Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Métodos para avaliação da exposição a poluentes plásticos em procellariiformes

This paper reviews methods for assessing plastic exposure in Procellariiformes seabirds — including albatrosses and petrels — focusing on how to measure plastic ingestion in both live and beached birds. Standardized methods are needed to monitor how plastic pollution affects these ocean-going birds over time.

2021 Biodiversidade Brasileira 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Interspecific variability in plastic ingested by Procellariiformes off the Uruguayan coast.

This study assessed plastic ingestion in albatrosses and petrels caught as fishing bycatch in the Southwest Atlantic, finding significant species differences — with petrels ingesting plastic far more frequently than albatrosses. Larger species tended to ingest larger plastic items, and findings indicate these seabirds encounter persistent plastic pollution throughout the southern oceans.

2023 Marine pollution bulletin
Article Tier 2

Assessing the risks of marine debris ingestion to Procellariiform seabirds

This study assessed the risks of marine debris ingestion for Procellariiform seabirds — one of the world's most threatened bird groups — finding that plastic ingestion poses significant risks to health and survival. The analysis highlights how plastic pollution interacts with other stressors affecting globally threatened seabird species.

2018 Open Access Repository (University of Tasmania) 1 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2019 Revista de Iniciación Científica 2 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2022 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Plastic ingestion by seabirds in New Caledonia, South Pacific

Researchers examined stomach contents of 90 seabirds from 12 species in New Caledonia and found plastic debris in 14.4% of individuals, with the highest rates in procellariids (petrels and shearwaters), providing the first plastic ingestion baseline for this Pacific island region.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 20 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2022 Marine Pollution Bulletin 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Contamination of coastal and marine bird species with plastics: Global analysis and synthesis

This review summarizes global data on plastic contamination in coastal and marine bird species across all seven continents, finding that seabirds like fulmars, shearwaters, and albatrosses are the most heavily affected. Birds ingest microplastics, mesoplastics, and macroplastics that can cause death directly through gut blockage and indirectly through toxic chemicals absorbed onto or released from the plastic. Several contaminated species are already classified as endangered.

2024 Marine Pollution Bulletin 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic ingestion in seabirds of the western Indian Ocean

Researchers examined stomach contents of 222 seabirds from nine species in the western Indian Ocean and found plastic in all species, with tropical shearwaters (79%) and Barau's petrels (59%) most affected, and juvenile birds carrying significantly greater plastic mass than adults, indicating regional ocean plastic pollution and age-dependent exposure risks.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 71 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2024 Frontiers in Marine Science 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic debris ingestion by seabirds on the Korean Peninsula

Researchers examined plastic ingestion in 387 seabirds of 11 species on the Korean Peninsula and found the highest frequency in Swinhoe's storm petrels (93.7%), with plastic characteristics varying by species feeding ecology, providing baseline data for monitoring marine debris impacts in East Asian waters.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Size and dynamics of microplastic in gastrointestinal tracts of Northern Fulmars ( Fulmarus glacialis ) and Sooty Shearwaters ( Ardenna grisea )

Researchers examined microplastic in the gastrointestinal tracts of 143 Northern Fulmars and 25 Sooty Shearwaters stranded on Oregon and Washington beaches, finding plastic in 89.5% and 64% of birds respectively, with larger particles concentrated in the stomach's upper chamber and no significant reduction in plastic load in birds held in a plastic-free rehabilitation environment for up to seven days.

2017 Marine Pollution Bulletin 116 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2025 Environmental Pollution 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Diet of non-breeding leach’s storm-petrels (Hydrobates leucorhous) in the sub-polar frontal zone of the North Atlantic

Researchers characterized the diet of non-breeding Leach's storm-petrels in the North Atlantic using stomach content analysis and stable isotope techniques. While the primary focus was on natural prey items, the study also documented the presence of ingested plastic debris in the birds' stomachs. The findings contribute to understanding how pelagic seabirds interact with marine plastic pollution during their non-breeding periods at sea.

2024 Marine Biology 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Threat of plastic pollution to seabirds is global, pervasive, and increasing

Researchers performed a global spatial risk analysis combining ocean plastic distribution data with the ranges of 186 seabird species to assess which birds face the greatest threat from plastic ingestion. They found that nearly 60% of all seabird species have been documented with plastic in their guts, and predicted that 99% of species will be affected by 2050 at current trends. The study identifies the Southern Ocean as a particular hotspot of risk where high plastic concentrations overlap with diverse and vulnerable seabird populations.

2015 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 940 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterization of Plastics Ingested by the Bioindicator Cory’s Shearwater from Tenerife Island (Canary Islands): Implications for Marine Environmental Monitoring

Researchers characterised 674 plastic items found in the stomachs of Cory's shearwater fledglings from the Canary Islands, finding that ingested plastics were predominantly large microplastics (1-5 mm, 82%) with threadlike morphology, and that the birds serve as effective bioindicators of marine plastic pollution in the eastern Atlantic.

2025 Microplastics
Article Tier 2

Shorebirds ingest plastics too: what we know, what we do not know, and what we should do next

This review synthesized existing knowledge on plastic ingestion by shorebirds, finding that despite high potential exposure through foraging in contaminated habitats, research on shorebird plastic ingestion remains limited and requires more systematic investigation.

2022 Environmental Reviews 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Anthropogenic Debris Ingestion by Avifauna in Eastern Australia

A study of Australian coastal and marine birds found widespread ingestion of anthropogenic debris across many species, with diving and surface-feeding birds most affected. This research highlights that plastic pollution poses a direct physical threat to seabird health across a broad range of Australian species, with debris ingestion linked to feeding ecology.

2016 PLoS ONE 71 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2021 Oecologia Australis 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption behaviors of triclosan by non-biodegradable and biodegradable microplastics: Kinetics and mechanism

This study assessed microplastic ingestion by seven seabird species in the North Atlantic, finding plastic in the stomach contents of 87% of individuals. Procellariform birds had the highest ingestion rates, consistent with their foraging behavior near the sea surface.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 68 citations
Article Tier 2

Global assessment of marine plastic exposure risk for oceanic birds

Researchers combined ocean plastic density maps with GPS tracking data for over 7,000 seabirds across 77 petrel species to identify where birds are most likely to encounter and accidentally eat plastic debris. High-risk zones were identified in the Mediterranean, northeast Pacific, and South Atlantic, with threatened species facing disproportionately greater exposure — often in international waters beyond any single country's control.

2023 Nature Communications 88 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic ingestion in aquatic birds in Portugal

Plastic was found in the stomachs of multiple species of aquatic birds in Portugal, with seabirds more likely to contain plastic than freshwater birds. The findings confirm that birds across Portuguese aquatic environments are routinely ingesting plastic, making them useful sentinels for monitoring plastic pollution.

2018 Marine Pollution Bulletin 74 citations
Article Tier 2

Seabirds in a flap: The ingestion of meso/macro marine debris, microplastics and oil/tar by marine and coastal birds in the United Arab Emirates

Researchers documented the first published data on solid marine debris, microplastic, and oil ingestion by seabirds in the Arabian Gulf and Red Sea, finding that multiple coastal and marine bird species in the Middle East regularly ingest plastic particles and petroleum residues.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Seabirds: studies with parasitofauna and potential indicator for environmental anthropogenic impacts

Seabirds act as environmental sentinels because they accumulate plastic debris, chemical contaminants, and parasites that reflect the health of marine ecosystems. This review calls for seabird monitoring to be integrated with broader marine pollution tracking efforts.

2020 Semina Ciências Agrárias 7 citations