Bioenergetic Shifts in Humpback Whale Fibroblasts Upon Chemical Exposure.

Southern Hemisphere humpback whales accumulate persistent and toxic chemicals, which are transported to Antarctica through distant sources and in situ usage. The extreme seasonal migration-associated fast of humpback whales results in the remobilization of persistent and lipophilic environmental contaminants from liberated fat stores. Mitochondria play a key role in lipid metabolism, and any disruption to mitochondrial function is expected to influence whole-organism bioenergetics. It is therefore of interest to advance understanding of the impact of known contaminants of the Antarctic sea-ice ecosystem upon humpback whale cellular bioenergetics. Using cell line-based in vitro testing, this study employed the Seahorse Extracellular Flux Analyzer to study cellular metabolic activity in live humpback whale fibroblast cells. The assay, based on oxygen consumption rate, provides insights into the cause of cellular bioenergetic disruption. Immortalized skin fibroblasts were exposed to four priority environmental chemicals found in the Antarctic sea-ice ecosystem. Our findings reveal chemical-dependent functional alterations and varying bioenergetic profile responses. Chlorpyrifos was observed to decrease mitochondrial basal oxygen consumption; dieldrin increased basal oxygen consumption; trifluralin's impact was dose-specific, and endosulfan displayed no effect. Our results provide unique insights into environmental chemical mechanisms of action on cellular bioenergetics, generating much-needed taxa-specific chemical effect data in support of evidence-based conservation policy and management.

Novel Use of Cell Profiling Technology to Visualize Mitochondrial Responses of Humpback Whale Fibroblasts to Chemical Exposure.

Cetaceans are at elevated risk of accumulating persistent and lipophilic environmental contaminants due to their longevity and high proportion of body fat. Despite this, there is a paucity of taxa-specific chemical effect data, in part due to the ethical and logistical constraints in working with highly mobile aquatic species. Advances in cetacean cell culture have opened the door to the application of mainstream in vitro toxicological effect assessment approaches. Image-based cell profiling is a high-throughput, microscopy-based system commonly applied in drug development. It permits the analysis of the xenobiotic effect on multiple cell organelles simultaneously, hereby flagging its potential utility in the evaluation of chemical toxicodynamics. Here we exposed immortalized humpback whale skin fibroblasts (HuWaTERT) to six priority environmental contaminants known to accumulate in the Southern Ocean food web, in order to explore their subcellular organelle responses. Results revealed chemical-dependent modulation of mitochondrial texture, with the lowest observed effect concentrations for chlorpyrifos, dieldrin, trifluralin, and p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane of 0.3, 4.1, 9.3, and 19.8 nM, respectively. By contrast, no significant changes were observed upon exposure to endosulfan and lindane. This study contributes the first fixed mitochondrial images of HuWaTERT and constitutes novel, taxa-specific chemical effect data in support of evidence-based conservation policy and management.

Airborne Microplastics in Indoor and Outdoor Environments of a Developing Country in South Asia: Abundance, Distribution, Morphology, and Possible Sources.

Airborne microplastics (AMPs) have been reported in indoor and outdoor air in high-income countries and are expected to be a significant contributor to daily microplastic (MP) exposure for human beings. To date, there are only a handful of studies in lower-middle-income countries. In this study, AMPs from 5000 to 50 µm were sampled across selected areas of Sri Lanka using an active sampling technique. Suspected AMPs were further characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. MP concentrations were higher indoors compared to outdoor air (0.13-0.93, compared to 0.00-0.23 particles/m3, respectively). The types of indoor MPs were related to indoor-generating sources, and the occupant's lifestyles. The highest outdoor MP abundance was found near an industrial zone, followed by urban and inland locations in high-density areas. The dominant size range of MPs was 100-300 µm, and the only shapes observed indoors and outdoors were fibers (98%) and fragments. Polyethylene terephthalate was the most prominent MP type, followed by polyester, indicating that textile fibers could be the major source of these AMPs. This study provides the first report on AMPs in Sri Lanka. Considering population growth and industrialization, further research should evaluate possible trends and health risks upon inhalation.

Assessing the effects of lipid extraction and lipid correction on stable isotope values (δ13 C and δ15 N) of blubber and skin from southern hemisphere humpback whales.

