Organic Contaminants Track Organic Contaminants Track Bottlenose Dolphin Habitat Bottlenose Dolphin Habitat

Utilization in the Florida Utilization in the Florida PanhandlePanhandle

RM WilsonRM Wilson

Why are we interested in these Why are we interested in these animals?animals?

UMEsUMEs

Lack of Baseline Lack of Baseline DataData

Community as an ecological Community as an ecological constructconstruct

Bottlenose dolphins tend to aggregate Bottlenose dolphins tend to aggregate into subgroups that “share…ranges, into subgroups that “share…ranges, exhibit similar genetic profiles, and exhibit similar genetic profiles, and interact with each other to a much interact with each other to a much greater extent than with dolphins in greater extent than with dolphins in adjacent waters”adjacent waters”

NMFS: community is the “functioning NMFS: community is the “functioning unit” of their respective ecosystem.unit” of their respective ecosystem.

Methods to Track Habitat Methods to Track Habitat UtilizationUtilization

Photo-identificationPhoto-identification

Radio trackingRadio tracking

Chemical tracersChemical tracers

Cast of CharactersCast of Characters

PCBsPCBs

DDTsDDTs

BDEsBDEs

chlordaneschlordanes

23

4

5 6

2' 3'

4'

5'6'

Study AreaStudy Area

?

SamplingSampling

Extraction and AnalysisExtraction and Analysis

ASE – collagen removalASE – collagen removal GPC – lipid removalGPC – lipid removal SPE – final clean-upSPE – final clean-up GC-MS:GC-MS:

EI : PCBs, DDTs, BDEsEI : PCBs, DDTs, BDEs NCI: chlordanesNCI: chlordanes

ResultsResults

55 POC congeners were quantified55 POC congeners were quantified

34 PCB congeners34 PCB congeners

6 DDT congeners6 DDT congeners

6 BDE congeners6 BDE congeners

5 chlordane congeners; dieldrin; HCB; mirex5 chlordane congeners; dieldrin; HCB; mirex

Females

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

co

nc

en

tra

tio

n (

ng

/g)

Western

Eastern

Males

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

PC

B 1

8P

CB

28

+3

1P

CB

44

PC

B 4

9P

CB

52

PC

B 6

6P

CB

70

PC

B 8

7P

CB

92

PC

B 9

5P

CB

99

PC

B 1

01

PC

B 1

28

PC

B 1

38

PC

B 1

46

PC

B 1

49

PC

B 1

51

PC

B 1

53

+1

32

PC

B 1

54

PC

B 1

58

PC

B 1

70

PC

B 1

74

PC

B 1

80

+1

93

PC

B 1

83

PC

B 1

87

PC

B 1

94

PC

B 1

95

PC

B 2

01

PC

B 2

06

PC

B 2

09

Contaminant ClassesContaminant Classes

Con

cent

ratio

n (n

g/g)

wet

wei

ght

1e+1

1e+2

1e+3

1e+4

1e+5

PCB

West

DDT

East

BDE chlordane OC

West East West East West East West East

*

*

*

-0.12

-0.1

-0.08

-0.06

-0.04

-0.02

0

0.02

0.04

0.06

-0.2 -0.1 0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4

PC1 scores (78.5%)

PC

2 sc

ore

s (1

1.16

%)

Con

cent

ratio

n (n

g/g)

wet

wei

ght

1e+1

1e+2

1e+3

1e+4

1e+5

SAB SJB TP SAB SJB TP SAB SJB TP SAB SJB TP SAB SJB TP

OC PCB DDT BDE chlordane

** *

* *

Comparison of the 3 proposed Comparison of the 3 proposed communitiescommunities

ConclusionsConclusions

Bottlenose dolphins of the region Bottlenose dolphins of the region sampled form at least 3 three distinct sampled form at least 3 three distinct communitiescommunities

Eastern dolphins are differentiated by Eastern dolphins are differentiated by sighting data and concentrationsighting data and concentration

St Joe Bay and St Andrews Bay dolphins St Joe Bay and St Andrews Bay dolphins are differentiated by congener typeare differentiated by congener type

AcknowledgementsAcknowledgements

Doug Nowacek and Jeff ChantonDoug Nowacek and Jeff Chanton John KucklickJohn Kucklick

National Institute of Standards and Technology National Institute of Standards and Technology Charleston, SCCharleston, SC

P. Becker, J. Keller, S. Van der Pol, J. Yordy, A. P. Becker, J. Keller, S. Van der Pol, J. Yordy, A. Guichard, D. EllisorGuichard, D. Ellisor

Brian BalmerBrian Balmer University of North Carolina-WilmingtonUniversity of North Carolina-Wilmington

T. Rowles T. Rowles National Marine Fisheries ServiceNational Marine Fisheries Service