1
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Collard F, Tulatz F, Harju M, Herzke D, Bourgeon S, Gabrielsen GW. Can plastic related chemicals be indicators of plastic ingestion in an Arctic seabird? CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 355:141721. [PMID: 38522675 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.141721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
For decades, the northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) has been found to ingest and accumulate high loads of plastic due to its feeding ecology and digestive tract morphology. Plastic ingestion can lead to both physical and toxicological effects as ingested plastics can be a pathway for hazardous chemicals into seabirds' tissues. Many of these contaminants are ubiquitous in the environment and the contribution of plastic ingestion to the uptake of those contaminants in seabirds' tissues is poorly known. In this study we aimed at quantifying several plastic-related chemicals (PRCs) -PBDE209, several dechloranes and several phthalate metabolites- and assessing their relationship with plastic burdens (both mass and number) to further investigate their potential use as proxies for plastic ingestion. Blood samples from fulmar fledglings and liver samples from both fledgling and non-fledgling fulmars were collected for PRC quantification. PBDE209 and dechloranes were quantified in 39 and 33 livers, respectively while phthalates were quantified in plasma. Plastic ingestion in these birds has been investigated previously and showed a higher prevalence in fledglings. PBDE209 was detected in 28.2 % of the liver samples. Dechlorane 602 was detected in all samples while Dechloranes 601 and 604 were not detected in any sample. Dechlorane 603 was detected in 11 individuals (33%). Phthalates were detected in one third of the analysed blood samples. Overall, no significant positive correlation was found between plastic burdens and PRC concentrations. However, a significant positive relationship between PBDE209 and plastic number was found in fledglings, although likely driven by one outlier. Our study shows the complexity of PRC exposure, the timeline of plastic ingestion and subsequent uptake of PRCs into the tissues in birds, the additional exposure of these chemicals via their prey, even in a species ingesting high loads of plastic.
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Affiliation(s)
- France Collard
- Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI), Fram Centre, N-9296, Tromsø, Norway; Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Fram Centre, N-9296, Tromsø, Norway.
| | - Felix Tulatz
- Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI), Fram Centre, N-9296, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Mikael Harju
- The Climate and Environmental Research Institute (NILU), Fram Centre, N-9296, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Dorte Herzke
- The Climate and Environmental Research Institute (NILU), Fram Centre, N-9296, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Sophie Bourgeon
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, The Arctic University of Norway (UiT), N-9037, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Geir W Gabrielsen
- Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI), Fram Centre, N-9296, Tromsø, Norway
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2
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Rodríguez Y, Rodríguez A, van Loon WMGM, Pereira JM, Frias J, Duncan EM, Garcia S, Herrera L, Marqués C, Neves V, Domínguez-Hernández C, Hernández-Borges J, Rodríguez B, Pham CK. Cory's shearwater as a key bioindicator for monitoring floating plastics. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2024; 186:108595. [PMID: 38552271 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
The potential of using organisms as bioindicators of marine litter has been an area of general interest in multiple scientific and monitoring programs across the globe. Procellariiformes seabirds are particularly vulnerable to plastic contamination, which makes them a research focus group. This study investigated plastic ingestion in deceased fledglings and adults Cory's shearwaters (Calonectris borealis) collected over eight years (2015 to 2022) at two Atlantic archipelagos: the Azores and the Canaries. Necropsies were carried out in a total of 1,238 individuals showing a high prevalence of plastic ingestion (90%), with approximately 80% of items recovered from the gizzard. Fledglings carried greater plastic loads compared to adults, yet plastic morphologies were similar between both age classes. The temporal analyses conducted with generalised additive mixed-effect models revealed a distinct temporal trend in plastic numbers, but not in terms of plastic mass. In addition, the spatial analyses showed that Cory's shearwaters from the Canary Islands ingest a higher quantity of plastic and a greater proportion of threadlike items than the Azorean birds. These results suggest higher contamination at the NW Africa foraging grounds next to the Canaries and highlight fisheries as a potential source of marine litter in that region. On the other hand, the information gathered from the Azorean birds suggests they would be able to monitor changes in the composition of the plastic items floating in the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre. Overall, our outcomes support the use of Cory's shearwater fledglings that are victims of light pollution as a key bioindicator of plastic contamination in the North Atlantic. For its policy application, the presented threshold value in combination with the assessment method will enable effective tracking of floating plastic litter in the framework of the MSFD and OSPAR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasmina Rodríguez
- Instituto de Investigação em Ciências do Mar - OKEANOS, Universidade dos Açores, 9900-138 HORTA, Portugal.
