We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Microplastics in special protected areas for migratory birds in the Bay of Biscay
Summary
Beaches within bird protection areas in the Bay of Biscay contained 145-382 microplastic particles per kg of dry sand, relatively high for European beaches, with open coastline beaches showing higher densities than sheltered estuarine ones, and bird droppings from shags and gulls confirming fiber ingestion.
Plastic pollution is a major ecological catastrophe that endangers vulnerable species. Small plastic fragments and filaments enter the food web in the ocean threatening marine species health. Here microplastics between 0.5 and 5 mm were quantified from eight beaches of southwest Bay of Biscay (Spain) within Natura-2000 Special Protection Areas for birds. Sand samples were taken using a randomized quadrat-based protocol. Between 145 and 382 particles per kg of dry sand were found, which is relatively high in comparison with other European beaches. Microfibers were more abundant than microplastics. PERMANOVA revealed a significant effect of the beach location (inside versus outside the estuary). Open beaches contained a higher microplastic density than sheltered ones suggesting that many beached microplastics come from the ocean. Birds are at risk in the studied protected spaces as revealed from high concentrations of fibres in depositions of European shag and gulls.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
The use of European shag pellets as indicators of microplastic fibers in the marine environment
Synthetic fibers were found in pellets regurgitated by European shag seabirds in northern Spain, providing a non-lethal method for monitoring microplastic pollution in coastal marine environments. Seabird pellets could serve as a low-cost, repeatable indicator of local microplastic contamination.
Plastic pollution in a special protected area for migratory birds
This study measured plastic pollution — including microplastics — in a special protected area designated for migratory birds, finding widespread contamination despite the area's protected status. The presence of plastics poses ingestion and entanglement risks to bird species that rely on the habitat.
Microplastics in faeces of European shags Gulosus aristotelis in central Norway
Researchers analyzed microplastics in 36 fecal samples from European shag chicks in central Norway to quantify egested microplastics using a non-lethal sampling method. Microplastics were detected in the majority of samples, dominated by fibers, confirming that seabirds in Norwegian coastal waters are routinely ingesting plastic debris.
Prey choice and ingestion of microplastics by common shelducks and common eiders in the Wadden Sea World Heritage Site
Researchers found microplastic contamination in over 92% of stomach samples and 74–86% of fecal samples from common eiders and common shelducks in the Wadden Sea, with plastic filaments under 5mm dominating, suggesting widespread and near-universal ingestion by these coastal seabirds.
The coastal waters of the south-east Bay of Biscay a dead-end for neustonic plastics
Researchers collected neustonic surface samples along the coastal waters of the south-east Bay of Biscay from 2017 to 2020, finding an average plastic abundance of 739,395 items/km2 with microplastics comprising 93% of items, and demonstrating that French coastal waters had five times higher plastic concentrations than Spanish coasts, consistent with numerical model predictions of this region as a convergence zone.