Tues Oct 22 // Integrating Laboratory and Field Approaches in Wildlife Toxicology

Margaret Eng
Toxicology Centre
University of Saskatchewan

10:30AM - 11:30AM, in BioSci 1103 

We live in a contaminated world, with approximately 23,000 chemicals registered for use in Canada, in addition to numerous contaminants that are unintentionally released in industrial processes. There are many challenges to deciphering the effects of these contaminants on wildlife populations. Laboratory assessments often lack ecological relevance, and conversely the majority of field assessments are correlative in nature. I use a combination of laboratory and field approaches and integrate methods from multiple disciplines (molecular biology, physiology, neurobiology, behaviour) to make causal linkages between contaminant exposure and effects in birds. I will present two case studies from this research. The first demonstrates the use of predictive genotyping, field manipulations, and molecular diagnostics to verify that 2 wild bird species (European starlings and gray catbirds), like the domestic chicken, are highly sensitive to dioxin-like compounds – results that can directly inform risk assessment without extensive toxicity testing on wild birds. In the second example, I used a combination of captive behavioral trials, controlled exposures in the field, and automated telemetry to demonstrate that field-realistic concentrations of a neonicotinoid insecticide cause appetite suppression, body mass loss and migratory delays in migrating white-crowned sparrows. These results link neonicotinoid exposure to population-level consequences, as the timing of migration is critical and delays are known to affect survival and reproduction. This research highlights how we can increase our capacity to answer fundamental and applied questions in animal biology and ecotoxicology by Integrating methods across levels of biological organization, and merging field studies with captive studies and laboratory analysis in novel ways.