| | - Airam Rodríguez
- Canary Islands' Ornithology and Natural History Group (GOHNIC), Buenavista del Norte, Canary Islands, Spain; Terrestrial Ecology Group (TEG-UAM), Department of Ecology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN), CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Willem M G M van Loon
- Rijkswaterstaat, Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, Zuiderwagenplein 2, 8224 AD Lelystad, the Netherlands
| | - João M Pereira
- Instituto de Investigação em Ciências do Mar - OKEANOS, Universidade dos Açores, 9900-138 HORTA, Portugal
| | - João Frias
- Marine and Freshwater Research Centre (MFRC), Atlantic Technological University (ATU), Old Dublin Rd., Galway H91 T8NW, Ireland
| | - Emily M Duncan
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9EZ, United Kingdom
| | - Sofia Garcia
- Direção Regional de Políticas Marítimas, Secretaria Regional do Mar e das Pescas, Colónia Alemã - Apartado 9, 9900-014 Horta, Portugal
| | - Laura Herrera
- Instituto de Investigação em Ciências do Mar - OKEANOS, Universidade dos Açores, 9900-138 HORTA, Portugal
| | - Cristina Marqués
- Canary Islands' Ornithology and Natural History Group (GOHNIC), Buenavista del Norte, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Verónica Neves
- Instituto de Investigação em Ciências do Mar - OKEANOS, Universidade dos Açores, 9900-138 HORTA, Portugal
| | - Cristopher Domínguez-Hernández
- Departamento de Química, Unidad Departamental de Química Analítica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez s/n. 38206, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain; Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez s/n. 38206, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Javier Hernández-Borges
- Departamento de Química, Unidad Departamental de Química Analítica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez s/n. 38206, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain; Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez s/n. 38206, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Beneharo Rodríguez
- Canary Islands' Ornithology and Natural History Group (GOHNIC), Buenavista del Norte, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Christopher K Pham
- Instituto de Investigação em Ciências do Mar - OKEANOS, Universidade dos Açores, 9900-138 HORTA, Portugal
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3
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Baes L, Santiago CD, Roman L, Dos Santos Costa PC, Pugliesi É, Reigada C. Beached seabirds as plastic biomonitors in Brazil from the Beach Monitoring Project of the Santos Basin (PMP-BS). MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 199:115847. [PMID: 38181467 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 06/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024]
Abstract
Bioindicator species are useful to monitor wildlife exposure to plastic pollution, and responses to plastic leakage and policy interventions. Here we explore the biomonitoring potential of different seabird and shorebirds species across six years of monitoring in Brazil. Using the necropsy stranding database of the Beach Monitoring Project of the Santos Basin (PMP-BS), we evaluated i) the frequency of birds-plastic interactions in Brazil; ii) whether plastic interactions have changed through time and in different coastal regions; and iii) potential bioindicators for monitoring the exposure of seabirds to plastic in the nearshore South Atlantic Ocean. We found 37 species that had ingested plastic, including ten new records, found that the rates of tube-nosed seabirds increased through time, and suggested two potential species. We discuss the potential for biomonitoring marine pollution in the South Atlantic Ocean using PMP-BS, providing a scheme for a better plastic pollution monitoring in Brazil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Baes
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Recursos Naturais, Universidade Federal de São Carlos - UFSCar, Washington Luiz, s/n - Monjolinho, São Carlos, SP 13565-905, Brazil; Instituto de Pesquisas Cananéia, Av. Nina, 523 - Bairro Retiro das Caravelas, Cananéia, SP 11990-000, Brazil; Laboratório de Ecologia de Interações, Departamento de Ecologia e Biologia Evolutiva, Universidade Federal de São Carlos - UFSCar, Rod. Washington Luiz, s/n - Monjolinho, São Carlos, SP 13565-905, Brazil.
