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title: "The Wandering Albatross is the species most contaminated by mercury on a South Atlantic island"
---

# The Wandering Albatross is the species most contaminated by mercury on a South Atlantic island

![Mills ms Mercury Environmental Pollution](https://acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Posters_Books/Mills_ms_Mercury_Environmental_Pollution.jpg) *Graphical abstract from the publication**

 William Mills ([Department of Geography and Environmental Science](https://www.reading.ac.uk/clearing/?utm_source=google&utm_campaign=hl_clearing2026&utm_medium=ppc&utm_content=geography&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23986587758&gclid=Cj0KCQjw4JbTBhCoARIsALWUaBvx5LEyxnO8m-m01vEyXRmCdSESk9CtKRiojoDPwY3vFhg4YpRhE-QaAs7vEALw_wcB), University of Reading, UK) and colleagues have published open access in the journal *[Environmental Pollution](https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/environmental-pollution)* on mercury levels in the feathers of chicks of eight procellariiform species breeding on Bird Island, South Georgia (Islas Georgias del Sur)* in the South Atlantic Ocean.

 The paper’s abstract follows:

 “At the subantarctic islands of South Georgia, albatrosses and petrels occupy a range of trophic niches, from zooplanktivore to top predator. Interspecific variation in mercury (Hg) contamination is therefore expected to be large within this community, as diet is the main exposure pathway. This study compared total Hg (THg) concentrations and stable isotopes of carbon (*δ*13C) and nitrogen (*δ*15N) in feathers of >250 chicks belonging to eight albatross and petrel species at South Georgia during three years (2018-2020). Generally, zooplanktivorous species (Antarctic prion *Pachyptila desolata*, blue petrel *Halobaena caerulea*) and the wandering albatross *Diomedea exulans* (top predator) were least and most contaminated, respectively. However, the order of increasing THg concentrations among giant petrels *Macronectes* spp. and pelagic generalist species varied annually, likely reflecting shifts in diet or distribution given the diversity of alternative foraging habitats. Accounting for species effects, THg was positively associated with *δ*15N in all years, and with *δ*13C in two years, indicating that contamination increased with trophic position and generally, but not always, varied along a foraging habitat or latitudinal gradient. Lastly, pelagic generalists and northern giant petrels *M. halli*, but neither zooplanktivores nor wandering albatrosses, were more contaminated at Kerguelen than South Georgia, potentially reflecting dietary differences, more complex food chains and a reduced role of Antarctic krill *Euphausia superba* in the pelagic foodweb of the southern Indian Ocean. Overall, this study highlights the drivers of variation among species, years and regions in THg concentrations, and the need for further work to predict future trends.”

 Click [here](https://acap.aq/latest-news/less-seal-for-dinner-mercury-concentrations-decreased-in-giant-petrel-chicks-on-bird-island-south-atlantic?highlight=WyJtaWxscyJd) and [here](https://acap.aq/latest-news/mercury-concentrations-in-albatrosses-and-petrels-study-reveals-species-specific-differences-and-potential-increases-in-mercury-levels-over-the-past-decades?highlight=WyJtaWxscyJd) to access two previous papers on mercury in South Atlantic procellariiform seabirds by William Mills.

 With thanks to Richard Phillips.

 **Reference:**

 Mills, W.F., Bustamante, P. & Phillips, R.A. 2026.  Dynamics of mercury contamination within the albatross and petrel community at South Georgia.  *[Environmental Pollution 406, 128745](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749126011152)*.

 *John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 27 July 2026*

 *A dispute exists between the Governments of Argentina and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland concerning sovereignty of the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (Islas Georgias del Sur e Islas Sandwich del Sur) and the surrounding maritime areas.