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Oil production activities have remained contentious in Canada due to the risk of contaminant exposure and environmental impacts. However, despite recent advances in monitoring, there is a lack of information on contaminant exposure and its associated impacts for many species at risk. The threat from contaminants to wood bison (Bison bison athabascae) in the Peace-Athabasca region, located principally in northeastern Alberta, is of particular concern, given the small size of the at-risk herds and the potential combined impacts of various stressors, including contaminants, disease, and climate change. Here, we review the available literature on contaminants in wood bison in the Peace-Athabasca region, extracting information on objectives, study design, location, contaminants, and analytic methods. We found six articles that assessed contaminants in wood bison and showed that, in the oil sands region, the species is exposed to a multitude of chemical contaminants. In particular, heavy metals, including arsenic, cadmium, lead, and inorganic mercury, were analyzed most often in bison kidney, liver, and muscle tissue. We also provide a comparison of the type and levels of heavy metals in wood bison and moose (Alces alces). We found that articles on wood bison were dated relative to moose (i.e., mostly pre-1990s) and that fewer heavy metals and tissue types were assessed. Lastly, we discuss the gaps in knowledge on select heavy metals in these species and the known effects on human health. Overall, our results suggest that more research and monitoring are needed to understand the threats to wood bison, interacting and cumulative effects, and potential concerns related to human health and well-being for communities that rely on wood bison as a traditional food source. Key words: oil sands, wood bison, heavy metals, conservation, wildlife management, 1. Introduction Industrial activities and oil sands production in the Peace-Athabasca region, located principally in northeastern Alberta, are associated with the fourth largest crude oil reserves worldwide (Government of Alberta [...]

Western-trained, non-Indigenous researchers in Canada have an ethical responsibility to collaborate with Indigenous Peoples and to re-envision the scientific research process through the lens of reconciliation. The health of the natural environment has long been a concern to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Peoples, and weaving different ways of knowing could provide a path forward to address critical wildlife health concerns. Here, we conducted a review of the peer-reviewed and grey literature that claims to weave Indigenous and Western ways of knowing in ecotoxicology and wildlife health in Canada, coding for background information, wildlife health stressors, research methods, Indigenous participation, and research outcomes. Seventeen studies met the inclusion criteria, the majority of which were published since 2015 and took place in Canada's North. Research collaborations were often between First Nations or Inuit knowledge holders (most frequently, active harvesters and Elders) and Western-trained, non-Indigenous academics. Most studies were initiated by mutual agreement between community partners and researchers, but no study was 'Indigenous-led' at any stage of research. Studies investigated environmental contaminants and health-related topics in a range of wildlife, usually traditional subsistence species. The most commonly studied disease was avian cholera, and the most studied class of toxicants was metals and trace elements. Indigenous knowledge was primarily collected via interviews. Studies often used multiple methodologies to braid or weave knowledge, but the most frequently used methodology was community-based participatory research. To provide a more holistic understanding of the process of weaving knowledge, we conducted an in-depth examination, applying a decolonizing lens, of two exemplar cases of collaborative research with Indigenous communities. This exploration led to the conclusion that research that weaves ways of knowing must not be approached with a 'one-size-nts-all' mindset, but instead should emphasize relationship building, continuous engagement, and ethical practices. By adopting such practices, Western-trained, non-Indigenous academics can better address critical wildlife health concerns while contributing meaningfully to advancing healing and reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. Key words: Indigenous People, reconciliation, Indigenous knowledge, natural sciences, braiding knowledge systems, collaborative research, Introduction For many Indigenous Peoples around the world ''research' is one of the dirtiest words' (Smith 2021). Research with Indigenous Peoples and communities in Canada has not always been meaningful [...]