| | - Cristine Diniz Santiago
- Departamento de Ciências Ambientais, Universidade Federal de São Carlos - UFSCar, Washington Luiz, s/n - Monjolinho, São Carlos, SP 13565-905, Brazil
| | - Lauren Roman
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Battery Point, Hobart, Tasmania 7004, Australia; CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, 3-4 Castray Esp, Battery Point, Hobart, Tasmania 7004, Australia
| | - Priscilla Carla Dos Santos Costa
- Instituto de Pesquisas Cananéia, Av. Nina, 523 - Bairro Retiro das Caravelas, Cananéia, SP 11990-000, Brazil; Laboratório de Patologia Comparada de Animais Silvestres FMVZ/USP, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Dr. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87, Cidade Universitária "Armando Salles de Oliveira", São Paulo, SP 05508-270, Brazil
| | - Érica Pugliesi
- Departamento de Ciências Ambientais, Universidade Federal de São Carlos - UFSCar, Washington Luiz, s/n - Monjolinho, São Carlos, SP 13565-905, Brazil
| | - Carolina Reigada
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Interações, Departamento de Ecologia e Biologia Evolutiva, Universidade Federal de São Carlos - UFSCar, Rod. Washington Luiz, s/n - Monjolinho, São Carlos, SP 13565-905, Brazil
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4
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Carrillo-Barragán P, Fitzsimmons C, Lloyd-Hartley H, Tinlin-Mackenzie A, Scott C, Sugden H. Fifty-year study of microplastics ingested by brachyuran and fish larvae in the central English North Sea. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 342:123060. [PMID: 38048869 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.123060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2023] [Revised: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous pollutants in marine environments. Among the many detrimental consequences of microplastic pollution, its consumption by marine biota is of particular relevance for human health, due to exposure through the food web. Long-term time-series biotic samples are overlooked sources of information for microplastics research. These collections are extremely valuable for the detection and monitoring of changes in marine environments. However, there are very few long-term studies (>10 years) of the uptake of microplastics by biota. Here, we used Dove Time Series planktonic samples (from 1971 to 2020) to assess the presence and prevalence of microplastics in the English North Sea coast over time. Fish and brachyuran larvae were selected due to their commercial importance and consequent implications for human health. A custom enzymatic digestion method was used to extract microplastics for FTIR-ATR polymer identification. An increasing cumulative trend in MP ingestion was identified. Cellophane and polyethylene terephthalate were the polymer types found most frequently in both taxa. Although a total higher microplastics uptake was observed in fish, consumption was not significantly different between taxa over time. Equally, results were not clearly related to microplastics shape or polymer type. This work did not find significant long-term evidence on the increasing uptake of microplastic particles by zooplankton over time. However, the results of this report identified additives, plasticisers, and other more complex and hazardous compounds that should not be released to the environment (e.g., bis-(2-hydroxyethyl) dimerate, propylene glycol ricinoleate) inside marine biota. The study detailed herein provides a case study for the use of long-term time-series in providing accurate assessments of microplastic pollution in marine biota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priscilla Carrillo-Barragán
- The Dove Marine Laboratory, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences: Marine Sciences, Newcastle University, Cullercoats, North Shields, NE30 4PZ, UK; Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8ST, UK.
