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Monitoring the occurrence of microplastic ingestion in Otariids along the Peruvian and Chilean coasts
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Researchers monitored microplastic ingestion in four pinniped species across five sites along the Peruvian and Chilean coasts by analyzing 205 scat samples, finding that 68% contained microplastic fragments or fibers — predominantly blue-colored — and that 81.5% were confirmed anthropogenic in origin.
Repeated reports of microplastic pollution in the marine pinniped diet have emerged in the last years. However, only few studies address the drivers of microplastics presence and the potential implications for monitoring microplastic pollution in the ocean. This study monitored their in the scats (N = 205) of four pinniped species/subspecies at five different locations in the southern Pacific Ocean (Peru and Chile). Samples from all rookeries contained microplastics, and overall, 68% of the examined scats contained fragments/fibers, mostly blue colored. We confirmed that 81.5% of the fragments/fibers were anthropogenic in origin , but only 30% were polymers. Scats from Juan Fernández Archipelago presented higher microplastic concentrations than continental rookeries. Also, the common diet in each location may influence the levels found in the samples. This study presents a useful non-invasive technique to track plastic pollution in top predator diets as bioindicators for future surveillance/management plans applied to different location.
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Microplastics in Seabird Feces from Coastal Areas of Central Chile
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Researchers analyzed fecal samples from Dominican gulls, Magellanic penguins, and Humboldt penguins in coastal Chile for microplastic content, finding microplastics in all three species. The results document microplastic ingestion by multiple seabird species in Chilean coastal ecosystems, reflecting ocean contamination in the southeastern Pacific.
Identificación de microplásticos en heces de lobos marinos (Otaria flavescens) en el puerto La Poza, Región del Bio bío, Chile
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Fecal samples from South American sea lions at a Chilean port were analyzed for microplastics and found to contain microfibers of multiple colors, predominantly black. The presence of microplastics in sea lion feces confirms that these animals are ingesting plastic particles — likely through their fish prey — making them useful bioindicators of microplastic circulation in coastal marine food webs. The findings add to growing evidence that marine mammals in South American waters are exposed to plastic pollution through the food chain.
Marine mammals and microplastics: A systematic review and call for standardisation
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Microplastics were found in the gastrointestinal tracts of marine mammals in all but one of 30 studies reviewed, with 0-88 particles per animal, and were detected in pinniped scat in 8 of 10 studies, though considerable methodological inconsistencies make cross-study comparisons difficult.
Microplastics in guano of three Peruvian guano seabird species at Punta Coles, Humboldt Current System
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Microplastics were found in the feces of 80.6% of samples from three Peruvian guano seabird species, with polyester (PET) fibers dominating at 58% of particles. The contamination of guano birds — whose droppings are an economically important fertilizer — signals how pervasive microplastic ingestion is in Humboldt Current marine food webs.
First detection of plastic microfibers in a wild population of South American fur seals (Arctocephalus australis) in the Chilean Northern Patagonia
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Researchers detected plastic microfibers in scats of South American fur seals (Arctocephalus australis) in Chilean Northern Patagonia, providing the first evidence of microfiber contamination in this wild pinniped population and highlighting marine microplastic exposure in a relatively remote Southern Hemisphere habitat.
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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.