Reshape and relocate: seabirds as transformers and transporters of microplastics

The reduced abundance of industrial plastic granules in seabird stomachs since the 1980's (Van Franeker et al. 5IMDC abstract 0054;Vlietstra and Parga 2002;Ryan 2008) suggests that plastic debris may disappear faster from the marine environment than would be expected from physical characteristics of the material.Plastics may end up in benthic or coastal sediments, from where bottom or beach clean ups may truly reduce the amount of plastic litter in the environment.Many marine organisms ingest plastic litter.Does such ingestion behaviour help, or maybe counteract the cleaning up of the marine environment? METHODOLOGYMany seabird species ingest significant quantities of different types of marine plastic debris.Some species regurgitate poorly digestible remains from the stomach, whereas others can only get rid of the materials by 'grinding' items until they are small enough to pass the gut.The Northern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis), and most of its relatives, uses the latter mode of processing ingested items.Using methods from the North Sea Fulmar monitoring system (van Franeker et al. 5IMDC abstract 0054), studies in polar environments give some quantitative insights into the processing of ingested plastics in seabird stomachs and the environmental implications.