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Movement of Marine-Based Microplastics from Seabird Guano to Terrestrial Ecosystems
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Researchers examined guano (droppings) from red-footed booby seabirds at six sites on Palmyra Atoll, a protected island ecosystem. All samples contained microplastic fibers made of polyethylene terephthalate, suggesting seabirds can carry marine microplastic pollution onto land.
abstract: Microplastics are defined as small pieces of plastics that are less than five millimeters in size. These microplastics can vary in their appearance, are known to be harmful to aquatic life and can threaten life cycles of marine organisms because of their chemical make-up and the toxic additives used in their manufacture. Although small in size, it is hypothesized that microplastics can serve as an example of how human activities can alter ecosystems near and far. To investigate the implications and determine the potential impact of microplastics on a protected atoll’s ecosystems, red-footed booby (Sula sula) guano samples from six locations on Palmyra Atoll were acquired from North Carolina State University via The Nature Conservancy and were inspected for the presence of microplastics. Each of the guano samples were weighed and prepared via wet oxidation. Microplastic fibers were detected via stereoscope microscopy and analyzed for chemical composition via Raman spectroscopy. All six sampling locations within Palmyra Atoll contained microplastic fibers identified as polyethylene terephthalate, with North-South Causeway and Eastern Island having the highest average number of microplastic fibers found per gram of guano sample (n = 0.611). These data provide evidence that seabirds can serve as vectors for the spread of microplastic pollution. This research lends context to the widespread impact of plastic pollution and states possible implications of its presence in delicate ecosystems.
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Seabird Transfer of Marine Microplastic Fibers to Terrestrial Soils Via the Accumulation of Guano at Palmyra Atoll, Northern Line Islands, Central Pacific Ocean
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Red-footed Boobies at Palmyra Atoll were found to transfer marine microplastic fibers to terrestrial soils through their guano, completing a two-vector ocean-to-land transport pathway. This documents a previously unrecognized mechanism by which seabirds act as biological vectors spreading marine microplastic contamination into remote island ecosystems far from human activity.
Breeding seabirds as vectors of microplastics from sea to land: Evidence from colonies in Arctic Canada
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Breeding seabirds were studied as potential vectors transporting microplastics from the sea to land via regurgitation and excretion at colony sites. Evidence from colony soils confirmed that seabirds transfer marine-sourced microplastics to terrestrial environments, with colony sites accumulating elevated microplastic concentrations compared to surrounding habitats.
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.
Seabirds as biovectors in the transport of plastic debris across ecosystem borders: A case study from the Humboldt Current Upwelling System
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This study examined how seabirds transport plastic debris across ecosystem boundaries, finding that foraging at sea and nesting on land creates significant cross-ecosystem transfer of plastics through regurgitation, feces, and nest materials.
Garbage in guano? Microplastic debris found in faecal precursors of seabirds known to ingest plastics
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Microplastics including fibers and fragments were detected in faecal precursors (pellets) from seabirds known to ingest plastics, providing non-lethal evidence of plastic ingestion that could be used in monitoring programs. The method offers a practical way to assess plastic ingestion in protected seabird species without requiring destructive sampling.
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