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Plastic pollution threatens shorebirds: a global review
Summary
This systematic review summarizes global research on how plastic pollution threatens shorebirds through ingestion and entanglement. The findings highlight that microplastics are spreading throughout coastal ecosystems, and since shorebirds serve as indicators of environmental health, their contamination signals broader risks to the food webs that also affect human communities.
Plastic pollution poses a significant threat to global ecosystems, with detrimental effects on marine biodiversity. Seabirds are particularly vulnerable due to their susceptibility to ingestion, and while much attention has been given to their interaction with plastic, other bird groups, such as shorebirds, remain understudied. Shorebirds, crucial indicators of coastal ecosystem health, are prone to exposure and ingestion of both macroplastics and microplastics due to their foraging habits and migratory patterns. A systematic review was conducted to evaluate the existing knowledge on this topic, with the aim of understanding the prevalence of plastic ingestion, defecation, and presence at nests among shorebird populations globally. 24 peer-reviewed articles were identified covering various shorebird species and geographic regions. We found significant variation in the occurrence of plastic among coastal regions. Eastern Asia and Northern America exhibited the highest levels of plastic ingestion in shorebirds. Additionally, families such as Haematopodidae and Scolopacidae exhibited higher frequencies of plastic ingestion compared to others. Faecal analysis indicated a higher frequency of plastic presence than the digestive tract analysis. However, comprehensive characterisation of plastic types, colours, and compositions was lacking in many studies, and almost nothing in nests. To address these gaps, future studies should standardise methodologies, expand geographic coverage, and prioritise research on the presence of plastics in nesting habitats. Overall, understanding the impact of plastic pollution on shorebirds is crucial for their conservation and the maintenance of coastal ecosystem integrity. Also see: https://micro2024.sciencesconf.org/558227/document
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