Common Loon Research Paper

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The Common Loon: Indicators of Mercury Contamination and Toxicity
Evers, D.C., N.M. Burgess, L. Champoux, B. Hoskins, A. Major, W.M. Goodale, R.J. Taylor, R. Poppenga and T. Daigle. 2005. Patterns and interpretation of mercury exposure in freshwater avian communities in northeastern North America. Ecotoxicology 14:193-221.
This paper is focused on the presence of mercury contamination in the environment and using birds as indicators of methylmercury. It identifies and analyzes factors that affect bioaccumulation or mercury in birds such as tissue type, age, gender, habitat, geography, and variation. Piscivorous and insectivorous birds from new England, New York, and Eastern Canada were analyzed including the common loon. Blood, egg, and feather …show more content…
In the experiment eggs abandoned by the common loon were analyzed due to their territoriality during breeding season. The risk levels were higher in northeastern North America. In addition, female loons were captured and had blood and feathers samples taken. Cold-vapor atomic absorption, or CVAA, was used to analyze the samples for Hg. Egg mercury concentrations demonstrate strong correlation with female loons in the area they were found. In New England, egg volume declined as Hg increased supporting their hypothesis that methylmercury has a negative effect on pescivores.
Evers, D.C., L.J. Savoy, C.R. DeSorbo, D.E. Yates, W. Hanson, K.M. Taylor, L.S. Siegel, J.H. Cooley Jr., M.S. Bank, A. Major, K. Munney, B.F. Mower, H.S. Vogel, N. Schoch, M. Pokras, M.W. Goodale and J. Fair. 2008. Adverse effects from environmental mercury loads on breeding common loons. Ecotoxicology 17:69-81.
With methylmercury increasing in the environment, this paper focuses on the effects it has on breeding. The common loon was chosen due to its role in the food chain. Researchers analyzed the loon behavior, physiology, survival, and reproductive success. In addition, they measured significant changes related to elevated MeHg body burdens including peculiar incubation behavior, lethargy, and asymmetry in the wings. In conclusion, researchers found mercury's burden in adult loon increases every year which reduces the number
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