Chemical Exposures of UK Estuarine Wading Birds and Potential Impacts on their Migration Fitness. (Ref: 4282)

应对生物多样性下降是我们面临的最大全球挑战之一。许多候鸟物种的减少速度远远超过了它们的迁徙鸟类。化学品对鸟类迁徙适合性的影响在很大程度上被忽视了，但对国际鸟类保护来说很重要，并为英国未来监测和管理化学品在英国及其海外的影响的政策提供了信息。许多鸟类在英国河口觅食，为它们在全球范围内的迁徙提供燃料，那里往往是环境问题污染物的集中地。这个令人兴奋的项目结合了现场采样、经验化学测量、鸟类跟踪和建模，由埃克塞特大学和约克大学的国际领先研究团队以及JNCC和Defra的政策顾问支持，将调查污染物暴露对涉禽迁徙适合性的影响。该项目将发展新的数据和理解，以了解在关键的生命周期中，作为迁徙燃料的特定河口饲养涉禽(Dunlin、Curlew、Godwits和OstesterCatcher)接触化学品的风险。该项目将结合经验研究和建模方法，确定受化学品暴露影响较高的迁徙涉水物种(S)，以支持更有效的目标明确的未来环境保护。学生将获得广泛的科学技能专业知识，包括生态毒理学、生态学、分析化学、建模、鸟类处理和标记，以及先进的统计方法。他们还将与利益攸关方合作伙伴深入了解保护生物学、环境监测、化学品风险评估以及国内和国际政策。

Combating biodiversity declines is one of our greatest global challenges. Many migratory bird species are declining at rates far exceeding those of their resident counterparts. Impacts of chemicals on bird migration fitness has largely been ignored yet is important for international bird protection, and informing future UK policy to monitor and manage chemicals in the UK and effects abroad. Many birds feed in UK estuaries to fuel their global migrations where contaminants of environmental concern are often concentrated. Combining field sampling, empirical chemical measures, bird tracking, and modelling, this exciting project, supported by an internationally leading team of researchers at the universities of Exeter and York and policy advisors at the JNCC and Defra, will investigate the impact of contaminant exposures on wading bird migratory fitness. This project will develop new data and understanding on the risks of chemical exposure for selected estuary feeding wading birds (Dunlin, Curlew, Godwits and Oystercatchers) during critical life periods as they fuel for migration. Combining empirical studies and modelling approaches, the project will identify migratory wader species at higher risk(s) to chemical exposure effects for supporting more effective targeted future environmental protectionThe student will gain expertise in a wide range of scientific skills, including in ecotoxicology, ecology, analytical chemistry, modelling, bird handling and tagging, and advanced statistical methods. With stakeholder partners they will also gain in-depth knowledge in conservation biology, environmental monitoring, chemicals risk assessment, and domestic and international policy.