RATIONALE: The coupled analysis of δ13 C and δ15 N stable isotope values of blubber and skin biopsy samples is widely used to study the diet of free-ranging cetaceans. Differences in the lipid content of these tissues can affect isotopic variability because lipids are depleted in 13 C, reducing the bulk tissue 13 C/12 C. This variability in carbon isotope values can be accounted for either by chemically extracting lipids from the tissue or by using mathematical lipid normalisation models. METHODS: This study examines (a) the effects of chemical lipid extraction on δ13 C and δ15 N values in blubber and skin of southern hemisphere humpback whales, (b) whether chemical lipid extraction is more favourable than mathematical lipid correction and (c) which of the two tissues is more appropriate for dietary studies. Strategic comparisons were made between chemical lipid extraction and mathematical lipid correction and between blubber and skin tissue δ13 C and δ15 N values, as well as C:N ratios. Six existing mathematical normalisation models were tested for their efficacy in estimating lipid-free δ13 C for skin. RESULTS: Both δ13 C and δ15 N values of lipid-extracted skin (δ13 C: -25.57‰, δ15 N: 6.83‰) were significantly higher than those of bulk skin (δ13 C: -26.97‰, δ15 N: 6.15‰). Five of the six tested lipid normalisation models had small error terms for predicting lipid-free δ13 C values. The average C:N ratio of lipid-extracted skin was within the lipid-free range reported in other studies, whereas the average C:N ratio of blubber was higher than previously reported. CONCLUSIONS: These results highlight the need to account for lipids when analysing δ13 C and δ15 N values from the same sample. For optimised dietary assessments using parallel isotope analysis from a single sample, we recommend the use of unextracted skin tissue. δ15 N values should be obtained from unextracted skin, whereas δ13 C values may be adequately lipid corrected by a mathematical correction.

Steroid hormone profiles and body conditions of migrating male humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae).

Simultaneous analysis of multiple steroid hormones from remotely obtained blubber biopsies has the potential to concurrently provide information regarding stress and reproductive status from free-swimming cetaceans, while also investigating correlations between hormone concentrations and other health biomarkers. In this study we measured blubber concentration profiles of eight reproductive and adrenal steroid hormones (17α-hydroxy-progesterone, testosterone, androstenedione, progesterone, cortisol, 11-deoxy-corticosterone, oestrone, and oestradiol) together with body condition, as determined by the inverse Adipocyte Index, of 101 male humpback whales. Whales were sampled randomly at two time points, while migrating to and from their northeast Australian breeding grounds, allowing for intra- and inter-seasonal profile analysis. Testosterone, progesterone and cortisol together with androstenedione 17α-hydroxyprogesterone, and oestrone concentrations (the latter quantified for the first time in live biopsied male humpback whales) decreased between the northward and southward migrations. Decreasing testosterone levels during the height of humpback whale conceptions suggests asynchronicity between blubber testosterone levels and the expected peak of male fertility. Statistically significant relationships between levels of certain steroid analytes were observed and appeared to change between the early and late breeding seasons. During the northward migration, testosterone, progesterone, androstenedione, oestrone and 17α-hydroxyprogesterone levels were positively correlated. Cortisol concentrations correlated positively with those of testosterone during the northward migration, but negatively during the southward migration. Androstenedione and testosterone were positively correlated with adiposity during the late breeding season. These hormone-hormone and hormone-adiposity correlations may be reflective of the activation of certain steroid hormone synthesis pathways, or alternatively, of concomitant physiological stimuli. As steroid hormones work in concert, information on multiple steroid hormones is needed to interpret endocrinological status and understand the relationships between these compounds and ancillary health markers. This study provides steroid hormone profiles of wild male humpback whales, as well as the first insight into seasonal male endocrinology as a function of adiposity.

Variation in outer blubber lipid concentration does not reflect morphological body condition in humpback whales.

An animal's body condition provides valuable information for ecophysiological studies, and is an important measure of fitness in population monitoring and conservation. While both the external body shape of an animal and its internal tissues (i.e. fat content) can be used as a measure of body condition, the relationship between the two is not always linear. We compared the morphological body condition (external metric obtained through aerial photogrammetry) of migrating humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) with their outer blubber lipid concentration (internal metric obtained through blubber biopsy sampling) off the coast of south-west Australia early and late in the breeding season (spanning ∼4.5 months). The external body condition index of juvenile and adult humpback whales decreased by 26.9 (from 18.8% to -8.1%) and 12.0 percentage points (from 8.6% to -3.4%), respectively, between the early and late phase. In contrast, we found no intra-seasonal change in blubber lipid concentration, and no difference between reproductive classes (juveniles, adults and lactating females); however, the small sample size prevented us from effectively testing these effects. Importantly, however, in the 33 animals for which paired metrics were obtained, we found no correlation between the morphometric body condition index and the blubber lipid concentration of individual whales. The lack of a linear relationship suggests that changes in outer blubber lipid concentration do not reflect external changes in body shape, thus limiting the utility of outer blubber lipid reserves for individual body condition evaluation. The wider spectrum of change in body morphometry captured with aerial photogrammetry supports the use of body morphometry as a reliable and well-tested method.

