LIttoral ENvironnement et Sociétés (LIENSs) - UMR 7266

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Nobre Sarmento dos Santos Ivo

Thèse de doctorat (2020-2024)
Ecole doctorale de l’Université de La Rochelle
Formation d’origine :
Master Research in Ecology 2018-2020

(2020-2024) Are trace elements and persistent organic pollutants impairing the regulation of physiological state and life-history of seabirds ?

Mots clés : bioaccumulation, biomagnification, contaminant, ecophysiology, feeding habits, top predators
Responsables scientifiques :

  • Bustamante Paco, Professeur d’Ecotoxicologie, Université de La Rochelle, LIENSs
  • Ramos, Jaime, Associate Professor with Aggregation, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, MARE – Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre
  • Paiva, Vitor, Senior Researcher, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, MARE – Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre

Financement :

  • Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (REF : 2020.05827.BD)
  • Project UIDB/04292/2020 granted to MARE and project LA/P/0069/2020 granted to ARNET

Are trace elements and persistent organic pollutants impairing the regulation of physiological state and life-history of seabirds ?
Metals and organic pollutants are two main sources of chemical pollution worldwide. Their high persistence and omnipresence in the marine environment, and their physico-chemical properties lead to their bioaccumulation in organisms and to their biomagnification along food webs, both processes that can involve deleterious effects for wildlife. These contaminants have been pointed out as potential physiological and endocrine disruptors and can ultimately impair reproductive decisions and species conservation status. Thus, we are particularly interested in assessing the dynamics of metals and organic pollutants along a gradient of exposure (i.e., from pelagic to terrestrial habitats) using three seabird species that explore distinct foraging habitats : yellow-legged gull, Audouin’s gull, and Cory’s shearwater and observe whether contaminant loads, or profiles, may be representing physiological consequences at the individual or at the species levels. Using shearwaters as sentinels of the pelagic marine environment, a field experiment will be carried out to evaluate the potential deleterious effects of mercury concentrations and organic pollutant profiles on adults’ hormonal responses that are related to their breeding decisions. Plus, using chicks as proxies of contamination loads of breeding grounds, it will be determined the dynamics of organic and inorganic pollutants along the rearing period and their potential harmful effects of chick growth, body condition, and physiological state.

Principales collaborations :
  • Carlos, Cordeiro, Associate Professor, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, FT-ICR-SMS Lab
  • Marta, Sousa Silva, Principal Researcher, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, FT-ICR-SMS Lab

Activités d’enseignement :

  • Seminar « Seabirds as bioindicators of the marine environment », 2021, at the University of Vasco da Gama, Coimbra
  • Seminar « Oceans of Plastic », 2021, at the preparatory school of Agrupamento de Escolas Gândara Mar – Tocha