Effects of mercury, selenium, and organochlorine contaminants on reproduction of Forster's terns and black skimmers nesting in a contaminated Texas Bay

Mean mercury (0.40 μg/g), and geometric mean DDE (1.6 μg/g) and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) (2.3 μg/g) concentrations in Forster's tern (Sterna forsteri) eggs from Lavaca Bay were higher than those in tern eggs from a reference area in San Antonio Bay, but residues were not correlated with hatching success. Nest success was similar between bays. Selenium levels in Lavaca Bay tern eggs (0.71 μg/g) were also comparable to those in eggs from …