Lifetime extension of humpback whale skin fibroblasts and their response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and a mixture of polychlorinated biphenyls (Aroclor).

Marine mammals, such as whales, have a high proportion of body fat and so are susceptible to the accumulation, and associated detrimental health effects, of lipophilic environmental contaminants. Recently, we developed a wild-type cell line from humpback whale fibroblasts (HuWa). Extensive molecular assessments with mammalian wild-type cells are typically constrained by a finite life span, with cells eventually becoming senescent. Thus, the present work explored the possibility of preventing senescence in the HuWa cell line by transfection with plasmids encoding the simian virus large T antigen (SV40T) or telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT). No stable expression was achieved upon SV40 transfection. Transfection with TERT, on the other hand, activated the expression of telomerase in HuWa cells. At the time of manuscript preparation, the transfected HuWa cells (HuWaTERT) have been stable for at least 59 passages post-transfection. HuWaTERT proliferate rapidly and maintain initial cell characteristics, such as morphology and chromosomal stability. The response of HuWaTERT cells to an immune stimulant (lipopolysaccharide (LPS)) and an immunotoxicant (Aroclor1254) was assessed by measurement of intracellular levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1ß and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α. HuWaTERT cells constitutively express IL-6, IL-1ß and TNFα. Exposure to neither LPS nor Aroclor1254 had an effect on the levels of these cytokines. Overall, this work supports the diverse applicability of HuWa cell lines in that they display reliable long-term preservation, susceptibility to exogenous gene transfer and enable the study of humpback whale-specific cellular response mechanisms.

Signals from the south; humpback whales carry messages of Antarctic sea-ice ecosystem variability.

Southern hemisphere humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) rely on summer prey abundance of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) to fuel one of the longest-known mammalian migrations on the planet. It is hypothesized that this species, already adapted to endure metabolic extremes, will be one of the first Antarctic consumers to show measurable physiological change in response to fluctuating prey availability in a changing climate; and as such, a powerful sentinel candidate for the Antarctic sea-ice ecosystem. Here, we targeted the sentinel parameters of humpback whale adiposity and diet, using novel, as well as established, chemical and biochemical markers, and assembled a time trend spanning 8 years. We show the synchronous, inter-annual oscillation of two measures of humpback whale adiposity with Southern Ocean environmental variables and climate indices. Furthermore, bulk stable isotope signatures provide clear indication of dietary compensation strategies, or a lower trophic level isotopic change, following years indicated as leaner years for the whales. The observed synchronicity of humpback whale adiposity and dietary markers, with climate patterns in the Southern Ocean, lends strength to the role of humpback whales as powerful Antarctic sea-ice ecosystem sentinels. The work carries significant potential to reform current ecosystem surveillance in the Antarctic region.

Uptake and Depuration Kinetics Influence Microplastic Bioaccumulation and Toxicity in Antarctic Krill ( Euphausia superba).

The discarding of plastic products has led to the ubiquitous occurrence of microplastic particles in the marine environment. The uptake and depuration kinetics of ingested microplastics for many marine species still remain unknown despite its importance for understanding bioaccumulation potential to higher trophic level consumers. In this study, Antarctic krill ( Euphausia superba) were exposed to polyethylene microplastics to quantify acute toxicity and ingestion kinetics, providing insight into the bioaccumulation potential of microplastics at the first-order consumer level. In the 10 day acute toxicity assay, no mortality or dose-dependent weight loss occurred in exposed krill, at any of the exposure concentrations (0, 10, 20, 40, or 80% plastic diet). Krill exposed to a 20% plastic diet for 24 h displayed fast uptake (22 ng mg-1 h-1) and depuration (0.22 h-1) rates, but plastic uptake did not reach steady state. Efficient elimination also resulted in no bioaccumulation over an extended 25 day assay, with most individuals completely eliminating their microplastic burden in less than 5 days post exposure. Our results support recent findings of limited acute toxicity of ingested microplastics at this trophic level, and suggest sublethal chronic end points should be the focus of further ecotoxicological investigation.

