Contaminant-induced impacts on avian migration: evaluating cue perception, fuelling and orientation

尽管迁徙是一种跨越动物王国的现象，但与非迁徙物种相比，许多长途迁徙物种目前正在急剧减少。各种污染物的环境污染已被确定为导致这些下降的潜在重要因素。然而，污染物暴露与迁徙成功减少之间的机制联系尚未确定。利用滨鸟和雀鸟模型物种，我将采取一种整体的方法将工业污染物对细胞和生物体的小规模机械效应联系起来。这将提高我们对候鸟种群在早期发育的关键生命阶段使用污染地点的影响的认识，作为第一次迁徙的幼鸟或有经验的成年鸟。通过使用禽肝细胞和成纤维细胞的体外实验室研究，圈养剂量和行为研究，以及在候鸟中途停留点的实地研究，我的目标是确定环境中常见的工业污染物是否能够影响候鸟种群。在这里，我将测试一些假设，即工业污染物的亚致死效应会改变自然的昼夜节律和周期节律、迁徙方向和导航，以及燃料和脂肪储存。鉴于全球超过40%的候鸟物种正在减少，缺乏对迁徙生理和行为的化学影响的了解限制了我们采取保护措施保护候鸟的潜力。候鸟对提供有害生物控制、种子传播、授粉、分解和营养补充等生态系统服务极其重要，它们的减少可能最终威胁到大地理区域生态系统的完整性。这项研究将有助于发现暴露的敏感生命阶段，并为工业污染物暴露对迁移成功的影响提供新的见解。

Although migration is a phenomenon that spans the animal kingdom, many long-distance migrant species are currently in steeper decline relative to non-migrant species. Environmental contamination by various pollutants has been identified as a potentially important factor contributing to these declines. However, the mechanistic links between pollutant exposure and reduced migratory success have yet to be established. Using shorebirds and passerine model species, I will take a holistic approach to link the small scale mechanistic effects of industrial contaminants on cells to organisms. This will improve our knowledge of the implications for migratory bird populations using contaminated sites during key life stages of early development, as first time juveniles or experienced adults on migration. Through in vitro lab studies using avian hepatocytes and fibroblasts, captive dosing and behavioural studies, and field studies at migratory stopover sites, my goal is to determine if industrial contaminants commonly found in the environment are capable of affecting migrant bird populations. Here I will test hypotheses that sublethal effects of industrial pollutants alter natural circadian and circannual rhythms, migratory orientation and navigation, as well as fuelling and fat storage. Given more than 40% of migratory bird species are declining worldwide, a lack of understanding of chemical effects on migratory physiology and behaviour limits our potential to employ conservation measures to protect migratory species. Migratory birds are extremely important for providing ecosystem services such as pest control, seed dispersion, pollination, decomposition, and nutrient additions and their declines may ultimately threaten the integrity of ecosystems across large geographic areas. This research will aid in the discovery of sensitive life stages for exposure and add new insight into the consequences of industrial pollutant exposure on migration success.