McKinney, Melissa A; Peacock, Elizabeth; Letcher, Robert J (2009): (Table S2) Biometric data, time of ice breakup and carbon isotopic composition of adipose tissue of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) between 1991-2007 [dataset]. PANGAEA, https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.816156, Supplement to: McKinney, MA et al. (2009): Sea Ice-associated diet change increases the levels of chlorinated and brominated contaminants in polar bears. Environmental Science & Technology, 43(12), 4334-4339, https://doi.org/10.1021/es900471g
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Abstract:
Two global environmental issues, climate change and contamination by persistent organic pollutants, represent major concerns for arctic ecosystems. Yet, it is unclear how these two stressors interact in the Arctic. For instance, the influence of climate-associated changes in food web structure on exposure to pollutants within arctic ecosystems is presently unknown. Here, we report on recent changes in feeding ecology (1991-2007) in polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from the western Hudson Bay subpopulation that have resulted in increases in the tissue concentrations of several chlorinated and brominated contaminants. Differences in timing of the annual sea ice breakup explained a significant proportion of the diet variation among years. As expected from climate change predictions, this diet change was consistent with an increase in the consumed proportions of open water-associated seal species compared to ice-associated seal species in years of earlier sea ice breakup. Our results demonstrate that climate change is a modulating influence on contaminants in this polar bear subpopulation and may pose an additional and previously unidentified threat to northern ecosystems through altered exposures to contaminants.
Project(s):
Coverage:
Latitude: 60.980000 * Longitude: -93.710000
Date/Time Start: 1991-09-01T00:00:00 * Date/Time End: 2007-11-01T00:00:00
Event(s):
Comment:
Date/Time is collection date (range). Data extracted in the frame of a joint ICSTI/PANGAEA IPY effort, see http://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.150150
Parameter(s):
| # | Name | Short Name | Unit | Principal Investigator | Method/Device | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sample type | Samp type | McKinney, Melissa A | |||
| 2 | Ursus maritimus | U. maritimus | # | McKinney, Melissa A | ||
| 3 | Female | Female | # | McKinney, Melissa A | ||
| 4 | Male | Male | # | McKinney, Melissa A | ||
| 5 | Age, comment | Comm | McKinney, Melissa A | n(3-4 yr)/n(5 yr+) | ||
| 6 | DATE/TIME | Date/Time | Geocode | |||
| 7 | Date/time end | Date/time end | McKinney, Melissa A | |||
| 8 | Day of the year | DOY | day | McKinney, Melissa A | of ice breakup | |
| 9 | δ13C | δ13C | ‰ PDB | McKinney, Melissa A | Isotope ratio mass spectrometry | |
| 10 | δ13C, standard deviation | δ13C std dev | ± | McKinney, Melissa A | Isotope ratio mass spectrometry | |
| 11 | Principal component 1 | PC1 | Score | McKinney, Melissa A | Principal component analyses (PCA) | fatty acid-index 1 |
| 12 | Standard deviation | Std dev | ± | McKinney, Melissa A | Principal component analyses (PCA) | PC1 |
| 13 | Principal component 2 | PC2 | Score | McKinney, Melissa A | Principal component analyses (PCA) | fatty acid-index 2 |
| 14 | Standard deviation | Std dev | ± | McKinney, Melissa A | Principal component analyses (PCA) | PC2 |
License:
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC-BY-3.0)
Size:
91 data points