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Mercury Concentrations of Black-tailed Gull Eggs Depending on the Egg-Laying Order for Marine Environmental Monitoring

이장호 1 Lee,Jong-Chun 2 장희연 1 박종혁 3 최정희 4 Soo Yong Lee 5 심규영 1

1국립환경과학원
2국립환경연구원
3새만금유역환경청
4국립환경과학원 영산물환경연구소
5국립환경과학원 자연환경연구과

Accredited

ABSTRACT

In this study, total mercury (THg) of Black-tailed Gull (Larus crassirostris) eggs laid on Baengnyeongdo, West Sea of Korea was analyzed in order to compare the THg concentrations of eggs depending on egg-laying order. The first-laid eggs (mean ± standard error, 234.4 ± 11.2 ng/g wet, n=18, t=8.4, p<0.01) significantly had higher THg concentrations than the second-laid eggs (182.8 ± 9.1 ng/g wet, n=18). Also, the first-laid eggs had higher values in biometrics (length 63.10 ± 0.49 mm, t=2.4, p<0.05; width 44.51 ± 0.19 mm, t=4.3, p<0.01; weight 65.53 ± 0.87 g, t=4.2, p<0.01) than the second-laid eggs (length 62.37 ± 0.40 mm, width 43.55 ± 0.17 mm, and weight 62.48 ± 0.72 g). These differences might be attributed to the amount of food eaten by females relating to males’ courtship feeding pattern (males increase courtship feeding rate before the first eggs are laid, and decrease the rate following the laying of the first eggs). Moreover, the lower food intake of females could diminish the quantities of egg albumen that contains a protein binds to most of methylmercury during the period of egg production. Therefore, it is necessary to consistently apply one of egg selection methods (targeted selection (the first-laid egg or the second-laid egg), random selection, and etc.) in one nest for ensuring comparability of mercury concentrations among monitoring sites and monitoring years.

Citation status

* References for papers published after 2023 are currently being built.