Mammal Program
Fish and insect eating mammals may indicate areas containing elevated levels of contaminants thereby providing a way to assess the potential impacts of contaminants on reproductive success and survival. BRI maintains a large dataset of multiple tissue contaminant levels in numerous species of furbearers and some bats. The mammal program is currently working in three divisions: terrestrial ecology, freshwater ecology and wetland ecology.
Program Director
Dave Yates
207.839.7600 ext. 114
Program Goals
- Collaborate with state, federal, and private agencies to evaluate contaminant exposure in furbearers and insectivores such as bats and shrews
- Determine potential effects contaminants have on reproductive success and survival
- Conduct studies useful in the conservation of mammals
- Conduct inventories of rare mammals
Current BRI Projects
- Contaminant exposure evaluation of forbearing mammals in New England
- Insectivorous Mammal contaminant exposure
- Large Carnivore Tracking
- Population evaluation
Geographic Focus
- Maine and New England
- The Eastern Seaboard from New York toVirginia
Recent Reports, Papers and Presentations
- Yates, D. and Evers, D.C. 2007. Pilot assessment of methylmercury availability to furbearers on the North Fork of the Holston River, Virginia- 2005. Report BRI 2007- 10 - submitted to the U.S. Fish Wildl. Serv., Gloucester, Virginia. BioDiversity Research Institute, Gorham, ME.
- Yates, D. and Evers, D.C. 2006. Assessment of bats for mercury contamination on the North Fork of the Holston River, VA- 2005. Report BRI 2006-9. Biodiversity Research Institute, Gorham, ME.
- Yates, D.E., Mayack, D.T., Munney, K. 2005. Mercury levels in mink (Mustela vison) and river otter (Lontra Canadensis) from Northeastern North America. Ecotoxicology 14, 263-274. pdf
