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Barau's petrel, Pterodroma baraui, as a bioindicator of plastic pollution in the South-West Indian Ocean: A multifaceted approach
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This study evaluated Barau's petrel as a bioindicator of plastic pollution in the South-West Indian Ocean using necropsies, GPS tracking, manta trawling, and dispersal modeling, finding that 71% of analyzed birds had ingested plastic. GPS tracking showed adults consistently foraged in high-plastic-concentration areas, with the highest ingestion risk in the northwest of Reunion Island and at latitude 30°S, confirming the species as a reliable regional bioindicator.
Marine plastic pollution is well described by bioindicator species in temperate and polar regions but remains understudied in tropical oceans. We addressed this gap by evaluating the seabird Barau's petrel as bioindicator of plastic pollution in the South-West Indian Ocean. We conducted a multifaceted approach including necropsies of birds to quantify plastic ingestion; GPS tracking of breeding adults to identify their foraging areas; manta trawling of plastic debris to measure plastic pollution at sea and modelling of plastic dispersal. We developed a spatial risk index of seabird exposure to plastic ingestion. Seventy-one percent of the analysed birds had ingested plastic. GPS tracking coupled with manta trawling and dispersal modelling show that adults consistently foraged at places with high level of plastic concentration. The highest ingestion risk occurred in the northwest of Reunion Island and at latitude 30°S. Our findings confirm that Barau's petrel is a reliable bioindicator of plastic pollution in the region.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.