Tilbake til søkeresultatene

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Effects of stress on the immune system in chicks of the black-legged kittiwake

Tildelt: kr 78 999

In this study I will investigate the effects of stress, which will be experimentally imposed by repeated investigator disturbance during the nestling period, on the immune response in the chicks of the Black-legged Kittiwake. The study will be conducted in two breeding colonies in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard. The fieldwork will be conducted during the breeding season of 2016. The chicks in the experimental group will be exposed to increased stress levels through a 15 minutes handling procedure every second day for approximately 25 days and compared to a control group. Analysing corticosterone levels in feathers of fledglings will assess the stress level imposed during development. The immune response will be analysed by blood samples obtained at hatchling and fledgling, and used to create blood smears. The results could have great value, as it could uncover if stress induced by the <> can have long-term effects on fitness and survival.

Budsjettformål:

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum