Mercury content in the fur of sea otters (Enhydra lutris) from the Commander Islands

Sergey D Ryazanov; Sergey V Fomin; Viktor V Kalinchuk

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.114638

Mercury content in the fur of sea otters (Enhydra lutris) from the Commander Islands

Mar Pollut Bull. 2023 Mar:188:114638. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.114638. Epub 2023 Jan 25.

Authors

Sergey D Ryazanov¹, Sergey V Fomin², Viktor V Kalinchuk³

Affiliations

¹ V.I. Il'ichev Pacific Oceanological Institute, FEB RAS, 43, Baltiiskaya Str., Vladivostok 690041, Russia. Electronic address: ryazanov@poi.dvo.ru.
² Kamchatka Branch of the Pacific Geographical Institute, FEB RAS, 6, Partizanskaya Str., Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky 683000, Russia.
³ V.I. Il'ichev Pacific Oceanological Institute, FEB RAS, 43, Baltiiskaya Str., Vladivostok 690041, Russia. Electronic address: viktor_v@poi.dvo.ru.

PMID: 36706549
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.114638

Abstract

The sea otter (Enhydra lutris) is a keystone species in the ecosystem which is currently in depression in Russia. The objectives of this study were to: (1) establish if the sea otters from the Commander Islands have hazardous levels of mercury (Hg) in their fur; (2) assess Hg pollution in sea otters during a period of high abundance and population depression; (3) identify the age and sex differences in sea otters by Hg content. The sea otters were classified from no to low risk for Hg health effects. Differences in Hg content during periods of low and high population size were not statistically significant. Hg concentrations in adult sea otters were significantly higher than in the young, and higher in males than in females. This study presents the first data on Hg content in sea otters' fur and the first estimate of Hg contamination for the Commander Islands population.

Keywords: Commander Islands; Enhydra lutris; Mercury; Pollution; Sea otter; fur.

MeSH terms

Animals
Ecosystem*
Female
Male
Otters*
Population Density
Russia / epidemiology