| | - Clare Fitzsimmons
- The Dove Marine Laboratory, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences: Marine Sciences, Newcastle University, Cullercoats, North Shields, NE30 4PZ, UK
| | - Hannah Lloyd-Hartley
- The Dove Marine Laboratory, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences: Marine Sciences, Newcastle University, Cullercoats, North Shields, NE30 4PZ, UK
| | - Ashleigh Tinlin-Mackenzie
- The Dove Marine Laboratory, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences: Marine Sciences, Newcastle University, Cullercoats, North Shields, NE30 4PZ, UK
| | - Catherine Scott
- Natural England, Lancaster House, Hampshire Court, Monarch Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 7YH, UK
| | - Heather Sugden
- The Dove Marine Laboratory, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences: Marine Sciences, Newcastle University, Cullercoats, North Shields, NE30 4PZ, UK
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5
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Benjaminsen SC, Dehnhard N, Herzke D, Johnsen A, Anker-Nilssen T, Bourgeon S, Collard F, Langset M, Christensen-Dalsgaard S, Gabrielsen GW. The challenges of opportunistic sampling when comparing prevalence of plastics in diving seabirds: A multi-species example from Norway. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 199:116037. [PMID: 38242067 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
There is a need for baseline information about how much plastics are ingested by wildlife and potential negative consequences thereof. We analysed the frequency of occurrence (FO) of plastics >1 mm in the stomachs of five pursuit-diving seabird species collected opportunistically. Atlantic puffins (Fratercula arctica) found emaciated on beaches in SW Norway had the highest FO of plastics (58.8 %), followed by emaciated common guillemots (Uria aalge; 9.1 %) also found beached in either SW or SE Norway. No plastics were detected in razorbills (Alca torda), great cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo), and European shags (Gulosus aristotelis) taken as bycatch in northern Norway. This is the first study to report on plastic ingestion of these five species in northern Europe, and it highlights both the usefulness and limitations of opportunistic sampling. Small sample sizes, as well as an unbalanced sample design, complicated the interpretation of the results.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nina Dehnhard
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Høgskoleringen 9, 7034 Trondheim, Norway.
| | - Dorte Herzke
- The Climate and Environmental Research Institute NILU, Fram Centre, Hjalmar Johansens Gate 14, 9296 Tromsø, Norway; Norwegian Institute for Public Health, Lovisenberggt. 8, Oslo, Norway
| | - Arild Johnsen
- Natural History Museum University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1172 Blindern, 0318 Oslo, Norway
| | - Tycho Anker-Nilssen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Høgskoleringen 9, 7034 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Sophie Bourgeon
- UiT - The Arctic University of Norway, Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, Hansine Hansens veg 18, 9019 Tromsø, Norway
| | - France Collard
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, Hjalmar Johansens Gate 14, 9296 Tromsø, Norway; Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Fram Centre, Hjalmar Johansens Gate 14, 9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Magdalene Langset
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Høgskoleringen 9, 7034 Trondheim, Norway
| | | | - Geir Wing Gabrielsen
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, Hjalmar Johansens Gate 14, 9296 Tromsø, Norway
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6
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Schwantes U. Impact of anthropogenous environmental factors on the marine ecosystem of trophically transmitted helminths and hosting seabirds: Focus on North Atlantic, North Sea, Baltic and the Arctic seas. Helminthologia 2023; 60:300-326. [PMID: 38222492 PMCID: PMC10787638 DOI: 10.2478/helm-2023-0034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Alongside natural factors, human activities have a major impact on the marine environment and thus influence processes in vulnerable ecosystems. The major purpose of this review is to summarise the current understanding as to how manmade factors influence the marine biocenosis of helminths, their intermediate hosts as well as seabirds as their final hosts. Moreover, it highlights current knowledge gaps regarding this ecosystem, which should be closed in order to gain a more complete understanding of these interactions. This work is primarily focused on helminths parasitizing seabirds of the North Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean. The complex life cycles of seabird helminths may be impacted by fishing and aquaculture, as they interfere with the abundance of fish and seabird species, while the latter also affects the geographical distribution of intermediate hosts (marine bivalve and fish species), and may therefore alter the intertwined marine ecosystem. Increasing temperatures and seawater acidification as well as environmental pollutants may have negative or positive effects on different parts of this interactive ecosystem and may entail shifts in the abundance or regional distribution of parasites and/or intermediate and final hosts. Organic pollutants and trace elements may weaken the immune system of the hosting seabirds and hence affect the final host's ability to control the endoparasites. On the other hand, in some cases helminths seem to function as a sink for trace elements resulting in decreased concentrations of heavy metals in birds' tissues. Furthermore, this article also describes the role of helminths in mass mortality events amongst seabird populations, which beside natural causes (weather, viral and bacterial infections) have anthropogenous origin as well (e.g. oil spills, climate change, overfishing and environmental pollution).
