TRACE-ELEMENT ACCUMULATION IN 3 SEABIRD SPECIES FROM HORNOYA, NORWAY

Soft tissues and body feathers of Common Guillemots (Uria aalge), Brun nich's Guillemots (Uria lomvia), and Kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) col lected at Hornoya (northern Norway) were analyzed for total mercury, s elenium, cadmium, zinc, and copper. Kittiwakes revealed highest cadmiu m and mercury concentrations in most tissues compared to both guillemo t species, whereas interspecific differences in concentrations of esse ntial elements were less obvious. The results are discussed in relatio n to feeding habits and migration patterns of the different seabird sp ecies. Age-dependent accumulation of selenium, mercury, and cadmium wa s clearly recognizable when comparing trace element contents in fully- fledged Kittiwakes to adult specimens. There was no evidence that the analyzed birds suffered from acute toxicities of heavy metals.