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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Seabirds as indicators of distribution, trends and population level effects of plastics in the Arctic marine environment. Workshop Report
ClearMonitoring litter and microplastics in Arctic mammals and birds
This review evaluates approaches for monitoring litter and microplastic ingestion in Arctic mammals and birds, assessing both the strengths and limitations of using wildlife as pollution indicators. Researchers found that while some species provide useful data on spatial and temporal pollution trends, monitoring programs need to be carefully designed to account for species-specific feeding behaviors and habitats. The study emphasizes the importance of standardized methods for tracking plastic pollution's impacts on Arctic biodiversity and the communities that rely on these animals for food.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Seabirds 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.
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.
Seabirds from the poles: microplastics pollution sentinels
Scientists reviewed 40 years of research and found that seabirds in the Arctic and Antarctica are eating tiny plastic pieces, with birds containing an average of 7-35 plastic fragments each. This matters because these remote polar regions were once considered pristine, but plastic pollution has now reached even these far-off places. Since seabirds are early warning signs of environmental problems, their plastic contamination suggests that microplastics are spreading everywhere in our oceans and food webs.
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.
Birds and plastic pollution: recent advances
This review summarizes how plastic pollution affects birds across both aquatic and terrestrial habitats, covering ingestion, entanglement, and chemical exposure from macro- and microplastics. Researchers found that hundreds of bird species have accumulated plastic in their tissues, with effects ranging from physical injury to hormonal disruption and reproductive harm. The study positions birds as valuable indicator species for monitoring the broader environmental impact of plastic pollution.
Breeding seabirds as vectors of microplastics from sea to land: Evidence from colonies in Arctic Canada
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.
Birds as bioindicators of plastic pollution in terrestrial and freshwater environments: A 30-year review
This 30-year review of 106 studies examines how birds in freshwater and land environments are affected by plastic pollution. Most research has focused on larger plastic pieces, while microplastic exposure in these bird species is understudied and nanoplastic exposure has not been investigated at all. The authors urge researchers to develop standardized methods for measuring small plastic particles in birds, which could serve as valuable warning signs of plastic pollution across ecosystems.
Microplastics in the realm of Svalbard: current knowledge and future perspective (MIRES)
This review chapter summarises current knowledge of microplastic pollution in Svalbard and the broader Arctic, documenting ingestion by zooplankton, crustaceans, fish, seabirds, and mammals, and identifying key research gaps and future monitoring priorities for the region.
Evaluation of meso- and microplastic ingestion by the northern fulmar through a non-lethal sampling method
Using a non-lethal stomach flushing method on Arctic fulmars at Svalbard, researchers found plastics in only three of 22 birds — much lower burdens than previously reported — but identified a key methodological limitation: the technique misses plastics accumulated in the gizzard where most plastic concentrates. The study is valuable for showing that repeated, non-lethal sampling of the same individuals over time is possible, which could improve long-term plastic ingestion monitoring in seabirds.
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.
Can plastic related chemicals be indicators of plastic ingestion in an Arctic seabird?
Researchers measured plastic-related chemicals in the blood and liver of Arctic seabirds known to ingest large amounts of plastic, finding that most chemical concentrations did not correlate with the amount of plastic ingested — suggesting seabirds are also exposed to these chemicals through their food, not just through eating plastic.
Fulmar litter threshold value monitoring in the Netherlands : update 2020
This Dutch monitoring report provides an updated assessment of plastic litter found in the stomachs of northern fulmars, seabirds used as indicators of marine plastic pollution in the Netherlands. Fulmar stomach contents are a long-established and sensitive measure of trends in marine plastic debris, including the particles that become microplastics.
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.
The 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.
Microplastics around an Arctic seabird colony: Particle community composition varies across environmental matrices
Microplastic particle communities were characterized across multiple environmental matrices around an Arctic seabird colony, finding that matrix type strongly influenced particle composition, with air, water, sediment, and bird samples each showing distinct microplastic signatures.
Microplastic toxicity: A review of the role of marine sentinel species in assessing the environmental and public health impacts
Researchers reviewed how marine animals — particularly seabirds like the herring gull — can serve as sentinel species to monitor the real-world health effects of microplastic exposure across ecosystems. Because plastic pollution affects biological pathways shared across many species including humans, studying wildlife that naturally ingests varying amounts of plastic offers valuable insights into long-term toxicity risks.
Micro-and macro-plastics in marine species from Nordic waters
This study surveyed micro- and macro-plastic contamination in marine species collected from Nordic waters, finding plastic in fish, crustaceans, and seabirds from multiple locations. The results document the geographic extent of microplastic ingestion across commercially and ecologically important Nordic marine species.