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Affiliation(s)
- U. Schwantes
- Verein Jordsand zum Schutz der Seevögel und der Natur e.V., Ahrensburg, Germany
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7
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Muñoz J, Forselledo R, Domingo A, Jiménez S. Interspecific variability in plastic ingested by Procellariiformes off the Uruguayan coast. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2023; 197:115725. [PMID: 37918141 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
We assessed the interspecific variability in plastic ingested by albatrosses and petrels using bycaught birds from fisheries of the Southwest Atlantic. From 107 stomachs examined, 4.17 % of the albatrosses and 62.86 % of the petrels contained plastics. Macronectes halli and Ardenna gravis had 100 % of occurrence. They were followed by Procellaria conspicillata (75 %), Procellaria aequinoctialis (47.62 %), T. melanophris (4.35 %) and T. chlororhynchos (0 %). The most common groups of plastics by size, type and color, were mesoplastics (5-20 mm), user plastics and white-clear items, respectively. Larger species tend to ingest larger items with greater surfaces. Together with evidence from other studies, our results indicate that interspecific differences in the occurrence and the dimensions of plastics appear to be associated with digestive tract morphology, foraging techniques, body size, interaction with fishing vessels, and with the availability of plastics at the sea surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joaquín Muñoz
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La República, Iguá, 4225 Montevideo, Uruguay; Laboratorio de Recursos Pelágicos, Dirección Nacional de Recursos Acuáticos (DINARA), Montevideo, Uruguay.
| | - Rodrigo Forselledo
- Laboratorio de Recursos Pelágicos, Dirección Nacional de Recursos Acuáticos (DINARA), Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Andrés Domingo
- Laboratorio de Recursos Pelágicos, Dirección Nacional de Recursos Acuáticos (DINARA), Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Sebastián Jiménez
- Laboratorio de Recursos Pelágicos, Dirección Nacional de Recursos Acuáticos (DINARA), Montevideo, Uruguay
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8
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Kammann U, Nogueira P, Wilhelm E, Int-Veen I, Aust MO, Wysujack K. Abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) as part of marine litter at the seafloor of the Baltic Sea - Characterization, quantification, polymer composition and possible impact. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2023; 194:115348. [PMID: 37544064 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
As an important part of marine litter at the seafloor "Abandoned, lost, discarded or otherwise lost fishing gear" (ALDFG) is gaining increasing attention in environmental assessments. Within this study marine litter at the seafloor of the Baltic Sea was quantified and characterized with special regard to fishery as source. Litter items (LI) were collected within fishery catches by bottom trawling during three cruises in 2020 and 2021. The resulting mean litter abundance was 9.2 LI/km2. Approximately 56 % of all LI were plastic, with PE as the most frequently identified polymer. ALDFG was present in considerable amounts with a mean value of 2.2 LI/km2 (22.2 %). However, the absolute counts of fishery nets were low (0.4 LI/km2; 4.2 %). Regarding weight, fishery nets are the dominant part of litter at the Baltic seafloor. Threshold values for marine litter at the seafloor are missing and might be developed using quantitative data on ALDFG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrike Kammann
- Thünen Institute of Fisheries Ecology, Herwigstraße 31, 27572 Bremerhaven, Germany.
| | - Pedro Nogueira
- Thünen Institute of Fisheries Ecology, Herwigstraße 31, 27572 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Esther Wilhelm
- Thünen Institute of Fisheries Ecology, Herwigstraße 31, 27572 Bremerhaven, Germany; Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Ivo Int-Veen
- Thünen Institute of Fisheries Ecology, Herwigstraße 31, 27572 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Marc-Oliver Aust
- Thünen Institute of Fisheries Ecology, Herwigstraße 31, 27572 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Klaus Wysujack
- Thünen Institute of Fisheries Ecology, Herwigstraße 31, 27572 Bremerhaven, Germany
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9
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Fackelmann G, Pham CK, Rodríguez Y, Mallory ML, Provencher JF, Baak JE, Sommer S. Current levels of microplastic pollution impact wild seabird gut microbiomes. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:698-706. [PMID: 36973353 PMCID: PMC10172112 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02013-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics contaminate environments worldwide and are ingested by numerous species, whose health is affected in multiple ways. A key dimension of health that may be affected is the gut microbiome, but these effects are relatively unexplored. Here, we investigated if microplastics are associated with changes in proventricular and cloacal microbiomes in two seabird species that chronically ingest microplastics: northern fulmars and Cory's shearwaters. The amount of microplastics in the gut was significantly correlated with gut microbial diversity and composition: microplastics were associated with decreases in commensal microbiota and increases in (zoonotic) pathogens and antibiotic-resistant and plastic-degrading microbes. These results illustrate that environmentally relevant microplastic concentrations and mixtures are associated with changes in gut microbiomes in wild seabirds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gloria Fackelmann
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany.