Environmental impact assessments (EIAs) aim to assess the predicted effects of future projects on the environment, human health, and the economic potential of a region. They are an instrumental tool for sustainable development and to reduce the impact of large-scale industrial projects on biodiversity. The accurate assessment of the effects of projects on wildlife populations has a variety of ecological, cultural, and economic implications. However, assessments are commonly done using indirect indicators such as the predicted impact of changes in the quantity and quality of wildlife habitat and (or) predicted changes in nonspecific wildlife population metrics (e.g., relative abundance). In recent decades, the interpretation of wildlife health has moved from the classical dichotomous state of 'disease presence/absence' to a broader concept that integrates the interaction of biological, social, and environmental health determinants. We sought to determine how wildlife health metrics are used in EIA processes and propose a framework to characterize, quantify, and monitor wildlife health in future EIAs. First, we performed a targeted review of EIA documents from three jurisdictions in Canada to characterize the relevance and use of 'wildlife health' in these documents. Then, we reviewed case studies and research examples to understand wildlife health in different contexts associated with conservation biology to propose a framework to incorporate wildlife health into baseline monitoring and mitigation processes in EIAs. Our targeted review illustrates that while wildlife health and related terminology is often invoked in the main and specific objectives of EIAs, it is rarely tracked and quantified in EIAs and related processes. We identified approaches that can be used to effectively incorporate wildlife health in EIAs, including contextspecific wildlife health metrics, participatory epidemiology, community-based sampling, and local ecological knowledge. We illustrate case studies where wildlife health can facilitate the inclusion of communities, Indigenous governments, and local ecological knowledge into the evaluation process of projects and developments and into comanagement practices of wildlife. Our work highlights the critical need to move towards incorporating wildlife health into EIA processes to provide a more direct and holistic perspective on the potential environmental impacts and improve the opportunities for early implementation of mitigation measurements. Key words: wildlife health, environmental impact assessments, traditional knowledge, wildlife conservation, wildlife diseases, health metrics, One Health, Introduction The current unprecedented rates of anthropogenic environmental changes and disturbances are driving a myriad of wildlife populations and hundreds of species to extinction every year (Ceballos and Ehrlich 2002; [...]

Concerns about the impact of plastics pollution on the environment have been growing since the 1970s. Marine debris has reportedly entangled and (or) been ingested by 914 marine species ranging from microinvertebrates to large marine mammals. Shorebirds have a high potential to be exposed to and ingest plastics pollution, as many species migrate long distances and periodically concentrate around shorelines, coastal areas, and estuaries that can have elevated levels of plastics pollution. Currently, little is understood about plastics exposure, frequency of occurrence (FO), and potential impacts relating to shorebirds. In this study, we catalogued and reviewed available studies across the globe that examined plastics pollution in shorebirds. We then quantified relevant traits of species and their environments to explore how shorebirds may be exposed to plastics pollution. Of 1106 samples from 26 shorebird species described within 16 studies that examined plastic ingestion, 53% of individuals contained some form of plastics pollution. Overall, Haematopodidae (oystercatchers) had the highest FO of plastics, followed by Recurvirostridae (avocets), Scolopacidae (sandpipers, phalaropes, godwits, and curlews), and Charadriidae (plovers). Plastics FO was much greater among