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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Seabirds from the poles: microplastics pollution sentinels
ClearSeabirds from the poles: microplastics pollution sentinels
Scientists reviewed studies showing that seabirds in the Arctic and Antarctica are eating tiny plastic pieces called microplastics, with birds containing an average of 7-35 plastic fragments per sample. This matters because these remote polar regions were once considered pristine, but plastic pollution has now reached even these far-off places through ocean currents and wind. Since seabirds are early warning signs of environmental health, their contamination suggests that plastic pollution is spreading everywhere in our oceans and food webs.
Seabirds from the poles: microplastics pollution sentinels
Researchers reviewed four decades of studies on microplastic ingestion by seabirds in Arctic and Antarctic regions, covering at least 13 species. They found that polar seabirds regularly ingest microplastics, with polyethylene being the most common type detected. The study highlights that even some of the most remote ecosystems on Earth are not immune to plastic pollution.
Exposure to microplastics by pelagic and coastal seabirds from temperate and tropical environments
Researchers examined microplastic exposure in pelagic and coastal seabird species from temperate and tropical marine environments, using the birds' broad spatial distribution and feeding behavior to assess microplastic distribution and concentration patterns across oceanic regions.
Microplastic Pollution in Penguins from Antarctic Peninsula
Researchers investigated microplastic pollution in penguins from the Antarctic Peninsula, examining the presence and characteristics of plastic particles in these seabirds as indicators of contamination in one of the most remote marine ecosystems on Earth.
Microplastics and other anthropogenic particles in Antarctica: Using penguins as biological samplers
Researchers analyzed stomach contents of three Antarctic penguin species for microplastics and other anthropogenic particles, finding MPs in all three species and suggesting that penguins could serve as biological samplers to track plastic pollution trends in remote polar waters.
Presence of microplastics and endocrine-disrupting chemicals on subantarctic seabirds
Researchers detected microplastics and endocrine-disrupting chemicals in subantarctic seabirds, finding contamination in species nesting in remote locations far from direct pollution sources. The findings indicate that ocean currents and atmospheric transport deliver contaminants to even the most isolated seabird colonies.
Microplastics in gentoo penguins from the Antarctic region
Microplastic particles were found in the digestive tracts of gentoo penguins sampled from the Antarctic region, adding to evidence that even the remote Southern Ocean ecosystem is contaminated with plastic pollution. The study raises concerns about how microplastic ingestion may affect the health and foraging efficiency of Antarctic seabirds.
Floating macro- and microplastics around the Southern Ocean: Results from the Antarctic Circumnavigation Expedition
Researchers surveyed floating macro- and microplastic pollution around the Southern Ocean islands, providing baseline abundance estimates for high southern latitudes. The data reveal that plastic contamination extends even to remote polar regions, with seabirds in the area confirmed to have been ingesting plastics since at least the 1960s.
Microplastic pollution in the Greenland Sea: Background levels and selective contamination of planktivorous diving seabirds
Researchers quantified microplastic contamination in the Greenland Sea, studying both surface water samples and planktivorous diving seabirds. The study found that despite being far from major pollution sources, the Arctic contains measurable microplastic levels and that seabirds in the region are selectively contaminated, confirming the widespread reach of microplastic pollution.
Seabirds as indicators of distribution, trends and population level effects of plastics in the Arctic marine environment. Workshop Report
This workshop report examines the use of seabirds as indicators of plastic and microplastic pollution in Arctic marine environments, summarizing current monitoring methods and knowledge gaps. Seabirds accumulate plastics through ingestion, making them useful sentinels for tracking pollution trends.
Microplastics in polar regions: An early warning to the world's pristine ecosystem
This review summarized evidence for microplastic contamination in Arctic and Antarctic environments — including water, sea ice, sediment, and biota — characterizing polar regions as sinks for globally transported plastic particles and calling for improved monitoring to track long-term trends.
Elevated levels of ingested plastic in a high Arctic seabird, the northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis)
Researchers found that 87.5% of northern fulmars — seabirds nesting in the high Arctic near Svalbard — had plastic in their stomachs, exceeding pollution thresholds set for European seas. The finding is alarming because it shows plastic contamination has reached even the remote Arctic, raising urgent concerns as commercial shipping routes in the region expand.