| | - Christopher K Pham
- Institute of Marine Sciences - Okeanos, University of the Azores, Horta, Portugal
| | - Yasmina Rodríguez
- Institute of Marine Sciences - Okeanos, University of the Azores, Horta, Portugal
| | - Mark L Mallory
- Biology, Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Jennifer F Provencher
- Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Julia E Baak
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada
| | - Simone Sommer
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany.
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10
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Tulatz F, Gabrielsen GW, Bourgeon S, Herzke D, Krapp R, Langset M, Neumann S, Lippold A, Collard F. Implications of Regurgitative Feeding on Plastic Loads in Northern Fulmars ( Fulmarus glacialis): A Study from Svalbard. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:3562-3570. [PMID: 36812008 PMCID: PMC9996815 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c05617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Procellariiform seabirds like northern fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis) are prone to ingest and accumulate floating plastic pieces. In the North Sea region, there is a long tradition to use beached fulmars as biomonitors for marine plastic pollution. Monitoring data revealed consistently lower plastic burdens in adult fulmars compared to younger age classes. Those findings were hypothesized to partly result from parental transfer of plastic to chicks. However, no prior study has examined this mechanism in fulmars by comparing plastic burdens in fledglings and older fulmars shortly after the chick-rearing period. Therefore, we investigated plastic ingestion in 39 fulmars from Kongsfjorden (Svalbard), including 21 fledglings and 18 older fulmars (adults/older immatures). We found that fledglings (50-60 days old) had significantly more plastic than older fulmars. While plastic was found in all fledglings, two older fulmars contained no and several older individuals barely any plastic. These findings supported that fulmar chicks from Svalbard get fed high quantities of plastic by their parents. Adverse effects of plastic on fulmars were indicated by one fragment that perforated the stomach and possibly one thread perforating the intestine. Negative correlations between plastic mass and body fat in fledglings and older fulmars were not significant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Tulatz
- Department
of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT—The
Arctic University of Norway, N-9037 Tromsø, Norway
- Fram
Centre, Norwegian Polar Institute, N-9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | | | - Sophie Bourgeon
- Department
of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT—The
Arctic University of Norway, N-9037 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Dorte Herzke
- Department
of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT—The
Arctic University of Norway, N-9037 Tromsø, Norway
- Fram
Centre for Climate and the Environment, Fram Centre, Norwegian Institute for Air Research, N-9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Rupert Krapp
- Fram
Centre, Norwegian Polar Institute, N-9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Magdalene Langset
- Norwegian
Institute for Nature Research, Høgskoleringen, Trondheim 97034, Norway
| | - Svenja Neumann
- Fram
Centre, Norwegian Polar Institute, N-9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Anna Lippold
- Fram
Centre, Norwegian Polar Institute, N-9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - France Collard
- Fram
Centre, Norwegian Polar Institute, N-9296 Tromsø, Norway
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11
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Lavers JL, de Jersey AM, Jones NR, Stewart LG, Charlton-Howard HS, Grant ML, Woehler EJ. Ingested plastics in beach-washed Fairy Prions Pachyptila turtur from Tasmania. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2022; 184:114096. [PMID: 36113176 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Plastic is an omnipresent pollutant in marine ecosystems and is widely documented to be ingested among seabird species. Procellariiformes are particularly vulnerable to plastic ingestion, which can cause internal damage, starvation, and occasionally mortality. In this study, 34 fledgling Fairy Prions (Pachyptila turtur) recovered during a wreck event in south-eastern Tasmania in 2022 were examined for ingested plastics and body condition (e.g., wing chord length). While many of the birds exhibited poor body condition, this was not correlated with the count or mass of ingested plastics. We hypothesise the marine heatwave event, and resulting lack of prey, contributed to bird body condition and subsequent mortality. We provide some of the first data on the size of individual plastic particles ingested by seabirds and make recommendations for future studies to report this important metric in a consistent manner that ensures data are comparable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Lavers
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, 20 Castray Esplanade, Battery Point, Tasmania 7004, Australia.
