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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Microplastics in special protected areas for migratory birds in the Bay of Biscay
ClearThe 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.
Microplastics in the Bay of Biscay: An overview
Microplastics are widespread in the Bay of Biscay across water, sediment, and marine organisms, with polypropylene, polyethylene, polyester, and polystyrene being the most common polymers. The review identifies this region as having moderate to high levels of microplastic contamination, driven by coastal urban and industrial activity.
Microplastics in sediments of artificially recharged lagoons: Case study in a Biosphere Reserve
Microplastics were found in sediments of shallow wetland lagoons in Spain, with wastewater-receiving lagoons having higher concentrations and more fibers and fragments. The study suggests that even protected wetlands declared UNESCO Biosphere Reserves are accumulating microplastic pollution from agricultural and urban water sources.
Presence of plastic particles in waterbirds faeces collected in Spanish lakes
Researchers analyzed feces from three waterbird species (coot, mallard, shelduck) at five inland wetlands in Spain, finding plastic debris in 44–60% of individuals, suggesting that freshwater waterfowl ingest plastic at frequencies comparable to marine seabirds, likely from agricultural plastic debris surrounding the lakes.
Microplastic accumulation in the gastrointestinal tracts of nestling and adult migratory birds
Researchers examined microplastic accumulation in the gastrointestinal tracts of both nestling and adult migratory birds across six species, finding widespread plastic ingestion with fibers predominating, suggesting that microplastic exposure begins early in avian life stages.
High microplastic pollution in birds of urban waterbodies revealed by non-invasively collected faecal samples
Researchers analyzed bird droppings from urban freshwater habitats in Germany and found microplastic particles, mainly fibers, in 98% of samples across all species studied. The pollution levels were substantially higher than those reported in other freshwater bird studies, likely reflecting the heavy contamination of urban waterways. Since all the investigated species are at least partially migratory, the findings suggest birds may transport microplastics over long distances.
Plastic Debris in Nests of Two Water Bird Species Breeding on Inland Saline Lakes in a Mediterranean Biosphere Reserve
Researchers found anthropogenic debris, primarily macroplastics, in 2.4% and 12% of nests of two waterbird species breeding on inland salt lakes in a Spanish biosphere reserve. The results demonstrate plastic pollution reaches freshwater and terrestrial breeding habitats far from the ocean.
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.
Spatial distribution of macro- and micro-litter items along rocky and sandy beaches of a Marine Protected Area in the western Mediterranean Sea
Macro- and micro-litter were mapped across rocky and sandy beaches within a marine protected area in the Balearic Islands, finding a mean macrolitter concentration of about 1.9 items per square meter and widespread microplastic presence in sandy sediments. Plastic fragments and films were the dominant litter categories, highlighting recreational pressure even in protected coastal areas.
Plastic and other microfibers in sediments, macroinvertebrates and shorebirds from three intertidal wetlands of southern Europe and west Africa
This study measured microfibers and other microplastics in sediments, macroinvertebrates, and shorebirds across estuaries in Portugal with varying levels of urban impact. The research found that microplastic contamination increased with human population pressure and was transferred up the food web from invertebrates to birds.
Abundance, morphology and chemical composition of microplastics in sand and sediments from a protected coastal area: The Mar Menor lagoon (SE Spain)
Microplastics were found throughout sand and sediments of the Mar Menor lagoon in southeastern Spain, a protected coastal wetland, with concentrations and polymer types varying by location and depth. The study documents that even legally protected coastal habitats are not shielded from microplastic contamination, raising concerns for the lagoon's fragile ecosystem.
Chemical and Physical Characterisation of Microplastics Present on Beaches of the Cantabrian Coast, Bay of Biscay (Spain)
Chemical and physical characterization of microplastics from a specific environment revealed details about polymer composition, particle shape, and surface weathering state. Such characterization studies are essential baselines for understanding the sources, pathways, and potential biological impacts of microplastics.
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.
Unraveling Plastic Pollution in Protected Terrestrial Raptors Using Regurgitated Pellets
Regurgitated pellets from six protected raptor species in Spain contained microplastics and artificial fibers, with prevalence and composition varying by species and feeding ecology, providing the first evidence of plastic pollution in terrestrial birds of prey via their prey items.
Micro- and mesoplastic contaminants in marine diving ducks: A first assessments from the coast of Japan
Researchers conducted the first assessment of plastic contamination in two species of mollusk-eating seaducks wintering along Japan's Pacific coast and found microplastics in all ten birds examined. The vast majority of particles were tiny fragments under 200 micrometers, a size class previously overlooked in seaduck studies, suggesting these birds ingest microplastics primarily through their contaminated 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 (MPs) distribution in Surface Sediments of the Freidounkenar Paddy Wetland
Researchers documented microplastic contamination for the first time in the sediments of Freidounkenar International Wetland in northern Iran, finding 1,368 MP/kg with fibers and fragments dominating, posing a risk to migratory bird habitat.
The influence of depositional environment on the abundance of microplastic pollution on beaches in the Bristol Channel, UK
Researchers assessed the extent and variability of microplastic pollution across multiple beaches in the Bristol Channel, UK, finding that depositional environment characteristics significantly influenced the abundance and distribution of microplastic contamination in beach sand.
Microplastic distribution in surface sediments along the Spanish Mediterranean continental shelf
Researchers found microplastic contamination in coastal sediments along the Spanish Mediterranean continental shelf between Algeciras and Barcelona, with densities ranging from below detection limits to 1,380 particles per kilogram dry weight, predominantly fibers and fragments.
Microplastic ingestion by pelagic and benthic fish and diet composition: A case study in the NW Iberian shelf
Researchers found microplastics in 78% of fish examined across four pelagic and benthic species from the NW Iberian shelf, with ingestion rates varying by feeding ecology and habitat depth, and identified predominantly fibers and fragments in gastrointestinal contents following alkaline tissue digestion.