Presence of microplastics and endocrine-disrupting chemicals on subantarctic seabirds
Researchers detected microplastics and endocrine-disrupting chemicals in subantarctic seabirds from remote breeding sites, finding contamination despite geographic isolation from direct pollution sources. The results confirm that oceanic and atmospheric transport pathways carry contaminants to even the most protected seabird habitats.
Birds as Bioindicators: Revealing the Widespread Impact of Microplastics
This systematic review found microplastics in over 200 bird species across the globe, from Antarctica to South Europe. Birds can suffer gut damage, oxidative stress, and toxic chemical buildup from ingesting plastics — a warning sign for broader ecosystem and food chain contamination that could affect humans too.
Microplastic ingestion: Are seabirds more affected than other marine species?
This review examines whether seabirds ingest plastic more frequently than other marine species, finding they are among the most affected groups with high rates of plastic ingestion documented across species. The review discusses factors including foraging behavior, habitat, and ocean plastic concentrations that explain why seabirds are particularly vulnerable.
Co-contaminants of microplastics in two seabird species from the Canadian Arctic
This study examined whether Arctic seabirds that ingest microplastics also accumulate chemical contaminants carried by the plastic particles. The findings suggest that microplastics can act as vectors for delivering toxic chemicals to seabirds, adding to the burden of pollutants already present in Arctic food webs.
Life starts with plastic: High occurrence of plastic pieces in fledglings of northern fulmars
Researchers found that 100% of northern fulmar fledglings examined from Svalbard in the Eurasian Arctic had ingested plastic, averaging 46 particles per bird. The most common plastics were white polyethylene fragments, with microplastics slightly outnumbering larger mesoplastics. The study suggests that fulmar fledglings may serve as effective indicators for monitoring plastic pollution trends over time.
Pellets and Prey Remains as Indicators of the Diet of Two Sympatric Skuas (aves: Stercorariidae) on King George Island, Antarctica
Researchers analyzed pellets and prey remains from two species of Antarctic skuas to understand their feeding habits. This type of dietary study in polar seabirds can reveal whether marine predators are inadvertently ingesting microplastics along with their prey.
The hidden cost of following currents: Microplastic ingestion in a planktivorous seabird
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 in Antarctic krill from the Antarctic Peninsula: distribution, composition, and exposure
Scientists found tiny plastic particles called microplastics inside Antarctic krill, the small shrimp-like creatures that many ocean animals eat. The plastic pollution was widespread across different areas of Antarctica, with larger krill containing more plastic particles than smaller ones. This matters because krill are a key food source in ocean food chains, meaning these plastics could work their way up to fish and other seafood that humans eventually eat.
Plastic occurrence, sources, and impacts in Antarctic environment and biota
Researchers reviewed evidence of plastic pollution in Antarctica, finding microplastics — mostly fibers — in sea ice, ocean water, sediments, and both marine and land animals, raising concern that even the most remote ecosystems on Earth are contaminated and that biodiversity and ecosystem functions may be at risk.
Long-term variations in size and polymer type of meso- and microplastics in seabirds and on beaches since the 1980s
Researchers analyzed plastics found in seabird stomachs and on beaches at a remote South Atlantic island across several decades since the 1980s to track long-term changes in marine plastic pollution. They found shifts in the types and sizes of plastic polymers over time, reflecting changes in global plastic production and how plastics degrade at sea. The study demonstrates that seabirds can serve as effective long-term monitors of floating plastic pollution trends in the ocean.
Co-contaminants of microplastics in two seabird species from the Canadian Arctic
Researchers analyzed the co-contaminants of microplastics ingested by northern fulmars and black-legged kittiwakes from the Canadian Arctic, finding that fulmars had higher plastic loads and greater concentrations of plastic additive compounds, while kittiwakes had higher legacy persistent organic pollutants. Fulmars with larger foraging ranges carried the highest overall contaminant burdens, suggesting they act as long-range transport vectors for plastic-associated pollution.
Microplastics in Southern Ocean sea ice: a pan-Antarctic perspective
The first pan-Antarctic survey of microplastics in Southern Ocean sea ice found an average of 44.8 particles per liter across 19 archived ice core samples, with 19 different polymer types detected even in one of Earth's most remote regions. This confirms that microplastic contamination has reached the polar oceans and is being concentrated and transported by sea ice, with implications for the marine food web as the ice melts.