Bioaccumulation and detoxification of heavy metals in a coastal high trophic feeder with a restricted home range, the Little Penguin (Eudyptula minor)

Piscivorous species, of which little penguins belong, are particularly at risk of being negatively impacted by pollution due to their large exposure through aquatic food chains. Determining the rate of bioaccumulation from fish to predator is an essential component of assessing such risk. In this study, we report arsenic, cadmium, mercury, lead and selenium concentrations in three species of fish, which are known to be a substantial part of the diet of Little Penguins at the urban colony of St Kilda (Melbourne, Australia) - and analyse these findings together with heavy metal concentrations in little penguin blood and faeces, sampled within weeks of the fish collection. Mercury had the highest accumulation factors (fish prey to penguin blood) and the highest Hg concentrations were found in anchovy (0.22 mg/kg). Arsenic, cadmium and lead were consistently higher in faeces than in blood. This study presents the first data on heavy metals in penguin prey items and faeces. It helps shed light on the trophic transfer of pollutants in Port Phillip Bay, a semi-closed and heavily populated coastal area.