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

遏制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它们的居民同行。化学品对鸟类迁徙健康的影响在很大程度上被忽视，但对国际鸟类保护很重要，并为英国未来的政策提供信息，以监测和管理英国的化学品及其在国外的影响。许多鸟类在英国河口觅食，以促进它们的全球迁徙，而环境污染物往往集中在那里。结合实地采样，经验性化学措施，鸟类跟踪和建模，这个令人兴奋的项目，由埃克塞特和约克大学的国际领先的研究团队和JNCC和Defra的政策顾问支持，将调查污染物暴露对涉水候鸟健康的影响。该项目将开发新的数据，了解某些河口觅食涉禽（Dunlin、Curlew、Godwits和Oystercatcher）在关键生命期内因迁移而受到化学品暴露的风险。结合实证研究和建模方法，该项目将确定迁徙涉禽物种在较高的风险（S）化学品暴露的影响，以支持更有效的有针对性的未来环境保护学生将获得广泛的科学技能，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的专业知识。与利益相关者合作伙伴，他们还将获得保护生物学，环境监测，化学品风险评估以及国内和国际政策的深入知识。

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.