Spring Melt and the Redistribution of Organochlorine Pesticides in the Sea-Ice Environment: A Comparative Study between Arctic and Antarctic Regions.

Complementary sampling of air, snow, sea-ice, and seawater for a range of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) was undertaken through the early stages of respective spring sea-ice melting at coastal sites in northeast Greenland and eastern Antarctica to investigate OCP concentrations and redistribution during this time. Mean concentrations in seawater, sea-ice and snow were generally greater at the Arctic site. For example, α-HCH was found to have the largest concentrations of all analytes in Arctic seawater and sea-ice meltwater samples (224-253 and 34.7-48.2 pg·L-1 respectively compared to 1.0-1.3 and <0.63 pg·L-1 respectively for Antarctic samples). Differences in atmospheric samples were generally not as pronounced however. Findings suggest that sea-ice OCP burdens originate from both snow and seawater. The distribution profile between seawater and sea-ice showed a compound-dependency for Arctic samples not evident with those from the Antarctic, possibly due to full submersion of sea-ice at the former. Seasonal sea-ice melt processes may alter the exchange rates of selected OCPs between air and seawater, but are not expected to reverse their direction, which fugacity modeling indicates is volatilisation in the Arctic and net deposition in the Antarctic. These predictions are consistent with the limited current observations.

Persistent Organic Pollutants in the East Antarctic Atmosphere: Inter-Annual Observations from 2010 to 2015 Using High-Flow-Through Passive Sampling.

In the first multiyear sampling effort for POPs in the eastern Antarctic atmosphere, 32 PCBs and 38 organochlorine pesticides were targeted in air collected with a high-flow-through passive sampler. Agricultural chemicals were found to dominate atmospheric profiles, in particular HCB and endosulfan-I, with average concentrations of 12 600 and 550 fg/m3, respectively. HCB showed higher concentrations in the austral summer, indicative of local, temperature-dependent volatilisation, while endosulfan-I appeared to show fresh, late-austral-summer input followed by temporally decreasing levels throughout the year. The current-use herbicide, trifluralin, and the legacy pesticides mirex and toxaphene, were detected in Antarctic air for the first time. Trifluralin was observed at low but increasing levels over the five-year period. Its detection in the Antarctic atmosphere provides evidence of its persistence and long-range environmental transport capability. While a time frame of five years exceeds the duration of most Antarctic air monitoring efforts, it is projected that continuous monitoring at the decadal scale is required to detect an annual 10% change in atmospheric concentrations of key analytes. This finding emphasizes the importance of continuous, long-term monitoring efforts in polar regions, that serve a special role as sentinel environments of hemispheric chemical usage trends.

Air-Seawater Exchange of Organochlorine Pesticides in the Southern Ocean between Australia and Antarctica.

This study contributes new data on the spatial variability of persistent organic pollutants in the Indian-Pacific sector of the Southern Ocean and represents the first empirical data obtained from this region in 25 years. Paired high-volume atmospheric and seawater samples were collected along a transect between Australia and Antarctica to investigate the latitudinal dependence of the occurrence and distribution of legacy organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and the current use pesticide chlorpyrifos in the Southern Ocean. Dissolved ΣHCH and dieldrin concentrations decreased linearly with increasing latitude from 7.7 to 3.0 and from 1.0 to 0.6 pg·L(-1), respectively. There was no consistent trend observed in the latitudinal profile of atmospheric samples; however, some compounds (such as dieldrin) showed reduced concentrations from 7.5-3.4 to 2.7-0.65 pg·m(-3) at the highest latitudes south of the Polar Front. Chlorpyrifos was found in samples from this area for the first time. Estimated air-seawater fugacity ratios and fluxes indicate a current net deposition between -3600 and -900, -6400 and -400, and -1400 and -200 (pg·m(-2)·d(-1)) for γ-HCH, dieldrin, and chlorpyrifos, respectively. These findings suggest that, under current climatic conditions, the Southern Ocean reservoir in the Indian-Pacific sector serves as an environmental sink rather than a source of OCPs to the atmosphere.

No distinct local cuisines among humpback whales: A population diet comparison in the Southern Hemisphere.

