外流影片

Important research on the levels of mercury present in Nova Scotia鈥檚 coyote population is coming out of Acadia鈥檚 Mallory and O鈥橠riscoll labs. explains why the lead researchers say their findings are 鈥渁 bit alarming.鈥�

Based on samples of livers from 101 Nova Scotian coyotes, Dr. Mark Mallory (Biology) and Dr. Nelson O鈥橠riscoll (Earth and Environmental Science) found that mercury levels were higher in coyotes than those in most other land mammals in North America and Europe.

Mercury can land in coyote livers from general atmospheric contamination through activities like burning fossil fuels, and certain types of mining and production. Unfortunately for our East coast coyotes鈥攁nd the rest of us too鈥攕outheastern Canada has been identified by researchers as an 鈥渆xposure hotspot.鈥� And while there鈥檚 been extensive research into the mercury levels of our Atlantic Canada aquatic pals, there鈥檚 been a gap in the research about land-based animals like coyotes.

The work has, says Dr. Mallory, 鈥渂een a great collaboration between provincial and federal government partners, Acadia academics, and Acadia students including the Work Skills Program.鈥� Their research has already led to and

But this is only the beginning for the Mallory and O鈥橠riscoll labs鈥� work in contaminant measuring.

While coyotes are, as they said to the CBC, 鈥渨alking garbage cans,鈥� their diets are extremely varied. So, Mallory and O鈥橠riscoll would like to get a clearer picture of exactly what it is that they鈥檙e ingesting that鈥檚 leading to elevated mercury levels. 鈥淐oyotes are skilled carnivores,鈥� explains Dr. Mallory. 鈥淭hey can eat all sorts of prey in the province (birds, hares, rodents, young deer, small livestock, etc.) and vegetation (berries notably). So, there are likely very complicated routes for mercury uptake in coyotes.鈥�

In addition to increasing representation of coyote samples from Cumberland County and Eastern Shore in future research, they鈥檙e also looking at expanding the range of terrestrial animals they鈥檙e evaluating for mercury levels. This will allow them to get a better understanding of what the coyotes are ingesting to get their elevated levels of mercury.

Fortunately, there are a number of species already being harvested in Nova Scotia that Acadia鈥檚 scientists would be able to get samples from. 鈥淔or example, trappers already catch wildlife like otter and fisher and beaver, and if we can get some of the tissue from these animals annually, that鈥檚 a great additional use of wildlife already harvested which helps move science forward to monitor things like mercury in the province,鈥� says Dr. Mallory.

鈥淥ur experience is that hunters and trappers in Nova Scotia have been very supportive of science for sustainable wildlife management, and in fact there is a Nova Scotia-specific Habitat Conservation Program that is generated by funds from hunting licenses and is used for conservation research and action.鈥�

Their work will continue to be a collaborative effort and will shed even more light on mercury contamination in our province.