species that migrated across marine areas (either oceanic or coastal) than those species that used continental flyways. Species that foraged at sea, on mudflats, or on beaches had higher average FO of plastic ingestion than species that foraged in upland or freshwater environments. Finally, species that used a sweeping foraging mode showed higher levels of ingested plastics and contained a far greater number of plastic pieces than all other techniques. These conclusions are based on a limited number of species and samples, with the distribution of samples skewed taxonomically and geographically. Using the combined knowledge of known shorebirds-plastics interactions and shorebird ecology, we present a hierarchical approach to identifying shorebirds that may be more vulnerable and susceptible to plastic ingestion. We provide recommendations on sampling protocols and future areas of research. Key words: plastic, pollution, marine litter, waders, shorebirds Les preoccupations en matiere d'impact de la pollution plastique sur l'environnement se sont accrues depuis les annees 1970. Les debris marins auraient entrave ou ete ingeres par 914 especes marines allant des micro-invertebres aux grands mammiferes marins. Les oiseaux de rivage sont tres susceptibles d'etre exposes a la pollution plastique et de lingerer, car de nombreuses especes migrent sur de longues distances et se concentrent periodiquement autour des rivages, des zones cotieres et des estuaires qui peuvent presenter des niveaux eleves de pollution plastique. A l'heure actuelle, on connait peu de choses sur l'exposition aux plastiques, la frequence et les impacts potentiels sur les oiseaux de rivage. Dans cette etude, les auteurs ont catalogue et synthetise les etudes disponibles a travers le monde qui se sont penchees sur la pollution plastique chez les oiseaux de rivage. Ils ont ensuite quantifie les caracteristiques pertinentes des especes et de leurs environnements afin d'explorer comment les oiseaux de rivage peuvent etre exposes a la pollution plastique. Sur 1106 echantillons provenant de 26 especes d'oiseaux de rivage decrites dans 16 etudes qui ont examine l'ingestion de plastiques, 53 % des individus comportaient une certaine forme de pollution plastique. Dans l'ensemble, les Haematopodidae (huitriers) presentaient la frequence d'occurrence (FO) la plus elevee de plastiques, suivis des Recurvirostridae (avocettes), des Scolopacidae (becasseaux, phalaropes, barges, courlis) et des Charadriidae (pluviers). La FO de plastiques etait beaucoup plus importante chez les especes qui migraient a travers les zones marines (oceaniques ou cotieres) que chez les especes qui utilisaient les voies de migration continentales. Les especes qui se nourrissaient en mer, dans les vasieres ou sur les plages presentaient une FO moyenne d'ingestion de plastiques plus elevee que les especes qui se nourrissaient dans les environnements de hautes terres ou d'eau douce. Enfin, les especes qui utilisaient un mode de recherche de nourriture par balayage presentaient des niveaux plus eleves d'ingestion de plastiques et contenaient un nombre beaucoup plus important de morceaux de plastique que celles qui utilisaient toutes les autres techniques. Ces conclusions sont basees sur un nombre limite d'especes et d'echantillons, la distribution des echantillons etant biaisee sur le plan taxonomique et geographique. En utilisant les connaissances combinees des interactions connues entre les oiseaux de rivage et les plastiques et de l'ecologie des oiseaux de rivage, les auteurs presentent une approche hierarchique pour identifier les oiseaux de rivage qui pourraient etre plus vulnerables et susceptibles d'ingerer des plastiques. Ils formulent des recommandations sur les protocoles d'echantillonnage et les futurs domaines de recherche. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles : plastique, pollution, dechets marins, echassiers, oiseaux de rivage, Introduction Concerns about the impact of plastics pollution on the environment have been growing since the 1970s. Initially, plastics pollution was thought to be primarily distributed around heavily populated areas; [...]