Southern hemisphere humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae, SHHW) breeding populations follow a high-fidelity Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) diet while feeding in distinct sectors of the Southern Ocean. Their capital breeding life history requires predictable ecosystem productivity to fuel migration and migration-related behaviours. It is therefore postulated that populations feeding in areas subject to the strongest climate change impacts are more likely to show the first signs of a departure from a high-fidelity krill diet. We tested this hypothesis by investigating blubber fatty acid profiles and skin stable isotopes obtained from five SHHW populations in 2019, and comparing them to Antarctic krill stable isotopes sampled in three SHHW feeding areas in the Southern Ocean in 2019. Fatty acid profiles and δ13C and δ15N varied significantly among all five populations, however, calculated trophic positions did not (2.7 to 3.1). Similarly, fatty acid ratios, 16:1ω7c/16:0 and 20:5ω3/22:6ω3 were above 1, showing that whales from all five populations are secondary heterotrophs following an omnivorous diet with a diatom-origin. Thus, evidence for a potential departure from a high-fidelity Antarctic krill diet was not seen in any population. δ13C of all populations were similar to δ13C of krill sampled in productive upwelling areas or the marginal sea-ice zone. Consistency in trophic position and diet origin but significant fatty acid and stable isotope differences demonstrate that the observed variability arises at lower trophic levels. Our results indicate that, at present, there is no evidence of a divergence from a high-fidelity krill diet. Nevertheless, the characteristic isotopic signal of whales feeding in productive upwelling areas, or in the marginal sea-ice zone, implies that future cryosphere reductions could impact their feeding ecology.

Metabolic concentration of lipid soluble organochlorine burdens in the blubber of southern hemisphere humpback whales through migration and fasting.

Southern hemisphere humpback whales undertake the longest migrations and associated periods of fasting of any mammal. Fluctuations in lipid energy stores are known to profoundly affect the toxicokinetics of lipophilic organochlorine compound (OC) burdens. Results from blubber biopsy sampling of adult, male humpback whales at two time points of the annual migration journey revealed dramatic concentration effects for the majority of OC compounds. The observed concentration effect was, however, not linear with measured average blubber lipid loss indicating significant redistribution of OCs and hence the importance of alternate lipid depots for meeting the energetic demands of the migration journey. Applying lipophilic OC burdens as novel tracers of whole-body lipid dynamics, the observed average concentration index suggests an average individual weight loss of 13% over 4 months of the migration journey. This value is based upon lipid derived energy and is in good agreement with previous weight prediction formulas. Notably, however, these estimates may greatly underestimate individual weight loss if significant protein catabolism occurs. Biomagnification factors between migrating southern hemisphere humpback whales and their principal prey item, Antarctic krill, closely resembled those of baleen whales feeding on herbivorous zooplankton in the Arctic. This study emphasizes the importance of considering prolonged periods of food deprivation when assessing chemical risks posed to wildlife. This is of particular importance for Polar biota adapted to extremes in ecosystem productivity.

Interpretation of southern hemisphere humpback whale diet via stable isotopes; implications of tissue-specific analysis.

Blubber and skin are commonly used tissues in stable isotope analysis for the purpose of investigating cetacean diet. Critical comparison of tissue-specific isotopic signals is, however, lacking resulting in uncertainty surrounding the representativeness and therefore utility of different tissues for accurate determination of recent foraging. This study used remotely biopsied blubber and skin tissues from southern hemisphere humpback whales for strategic comparison of δ13C and δ15N values. Samples were collected between 2008-2018 as part of long-term monitoring under the Humpback Whale Sentinel Program. Blubber tissues were lipid-extracted prior to analysis, whilst mathematical lipid-correction was performed on skin samples. Isotopic values from paired blubber and skin samples from the same individuals were compared to assess whether tissues could be used interchangeably for isotope analysis and dietary interpretation. Significant differences were observed for both δ13C and δ15N, flagging previously undocumented methodological considerations, and the need for method validation and standardisation in application of these approaches. This study therefore advances methodological aspects of cetacean dietary analysis. This is of elevated importance in the context of rapidly changing ocean ecosystems.

Monitoring persistent organic chemicals in Antarctica in support of global chemical policy: a horizon scan of priority actions and challenges.

