Mercury, Cortisol, and Blood Biomarkers in Adult Female Northern Elephant Seals from 2011 to 2021
This dataset represents 179 unique adult female northern elephant seals that were sampled between 2011 and 2021 during four different life history states (early breeding, late breeding, early molting, and late molting) at the Ano Nuevo colony in California, USA. Some individual seals were sampled multiple times, resulting in a total of 313 tissue samples. Tissue samples were collected from seals and quantified for total mercury (whole blood and muscle), cortisol (serum), and 10 blood biomarkers (total thyroxine, total triiodothyronine, reverse triiodothyronine, immunoglobulin E, immunoglobulin G, immunoglobulin M, interleukin-6, interleukin-1-beta, progesterone, and estradiol).
These data support the following publication:
Peterson, S.H., Ackerman, J.T., Holser, R.R., McDonald, B.I., Costa, D.P. and Crocker, D.E., 2023. Mercury Bioaccumulation and Cortisol Interact to Influence Endocrine and Immune Biomarkers in a Free-Ranging Marine Mammal. Environmental Science & Technology. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.2c08974
Citation Information
| Publication Year | 2023 |
|---|---|
| Title | Mercury, Cortisol, and Blood Biomarkers in Adult Female Northern Elephant Seals from 2011 to 2021 |
| DOI | 10.5066/P9KJ7LWT |
| Authors | Sarah E H Peterson, Josh T Ackerman, Rachel R Holser, Birgitte I. McDonald, Daniel P. Costa, Daniel E. Crocker |
| Product Type | Data Release |
| Record Source | USGS Digital Object Identifier Catalog |
| USGS Organization | Western Ecological Research Center - Headquarters |
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Mercury bioaccumulation and cortisol interact to influence endocrine and immune biomarkers in a free-ranging marine mammal
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Mercury bioaccumulation and cortisol interact to influence endocrine and immune biomarkers in a free-ranging marine mammal
Mercury bioaccumulation from deep-ocean prey and the extreme life history strategies of adult female northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) provide a unique system to assess the interactive effects of mercury and stress on animal health by quantifying blood biomarkers in relation to mercury (skeletal muscle and blood mercury) and cortisol concentrations. The thyroid hormone thyroxine (tAuthorsSarah H. Peterson, Josh T. Ackerman, Rachel R. Holser, Birgitte I. McDonald, Daniel P. Costa, Daniel E. Crocker - Connect
Sarah Peterson
Wildlife BiologistEmailPhoneJosh T Ackerman
Research Wildlife BiologistEmailPhone