Exposure experiment Barnacle goslings (Branta leucopsis) and mercury
1 Purpose
Our purpose is to understand the effect of low environmental mercury levels on barnacle goose goslings. This study is a continuation of FOTS 6337 case number 2014/58254, were we found group effects of feeding in a polluted area on hepatic mercury concentrations, dopamine receptor levels in the brain and restless behaviour. Now we will focus on mechanistic insights in the effect cascades leading to adverse effects on Hg concentrations in tissue, immune response and behaviour and focus on the individual level.
2 Adverse effects
The experiment will raise wild but captive, imprinted goslings in three groups with a different environmental dose of mercury, in areas where wild geese and reindeer do graze too. We have found minimal but significant effects on behaviour. The goslings will be terminated at the end of the experiment and dissected.
3 Expected utility
Svalbard has several coal mining areas where pollution is obvious and not removed. Also mercury from anthropogenic temperate sources does accumulate in the Arctic and increasing mercury levels are found in arctic foxes. It is important to recognize and understand the effects of mercury on wild animals, to manage and reduce mercury pollution locally and worldwide.
4 Number of animals and species
18 barnacle geese from hatch to three/four weeks of age
5 How to acknowledge 3R
We have published all results from the pilot experiment, when we did minimize sampling during the raising of the gosling to test the principle. Now we want to continue studyiung the mechanism. The experimental setup is improved. We are creating three experimental groups of 6 goslings which is a minimum number to study individual differences. Earlier we used 8 goslings in two groups. Now we want to create a third group which will receive supplemental food with low level of mercury added to have a higher dose group that previous. Three levels of mercury allows for a slightly smaller group size, though 6 is an absolute minimum. Each group has goslings from the same nest, to reduce genetic and maternal variation.
Our purpose is to understand the effect of low environmental mercury levels on barnacle goose goslings. This study is a continuation of FOTS 6337 case number 2014/58254, were we found group effects of feeding in a polluted area on hepatic mercury concentrations, dopamine receptor levels in the brain and restless behaviour. Now we will focus on mechanistic insights in the effect cascades leading to adverse effects on Hg concentrations in tissue, immune response and behaviour and focus on the individual level.
2 Adverse effects
The experiment will raise wild but captive, imprinted goslings in three groups with a different environmental dose of mercury, in areas where wild geese and reindeer do graze too. We have found minimal but significant effects on behaviour. The goslings will be terminated at the end of the experiment and dissected.
3 Expected utility
Svalbard has several coal mining areas where pollution is obvious and not removed. Also mercury from anthropogenic temperate sources does accumulate in the Arctic and increasing mercury levels are found in arctic foxes. It is important to recognize and understand the effects of mercury on wild animals, to manage and reduce mercury pollution locally and worldwide.
4 Number of animals and species
18 barnacle geese from hatch to three/four weeks of age
5 How to acknowledge 3R
We have published all results from the pilot experiment, when we did minimize sampling during the raising of the gosling to test the principle. Now we want to continue studyiung the mechanism. The experimental setup is improved. We are creating three experimental groups of 6 goslings which is a minimum number to study individual differences. Earlier we used 8 goslings in two groups. Now we want to create a third group which will receive supplemental food with low level of mercury added to have a higher dose group that previous. Three levels of mercury allows for a slightly smaller group size, though 6 is an absolute minimum. Each group has goslings from the same nest, to reduce genetic and maternal variation.