University of Otago, PhD

Fishing for Contaminants in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica: Analysing Temporal and Spatial Trends and Toxicological Impacts of Contaminants on Notothenioid Fish

Antarctica, despite its isolation, has encountered a succession of human activity since its discovery.  Although considered the most "pristine" location on Earth, toxic organic contaminants have been detected in some locations of the continent.  Recently, the focus has been on currently used contaminants that are still being used in large quantities.  In particular, detection of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) has been related back to the research bases McMurdo Station and Scott Base and the concentrations of PBDEs in their vicinity have now exceeded legacy toxic contaminants in abiotic and biotic matrices.  Current PBDE concentrations found in fish near the McMurdo Station sewage outflow are within the range at which both neurotoxicity and halted development in non-Antarctic mammals and fish have been demonstrated, yet their effect on Antarctic fish remains unknown.

The first objective of the proposed project is to measure temporal and spatial trends of legacy and currently used organic contaminants in whole fish tissues in order to assess the impact of recent changes in sewage treatment facilities within McMurdo Sound.  The second objective is to measure the potential effects of PBDEs in an abundantly found Antarctic fish species.  We are particularly interested in determining the suitability of the test fish as a bio-indicator for future environmental monitoring programmes.