Reproductive Outcomes in Colonial Fish-Eating Birds: a Biomarker for Developmental Toxicants in Great Lakes Food Chains 1. Historical and Ecotoxicological Perspectives

The colonial fish-eating birds of the Great Lakes ecosystem have been used as biological indicators of the effects of lipophilic contaminants within this ecosystem. Reproductive outcomes as a function of these contaminants have been studied for six species, and the results of studies on Forster's tern, the double-crested cormorant, and the herring gull are reviewed. Given the breeding and nesting habits of the cormorant, this species is recommended for future use as a bioindicator of pollution effects in the Great Lakes Region.