Contaminant levels and trends have been monitored in the eggs of seabirds from the Canadian Arctic since 1975. Nearly 50 years of monitoring have provided key information regarding the temporal and spatial variation of various contaminant classes in different seabird species. However, previous work has primarily assessed individual or related contaminant classes in isolation. There is therefore a need to collectively consider all of the contaminants monitored in seabird eggs to determine where monitoring has been successful, to find areas for improvement, and to identify opportunities for future research. In this review, we evaluated monitoring data for the major legacy and emerging contaminants of concern in five seabird species from three High Arctic and three Low Arctic colonies in Canada. We review the history of Canada's Arctic seabird egg monitoring program and discuss how monitoring efforts have changed over time; we summarize temporal, spatial, and interspecies variations in Arctic seabird egg contamination and identify important knowledge gaps; and, we discuss future directions for ecotoxicology research using seabird eggs in Arctic Canada. Ultimately, this paper provides a high-level overview of the egg contaminant monitoring program and underscores the importance of long-term and continued seabird contaminant monitoring in Arctic Canada. Key words: Canadian Arctic, contaminants, eggs, monitoring, seabirds, temporal trends. Lesniveaux descontaminants et les tendancessont surveilles dans les ceufs d'oiseaux de mer de l'Arctique canadien depuis 1975. Pres de 50 ans de surveillance ont fourni des informations cles concernant la variation temporelle et spatiale de diverses classes de contaminants chez differentes especes d'oiseaux marins. Toutefois, les travaux anterieurs ont principalement evalue des classes de contaminants individuelles ou apparentees de maniere isolee. Il est donc necessaire d'examiner collectivement tous lescontaminantsobservesdansles ceufs d'oiseaux de mer afin de determiner les domaines dans lesquels la surveillance a ete efficace, de trouver lesdomainesa amelioreret d'identifier les possibilites de recherches futures. Dans cette etude, les auteurs ont evalue les donnees de surveillance des principaux contaminants anciens et emergents preoccupants chez cinq especes d'oiseaux marins provenant de trois colonies du Haut-Arctique et de trois colonies du Bas-Arctique au Canada. Ils passent en revue l'historique du programme de contr[eth]le des ceufs d'oiseaux marins de l'Arctique canadien et discutent de revolution des efforts de surveillance au fil du temps; ils resument les variations temporelles, spatiales et interspecifiques de la contamination des ceufs d'oiseaux marins de l'Arctique et identifient les lacunes importantes dans les connaissances; enfin, ils discutent des orientations futures de la recherche ecotoxicologique utilisant les ceufs d'oiseaux marins dans l'Arctique canadien. Finalement, cet article donne un apercu de haut niveau du programme de contrple des contaminants dans les c ufs et souligne l'importance d'une surveillance continue et along terme des contaminants dans les -oiseaux marins de l'Arctique canadien. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles: Arctique canadien, contaminants, ceufs, surveillance, oiseaux de mer, tendances temporelles., Introduction The number of new chemicals synthesized per year has increased exponentially in the past century (Binetti et al. 2008), with over 350 000 substances currently registered for commercial production [...]

Arctic populations are amongst the highest exposed populations to long-range transported contaminants globally, with the main exposure pathway being through the diet. Dietary advice is an important immediate means to address potential exposure and help minimize adverse health effects. The objective of this work is to enable easier access to dietary advice and communication guidance on contaminants with a focus on the Arctic. This manuscript is part of a special issue summarizing the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme's Assessment 2021: Human Health in the Arctic. The information was derived with internet searches, and by contacting relevant experts directly. Results include risk communication efforts in European Arctic countries, effectiveness evaluation studies for several Arctic countries, experience of social media use, and the advantages and challenges of using social media in risk communication. We found that current risk communication activities in most Arctic countries emphasize the importance of a nutritious diet. Contaminant-related restrictions are mostly based on mercury; a limited amount of dietary advice is based on other contaminants. While more information on effectiveness evaluation was available, specific information, particularly from Arctic countries other than Canada, is still very limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using 10 m diameter mesocosms in a Canadian boreal lake, we investigated the effects of microplastic (MP) exposure on the body weight and diet of yellow perch (Perca flavescens) and the fatty acid composition of yellow perch and zooplankton. We exposed the aquatic ecosystem within seven mesocosms for 10 weeks to a mixture of polyethylene, polystyrene, and polyethylene terephthalate fragments, ranging in nominal addition concentrations