Elemental Mimicry in Seal Teeth Reveal More Than You Realize
Location
HCAS Guy Harvey Oceanographic Center, Nova Southeastern University
Start
2-14-2025 9:15 AM
End
2-14-2025 9:30 AM
Type of Presentation
Oral Presentation
Abstract
The South American sea lions and Peruvian fur seals residing along the Pacific coast of Peru are important apex marine predators as well as threatened marine mammals within the Humboldt Current upwelling marine ecosystem. These pinniped species have undergone extreme population fluctuations over the past century due to natural and anthropogenic events. Environmental contaminates from Peru’s expanding coastal mining activities in the vicinity of Punta San Juan, combined with El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events, may influence the concentration of trace elements incorporated into teeth structure. Pinniped teeth consist of annual growth layer groups (GLGs) which provide fine-scale resolution of contaminant incorporation over the animals’ lifetime. Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) provided both transect and point sampling across 3 to 10 GLGs (years). Sampling at an oblique angle across the GLGs provides greater resolution in contaminate concentrations. The inorganic structure of the teeth allows for elemental replacement and bioaccumulation of some elements in question (As, Ba, Cd, Cu, Fe, Li, Mg, Mn, Sr, Zn). The initial results indicate periods of high and low concentrations which may correspond to both seasonal and interannual variations. Some elements reveal apparent bioaccumulation, such as Cu and Li potentially related to near-coast mining, and interannual concentration differences (Ba and Sr) possibly correlated to diet differences concurrent with ENSO events. These elemental fluctuations were analyzed while considering periodic ENSO events and the influence of sea surface temperature anomalies. Temperature reflects the intensity of up- and downwelling and its impact on ocean production, which can alter the pinnipeds’ prey base and influence elemental concentrations.
Elemental Mimicry in Seal Teeth Reveal More Than You Realize
HCAS Guy Harvey Oceanographic Center, Nova Southeastern University
The South American sea lions and Peruvian fur seals residing along the Pacific coast of Peru are important apex marine predators as well as threatened marine mammals within the Humboldt Current upwelling marine ecosystem. These pinniped species have undergone extreme population fluctuations over the past century due to natural and anthropogenic events. Environmental contaminates from Peru’s expanding coastal mining activities in the vicinity of Punta San Juan, combined with El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events, may influence the concentration of trace elements incorporated into teeth structure. Pinniped teeth consist of annual growth layer groups (GLGs) which provide fine-scale resolution of contaminant incorporation over the animals’ lifetime. Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) provided both transect and point sampling across 3 to 10 GLGs (years). Sampling at an oblique angle across the GLGs provides greater resolution in contaminate concentrations. The inorganic structure of the teeth allows for elemental replacement and bioaccumulation of some elements in question (As, Ba, Cd, Cu, Fe, Li, Mg, Mn, Sr, Zn). The initial results indicate periods of high and low concentrations which may correspond to both seasonal and interannual variations. Some elements reveal apparent bioaccumulation, such as Cu and Li potentially related to near-coast mining, and interannual concentration differences (Ba and Sr) possibly correlated to diet differences concurrent with ENSO events. These elemental fluctuations were analyzed while considering periodic ENSO events and the influence of sea surface temperature anomalies. Temperature reflects the intensity of up- and downwelling and its impact on ocean production, which can alter the pinnipeds’ prey base and influence elemental concentrations.