... | 2008 | 18496857 |
| comparison of arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, manganese, mercury and selenium in feathers in bald eagle (haliaeetus leucocephalus), and comparison with common eider (somateria mollissima), glaucous-winged gull (larus glaucescens), pigeon guillemot (cepphus columba), and tufted puffin (fratercula cirrhata) from the aleutian chain of alaska. | there is an abundance of field data for levels of metals from a range of places, but relatively few from the north pacific ocean and bering sea. in this paper we examine the levels of arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, manganese, mercury and selenium in feathers from common eiders (somateria mollissima), glaucous-winged gulls (larus glaucescens), pigeon guillemots (cepphus columba), tufted puffins (fratercula cirrhata) and bald eagles (haliaeetus leucocephalus) from the aleutian chain of alaska. ... | 2009 | 18521716 |
| to fly or not to fly: high flight costs in a large sea duck do not imply an expensive lifestyle. | a perennial question in ornithology is whether flight has evolved mostly to facilitate access to food or as an anti-predator strategy. however, flight is an expensive mode of locomotion and species using flight regularly are associated with an expensive lifestyle. using heart rate (hr) data loggers implanted in 13 female common eiders (somateria mollissima), our objective was to test the hypothesis that a high level of flight activity increases their energy budget. we used the long-term recordin ... | 2008 | 18522911 |
| [the role of marine amphipods in the life cycles of the cestode genus microsomacanthus at bering sea coast of chukchi peninsula. first results of the investigation]. | investigation of the helminth fauna was carried out in different amphipode species at bering sea coast of chukchi peninsula in july-september 2004. more than 3700 amphipode specimens of the following three species were examined: lagunogammarus setosus dementieva, 1931 (n = 2772 specimens) (gammaridae), eogammarus barbatus tzvetkova, 1965 (n = 471), and spinulogammarus subcarinatus (bate, 1862) (n = 509) (anisogammaridae). numerous metacestodes of four hymenolepidid species from the genus microso ... | 2008 | 18543804 |
| mercury and other metals in feathers of common eider (somateria mollissima) and tufted puffin (fratercula cirrhata) from the aleutian chain of alaska. | we analyzed arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, manganese, mercury, and selenium in the feathers of common eiders (somateria mollissima) and tufted puffins (fratercula cirrhata) from amchitka and kiska islands (aleutians). between species, puffins had 10 times higher chromium (arithmetic mean = 1820 ppb), 7.5 times higher selenium (mean = 6600 ppb), and 3 times higher mercury (mean = 2540 ppb) than eiders. eiders had significantly higher levels of manganese than puffins. puffins are higher on the ... | 2009 | 18712499 |
| habitat-specific clutch size and cost of incubation in eiders reconsidered. | the energetic incubation constraint hypothesis (eich) for clutch size states that birds breeding in poor habitat may free up resources for future reproduction by laying a smaller clutch. the eider (somateria mollissima) is considered a candidate for supporting this hypothesis. clutch size is smaller in exposed nests, presumably because of faster heat loss and higher incubation cost, and, hence, smaller optimal clutch size. however, an alternative explanation is partial predation: the first egg(s ... | 2008 | 18795336 |
| molecular characterization of giardia intestinalis haplotypes in marine animals: variation and zoonotic potential. | giardia intestinalis is a microbial eukaryotic parasite that causes diarrheal disease in humans and other vertebrates worldwide. the negative effect on quality of life and economics caused by g. intestinalis may be increased by its potential status as a zoonosis, or a disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans. the zoonotic potential of g. intestinalis has been implied for over 2 decades, with human-infecting genotypes (belonging to the 2 major subgroups, assemblages a and b) occurri ... | 2008 | 18828561 |
| using life-histories to predict and interpret variability in yolk hormones. | variation in yolk hormones is assumed to provide the plasticity necessary for mothers to individually optimize reproductive decisions via changes in offspring phenotype, the benefit being to maximise fitness. however, rather than routinely expecting adaptive variation within all species, the pattern and magnitude of yolk hormone deposition should theoretically relate to variation in life-histories. here we present data on intra-clutch variation in yolk corticosterone in three species along a dev ... | 2009 | 18952089 |
| proximate and ultimate mechanisms underlying immunosuppression during the incubation fast in female eiders: roles of triiodothyronine and corticosterone. | available resources being limited, life-history theory predicts that natural selection favours the evolution of physiological mechanisms that ensure their optimal allocation between competing activities. accordingly, to maximize their selective value, long-lived species face a trade-off between survival and reproduction. immunity is hypothesized to share limited resources with other physiological functions and this may partly account for the fitness costs of reproduction. however, both ultimate ... | 2009 | 19063892 |
| survival of female common eiders somateria m. mollissima in a declining population of the northern baltic sea. | in long-lived species, adult survival is the population parameter having the highest elasticity, and therefore, it can be expected to be least affected by climatic variations. we studied the dynamics and survival of breeding female common eiders somateria mollissima mollissima in the baltic sea from 1960 to 2007. using nest censuses and capture-recapture methods, we investigated: (1) the annual apparent survival (phi) of breeding females, (2) the survival-mediated population fluctuation, (3) wea ... | 2009 | 19139920 |
| marine foraging birds as bioindicators of mercury in the gulf of maine. | from existing databases, we compiled and evaluated 604 total mercury (hg) levels in the eggs and blood of 17 species of marine foraging birds from 35 gulf of maine islands to provide baseline data and to determine the best tissue, age class, and species for future biomonitoring. while mean hg levels in most species did not exceed adverse effects thresholds, levels in some individual eggs did; for all species arithmetic mean egg hg levels ranged from 0.04 to 0.62 (microg/g, wet weight). piscivoro ... | 2008 | 19277786 |
| costs of reproduction in a long-lived bird: large clutch size is associated with low survival in the presence of a highly virulent disease. | fitness costs of reproduction are expected to be more pronounced when the environmental conditions deteriorate. we took advantage of a natural experiment to investigate the costs of reproduction among common eiders (somateria mollissima) nesting at a site in the arctic, where an avian cholera epizootic appeared at different magnitudes. we tested the predictions that larger reproductive effort (clutch size) is associated with lower survival or breeding probability the following year, and that thi ... | 2009 | 19324661 |