from 6 to 29 240 particles L−1 (although realized water column concentrations were lower), as well as two negative controls. Increasing MP exposure did not affect yellow perch body weight (growth) or diet, or the overall fatty acid composition of yellow perch muscle or zooplankton. Results were highly variable across mesocosms. Despite high levels of MP ingestion by yellow perch, we did not find evidence of MPs leading to food dilution or any other effect where we could anticipate impacts on food web structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the eastern North Atlantic, declines in the volume of Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica (Linnaeus, 1758)) eggs have been associated with shifts in the marine ecosystem, such as changes in the abundance of forage fishes and increasing sea-surface temperatures. In the western North Atlantic, where similar shifts in oceanographic conditions and changes in the abundance of forage fishes have presumably occurred, trends in the volume of Atlantic Puffin eggs remain unknown. In this study, we investigate Atlantic Puffin egg volume in the western North Atlantic. We compiled 140 years (1877-2016) of egg volume measurements (n = 1805) and used general additive mixed-effects models to investigate temporal trends and regional variation. Our findings indicate that Atlantic Puffin egg volume differs regionally but has remained unchanged temporally in the western North Atlantic since at least the 1980s. Key words: Alcidae, Atlantic Puffin, egg volume, Fratercula arctica, general additive models, seabirds, western North Atlantic. Dans l'est de l'océan Atlantique Nord, des diminutions du volume des oeufs de macareux moines (Fratercula arctica (Linnaeus, 1758)) ont été associées à des modifications de l'écosystème marin, telles que des changements de l'abondance de poissons-fourrage et l'augmentation des températures de la surface de la mer. Dans l'ouest de l'Atlantique Nord, où des modifications des conditions océanographiques et des changements de l'abondance de poissons-fourrage similaires ont présumément eu lieu, les tendances du volume des oeufs de macareux moines demeurent inconnues. Dans le présent article, nous examinons le volume des oeufs de macareux moines dans l'ouest de l'Atlantique Nord. Nous avons compilé 140 années (1877-2016) de mesures du volume d'oeufs (n = 1805) et utilisé des modèles à effets mixtes additifs généralisés pour en examiner les tendances dans le temps et les variations régionales. Nos constatations indiquent que le volume des oeufs de macareux moines varie à l'échelle régionale, mais n'a pas changé au fil du temps dans l'ouest de l'Atlantique Nord au moins depuis les années 1980. [Traduit par la Rédaction] Mots-clés: alcidés, macareux moine, volume des oeufs, Fratercula arctica, modèles additifs généralisés, oiseaux marins, ouest de l'océan Atlantique Nord., Introduction Identifying climate change related shifts to an ecosystem's structure is fundamental to ecosystem management, particularly in the face of a rapidly changing climate. Seabirds can be useful indicators of [...]

Birds are widely used as indicators of environmental contamination because they integrate signals across space and time. However, this advantage also means that locating the source of pollution can be challenging, especially for species that migrate large distances. Historically, the assignment of contaminant burden to particular life stages or locations has been made by sampling tissues with varying time signals and associating those signals with locations assigned from band recoveries or stable isotope analyses. Unfortunately, these assignments are geographically coarse. More recently, tracking devices have been increasingly used to determine more precisely where and when contamination is likely to occur. Here, we review current knowledge on using tracking devices to examine the relationship between avian movements and contaminant loads. We found 42 published articles with samples collected from 1986 to 2021 that used tracking devices to examine the relationship between avian movement and contaminant loads, where studies were primarily concentrated in the northern hemisphere, notably in the North Atlantic. Tracking methodology varied widely across studies to date, but the use of radiotransmitters and satellite tags generally decreased as newer technologies, such as global positioning systems and geolocation sensors, were developed. Blood and feathers were the most commonly used tissues to assess contaminant concentrations, but sample sizes were often low (<40, the recommended sample size for some tracking or contaminant studies), and one-quarter of studies did not statistically test the relationship between tracking data and contaminant concentrations. Moving forward, studies should (1) consider statistical power; (2) consider tissue turnover rates, contaminant turnover rates, and tracking device resolution; (3) examine tissues that inform different time scales; 4) explore the impacts of contaminants on behaviour and movement; and 5) increase collaboration, standardization, and information sharing across existing tracking or contaminant monitoring programs. Focusing on these aspects will enhance our ability to identify the source, transport, and fate of contaminants in avian species across the globe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]