Final Report to Scottish Natural Heritage

Final Report to Scottish Natural Heritage

BELGIAN SCIENCE POLICY SCIENTIFIC SUPPORT PLAN FOR A SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT POLICY (SPSD-I) Programme: “Sustainable management of the North Sea” North Sea seabirds and marine mammals : pathology and ecotoxicology. Debacker, V1., Coignoul, F.2, Das, K.1, Haelters, J.3, Holsbeek, L.4, Jacques, T5., Jauniaux, T.2, Joiris, C.R.4, Stienen, E.6, Tavernier, J.7, Van Waeyenberge, J.6 and Bouquegneau, J.-M1. 1 Oceanology, University of Liège, B6c Sart Tilman B-4000 Liège. 2 Pathology Department of the Veterinary College, University of Liège, B43 Sart Tilman, B-4000 Liège. 3 Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS):Department Marine Ecosystem Management (Management Unit of the North Sea Mathematical Models – MUMM) ; 3e en 23e Linieregimentsplein, B-8400 Oostende. 4 Laboratory for Ecotoxicology and Polar Ecology, Free University of Brussels, Pleinlaan, 2, B- 1050 Brussels. 5 Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS):Department Marine Ecosystem Management (Management Unit of the North Sea Mathematical Models – MUMM) ; Gulledelle 100, B-1200 Brussels. 6Institute of Nature Conservation, Kliniekstraat, 25, B-1070 Brussels. 7 Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS), Biological Conservation, Vautierstraat, 29, B-1000 Brussels. D/2004/1191/44 The North Sea: environmental problems and pollution................................................................ 8 Protection and management. ................................................................................................................ 9 Seabirds in the North Sea. ...................................................................................................................... 9 Beached Bird Surveys (BBS). ............................................................................................................ 10 Seabird mass stranding in the North Sea. .................................................................................... 11 Seabird threats. .................................................................................................................................... 12 Marine mammals in the North Sea. ................................................................................................... 13 Conservation and main threats. ..................................................................................................... 14 Marine mammals strandings on the Belgian coast. ................................................................. 14 Beached bird surveys ............................................................................................................................. 18 Material and methods. ...................................................................................................................... 18 Study area. ........................................................................................................................................ 18 Data. ................................................................................................................................................... 19 Collection of data. .......................................................................................................................... 19 Beached bird surveys. ................................................................................................................... 19 Total number of beached birds. ................................................................................................ 19 Rehabilitation centre. .................................................................................................................... 19 Field experiments. ......................................................................................................................... 20 Drift experiments. .......................................................................................................................... 20 Persistence experiments. ............................................................................................................. 20 Beached bird surveys in Belgium for five successive winters 1997-2001: general results. ................................................................................................................................................................. 20 Beached bird surveys in Belgium during1962-1999: a presentation of the data (after Seys et al. 2001). ................................................................................................................................. 22 Introduction. .................................................................................................................................... 22 Target species: the common guillemot. ................................................................................. 22 An evaluation of beached bird monitoring techniques (adapted from Seys et al. accepted). ............................................................................................................................................. 23 Introduction. .................................................................................................................................... 24 Data handling and analysis. ....................................................................................................... 24 Results and discussion. ................................................................................................................ 24 Long-term changes in oil pollution off the Belgian coast: evidence from beached bird monitoring (adapted from Seys et al. submitted a). ............................................................... 25 Data handling and analysis. ....................................................................................................... 25 Results and discussion. ................................................................................................................ 25 The relationship between mortality of seabirds in the Southern North Sea and densities of beached bird corpses: a review (adapted from Seys et al. submitted b). 27 Introduction. .................................................................................................................................... 27 Data handling and analysis. ....................................................................................................... 28 Results and discussion. ................................................................................................................ 28 Conclusions. ......................................................................................................................................... 30 Necropsies and pathological findings.............................................................................................. 32 3 Material and methods. ..................................................................................................................... 32 Birds collection. .............................................................................................................................. 32 Necropsies. ...................................................................................................................................... 32 Statistical analysis. ......................................................................................................................... 33 Results.................................................................................................................................................... 33 Birds collection. .............................................................................................................................. 33 Necropsies. ...................................................................................................................................... 33 Discussion. ............................................................................................................................................ 36 Cachexia and AHGE. ..................................................................................................................... 36 Mechanisms of death. .................................................................................................................. 38 Organochlorines and PCBs (adapted from Joiris et al. 1997 and Holsbeek et al. in prep.). ...................................................................................................................................................................... 40 Introduction. ........................................................................................................................................ 40 Effects on wild populations. ............................................................................................................ 40 Material and methods. ...................................................................................................................... 41 Results..................................................................................................................................................... 41 Organochlorine levels as a function of pathological findings. ........................................ 42 Seasonal changes in PCB concentrations. ............................................................................. 43 Latitudinal differences in organochlorine levels. ................................................................. 44 PCBs fingerprints. .........................................................................................................................

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