Rates of specific causes or types of death by geographic area

The Wildlife Contaminants Monitoring and Surveillance Program assesses contaminant exposure in aquatic-associated wildlife across Canada. Biological samples, including eggs and tissues, are collected from gull sentinel species, (such as California gulls, herring gulls, and glaucous-winged gulls) and serve as integrators of contaminant exposure across aquatic food webs. This monitoring focuses on large aquatic systems nationwide, including the Great Lakes and coastal environments, to evaluate spatial and temporal trends in contaminant levels.

The Chemicals Management Plan (CMP) Wildlife Monitoring and Surveillance Program is a long-established federal initiative that evaluates contaminant exposure in terrestrial and aquatic-associated wildlife across Canada. Biological samples, collected throughout the years from various locations nationwide, are preserved in long-term specimen banks under controlled conditions. These stored samples support retrospective analyses and ongoing research funded by federally mandated programs, such as the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) and the CMP. Specimens are analyzed for a wide range of chemicals of concern under these programs, including trace metals, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

The Wildlife Contaminants Monitoring and Surveillance Program assesses contaminant exposure in terrestrial wildlife across Canada. Biological samples, including eggs and tissues, from the sentinel species European starlings are collected and provide a complementary perspective on contaminant exposure in terrestrial and urban-associated ecosystems. This monitoring evaluates spatial and temporal trends in contaminant levels within these environments.