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The hidden cost of following currents: Microplastic ingestion in a planktivorous seabird
Marine Pollution Bulletin2022
28 citations
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Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
Score: 50
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0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Beatrice De Felice,
Beatrice De Felice,
Beatrice De Felice,
Beatrice De Felice,
Beatrice De Felice,
Beatrice De Felice,
Beatrice De Felice,
Beatrice De Felice,
Beatrice De Felice,
Beatrice De Felice,
Marco Parolini,
Marco Parolini,
Marco Parolini,
Marco Parolini,
Marco Parolini,
Marco Parolini,
Marco Parolini,
Marco Parolini,
Marco Parolini,
Marco Parolini,
Marco Parolini,
Marco Parolini,
Federico De Pascalis
Beatrice De Felice,
Beatrice De Felice,
Beatrice De Felice,
Marco Parolini,
Marco Parolini,
Marco Parolini,
Beatrice De Felice,
Marco Parolini,
Marco Parolini,
Marco Parolini,
Marco Parolini,
Marco Parolini,
Marco Parolini,
Beatrice De Felice,
Beatrice De Felice,
Beatrice De Felice,
Beatrice De Felice,
Beatrice De Felice,
Beatrice De Felice,
Beatrice De Felice,
Beatrice De Felice,
Beatrice De Felice,
Beatrice De Felice,
Beatrice De Felice,
Elena Perin,
Federico De Pascalis
Diego Antonioli,
Diego Antonioli,
Beatrice De Felice,
Beatrice De Felice,
Beatrice De Felice,
Marco Parolini,
Diego Antonioli,
Marco Parolini,
Marco Parolini,
Beatrice De Felice,
Diego Antonioli,
Beatrice De Felice,
Beatrice De Felice,
Beatrice De Felice,
Beatrice De Felice,
Diego Antonioli,
Beatrice De Felice,
Marco Parolini,
Beatrice De Felice,
Beatrice De Felice,
Beatrice De Felice,
Beatrice De Felice,
Beatrice De Felice,
Danilo Pisu,
Danilo Pisu,
Marco Parolini,
Marco Parolini,
Marco Parolini,
Valentina Gianotti,
Marco Parolini,
Marco Parolini,
Marco Parolini,
Beatrice De Felice,
Beatrice De Felice,
Marco Parolini,
Marco Parolini,
Elena Perin,
Marco Parolini,
Beatrice De Felice,
David Pála,
David Pála,
Beatrice De Felice,
Valentina Gianotti,
Elena Perin,
Marco Parolini,
Marco Parolini,
Marco Parolini,
Marco Parolini,
Marco Parolini,
Marco Parolini,
Diego Antonioli,
Marco Parolini,
Marco Parolini,
Marco Parolini,
Valentina Gianotti,
Valentina Gianotti,
Diego Rubolini,
Beatrice De Felice,
Valentina Gianotti,
Marco Parolini,
Marco Parolini,
Valentina Gianotti,
Marco Parolini,
Elena Perin,
Marco Parolini,
Jacopo G. Cecere,
Marco Parolini,
Valentina Gianotti,
Beatrice De Felice,
Marco Parolini,
Valentina Gianotti,
Valentina Gianotti,
Valentina Gianotti,
Valentina Gianotti,
Marco Parolini,
Valentina Gianotti,
Valentina Gianotti,
Marco Parolini,
Luca Ilahiane,
Diego Rubolini,
Marco Parolini,
Marco Parolini,
Marco Parolini,
Valentina Gianotti,
Valentina Gianotti,
Valentina Gianotti,
Marco Parolini,
Marco Parolini,
Valentina Gianotti,
Marco Parolini,
Beatrice De Felice,
Valentina Gianotti,
Valentina Gianotti,
Giulia Masoero,
Elena Perin,
Elena Perin,
Beatrice De Felice,
Beatrice De Felice,
Marco Parolini,
Lorenzo Serra,
Marco Parolini,
Valentina Gianotti,
Diego Rubolini,
Jacopo G. Cecere,
Marco Parolini,
Marco Parolini,
Marco Parolini,
Marco Parolini,
Jacopo G. Cecere,
Jacopo G. Cecere,
Diego Rubolini,
Diego Rubolini,
Jacopo G. Cecere,
Federico De Pascalis
Summary
Researchers documented microplastic ingestion in Mediterranean storm petrels, finding that these planktivorous seabirds ingest microplastics while foraging in pelagic areas where plastic debris accumulates alongside their planktonic prey in ocean currents.
Microplastics are increasingly pervasive pollutants, particularly abundant in the neuston where they drift with currents. We assessed dietary microplastic ingestion in the Mediterranean storm petrel (Hydrobates pelagicus melitensis), a small pelagic seabird that forages on plankton and inhabit the Mediterranean sea, one of the most polluted seas worldwide. We collected spontaneous regurgitates from 30 chick-rearing individuals and used GPS tracking data from 7 additional individuals to locate foraging areas. Birds foraged in pelagic areas characterized by water stirring and mixing, and regurgitates from 14 individuals (i.e. 45 %) contained microplastics. Fibers were the dominant shape (56 %), with polyester, polyethylene and nylon being the most frequent polymers. Our findings highlight the potential sensitivity of this species of conservation interest to plastic pollution and suggest that storm petrel regurgitates can be a valuable matrix to investigate microplastic ingestion in planktonic foragers, providing a characterization of spatio-temporal patterns of microplastic exposure in pelagic environments.