Contaminants in surf scoters wintering in the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia, Canada

Project Number: 13

Year Funded: 2002

Lead Institution(s): Canadian Wildlife Service

Project Lead: Dr. John Elliott

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Collaborator(s): Laurie Wilson (CWS), Michael Ikonmou (DFO), Jim Maguier (NWRI), Frank Gobas (SFU), Judit Smit (WCVM), Malcome McAdie (BCWALP)

Location: British Columbia

Focal Species: Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata)

Project Description: Breeding and wintering populations of several species of sea ducks, including surf scoters, have declined over recent decades in the Pacific Northwest, and there are no clear reasons for those declines. Large congregations of scoters winter in bays and harbours along the Pacific coast, including Puget Sound and the Strait of Georgia, and many of the sites are highly polluted. Scoters are long-lived birds and, therefore, have the capacity to accumulate contaminants. They feed principally on molluscs and other benthic organisms such as echinoderms, a food chain known to accumulate specific endocrine disrupting substances, such as butyltins. Our research assessed the role of contaminants acquired during the winter from polluted areas of the Strait of Georgia on reproductive success.