Global production and emission of chemicals exceeds societal capacities for assessment and monitoring. This situation calls for improved chemical regulatory policy frameworks and increased support for expedited decision making within existing frameworks. The polar regions of the Earth represent unique sentinel areas for the study of global chemical behaviour, and data arising from these areas can strengthen existing policy frameworks. However, chemical pollution research and monitoring in the Antarctic is underdeveloped, with geopolitical complexities and the absence of legal recognition of international chemical policy serving to neutralise progress made in other global regions. This Personal View represents a horizon scan by the action group Input Pathways of Persistent Organic Pollutants to Antarctica, of the Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research. Four priority research and research facilitation gaps are outlined, with recommendations for Antarctica Treaty parties for strategic action against these priorities.

Persistent organic pollutants and trace elements detected in New Zealand fur seals (long-nosed fur seal; Arctocephalus forsteri) from New South Wales, Australia, between 1998 and 2019.

Environmental pollution is a growing threat to wildlife health and biodiversity. The relationship between marine mammals and pollutants is, however, complex and as new chemicals are introduced to ecosystems alongside concomitant, interacting threats such as climate change and habitat degradation, the cumulative impact of these stressors to wildlife continues to expand. Understanding the health of wildlife populations requires a holistic approach to identify potential threatening processes. In the context of environmental pollution in little studied wildlife species, it is important to catalogue the current exposome to develop effective biomonitoring programs that can support diagnosis of health impacts and management and mitigation of pollution. In New South Wales, Australia, the New Zealand fur seal (Arctocephalus forsteri) is a resident species experiencing population growth following devastating historic hunting practices. This study presents a retrospective investigation into the exposure of New Zealand fur seals to a range of synthetic organic compounds and essential and non-essential trace elements. Liver tissue from 28 seals were broadly analyzed to assess concentrations of organochlorine and organophosphate pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, and essential and non-essential trace elements. In addition to contributing extensive pollution baseline data for the species, the work explores the influence of sex, age, and body condition on accumulation patterns. Further, based on these findings, it is recommended that a minimum of 11 juvenile male New Zealand fur seals are sampled and analyzed annually in order to maintain a holistic biomonitoring approach for this population.

Antarctic sea-ice low resonates in the ecophysiology of humpback whales.

The past six years have been marked by some of the most dramatic climatic events observed in the Antarctic region in recent history, commencing with the 2017 sea-ice extreme low. The Humpback Whale Sentinel Programme is a circum-polar biomonitoring program for long term surveillance of the Antarctic sea-ice ecosystem. It has previously signalled the extreme La Niña event of 2010/11, and it was therefore of interest to assess the capacity of existing biomonitoring measures under the program to detect the impacts of 2017 anomalous climatic events. Six ecophysiological markers of population adiposity, diet, and fecundity were targeted, as well as calf and juvenile mortality via stranding records. All indicators, with the exception of bulk stable isotope dietary tracers, indicated a negative trend in 2017, whilst C and N bulk stable isotopes appeared to indicate a lag phase resulting from the anomalous year. The collation of multiple biochemical, chemical, and observational lines of evidence via a single biomonitoring platform provides comprehensive information for evidence-led policy in the Antarctic and Southern Ocean region.

Berlin statement on legacy and emerging contaminants in polar regions.

Polar regions should be given greater consideration with respect to the monitoring, risk assessment, and management of potentially harmful chemicals, consistent with requirements of the precautionary principle. Protecting the vulnerable polar environments requires (i) raising political and public awareness and (ii) restricting and preventing global emissions of harmful chemicals at their sources. The Berlin Statement is the outcome of an international workshop with representatives of the European Commission, the Arctic Council, the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting, the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), environmental specimen banks, and data centers, as well as scientists from various international research institutions. The statement addresses urgent chemical pollution issues in the polar regions and provides recommendations for improving screening, monitoring, risk assessment, research cooperation, and open data sharing to provide environmental policy makers and chemicals management decision-makers with relevant and reliable contaminant data to better protect the polar environments. The consensus reached at the workshop can be summarized in just two words: "Act now!" Specifically, "Act now!" to reduce the presence and impact of anthropogenic chemical pollution in polar regions by. •Establishing participatory co-development frameworks in a permanent multi-disciplinary platform for Arctic-Antarctic collaborations and establishing exchanges between the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program (AMAP) of the Arctic Council and the Antarctic Monitoring and Assessment Program (AnMAP) of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) to increase the visibility and exchange of contaminant data and to support the development of harmonized monitoring programs. •Integrating environmental specimen banking, innovative screening approaches and archiving systems, to provide opportunities for improved assessment of contaminants to protect polar regions.