Starvation-pesticide unteraetions in juvenile brown pelicans

Nineteen 9-week-old brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis), obtained from a colony in Vero Beach, Florida, containing environmentally acquired p,p'-DDE residues, were subjected to a food deprivation experiment. Samples of brain, liver, muscle, and fat taken after one and two week periods of starvation indicated that starved birds contained significantly greated residue levels in fat compared to non-starved controls. Such differences were not observed in residues in the other tissues. The significance of these findings is discussed in relation to the biology of brown pelicans.