| | - Alix M de Jersey
- School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Liverpool Street, Hobart, Tasmania 7000, Australia
| | - Nina R Jones
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, 20 Castray Esplanade, Battery Point, Tasmania 7004, Australia
| | - Lillian G Stewart
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, 20 Castray Esplanade, Battery Point, Tasmania 7004, Australia
| | - Hayley S Charlton-Howard
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, 20 Castray Esplanade, Battery Point, Tasmania 7004, Australia
| | - Megan L Grant
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, School Road, Newnham, Tasmania 7248, Australia
| | - Eric J Woehler
- BirdLife Tasmania, GPO Box 68, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia
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12
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Savoca MS, Kühn S, Sun C, Avery-Gomm S, Choy CA, Dudas S, Hong SH, Hyrenbach KD, Li TH, Ng CKY, Provencher JF, Lynch JM. Towards a North Pacific Ocean long-term monitoring program for plastic pollution: A review and recommendations for plastic ingestion bioindicators. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 310:119861. [PMID: 35940480 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Marine debris is now a ubiquitous component of the Anthropocene global ocean. Plastic ingestion by marine wildlife was first reported in the 1960s and since that time, roughly one thousand marine species have been reported to consume this debris. This study focuses on plastic ingestion by marine invertebrates and vertebrates in the North Pacific Ocean. Specifically, we reviewed the scientific literature to assess the scope of the problem, identified key bioindicator species, and proposed guidelines for future monitoring of plastic debris in North Pacific marine ecosystems. Our meta-analysis confirmed that the North Pacific is among the most polluted ocean regions globally; roughly half of all fish and seabird specimens and more than three-quarters of sea turtles and bivalve specimens examined in this region had consumed plastic. While there are not enough standardized data to assess if these ingestion rates are changing, sampling standardization and reporting of methods are improving over time. Using a rubric-evaluation approach, we evaluated 352 species for their potential to serve as bioindicators of the prevalence of plastic pollution in the North Pacific. This analysis revealed a suite of 12 bioindicator species candidates which sample a variety of ecosystem components and cover a wide range of plastic size classes. Thus, we contend that these bioindicator candidates provide a key foundation for developing a comprehensive plastic monitoring program in the region. To enhance the utility of these bioindicators, we developed a framework for standardized data collection to minimize methodological variability across different studies and to facilitate the assessment of temporal trends over space and time. Tracking plastic ingestion by these bioindicators will help to assess the effectiveness of mitigation actions in the region, a critical step to evaluate progress towards sustainability and improved ocean health in the 21st century.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew S Savoca
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA, USA.
| | - Susanne Kühn
- Wageningen Marine Research, Ankerpark 27, 1781 AG Den Helder, the Netherlands
| | - ChengJun Sun
- Key Laboratory of Marine Eco-environmental Science and Technology, Marine Bioresource and Environment Research Center, First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), Qingdao, 266061, China
| | - Stephanie Avery-Gomm
- National Wildlife Research Centre, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - C Anela Choy
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Sarah Dudas
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Biological Station, Nanaimo, BC, Canada; University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Sang Hee Hong
- Risk Assessment Research Center, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Geoje, Republic of Korea
| | - K David Hyrenbach
- Hawai'i Pacific University, Center for Marine Debris Research, Waimānalo, HI, USA
| | - Tsung-Hsien Li
- National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium, Checheng, Pingtung, 94450, Taiwan; Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Institute of Marine Ecology and Conservation, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Connie Ka-Yan Ng
- Department of Chemistry and State Key Laboratory in Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Jennifer F Provencher
- National Wildlife Research Centre, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Jennifer M Lynch
- Hawai'i Pacific University, Center for Marine Debris Research, Waimānalo, HI, USA; National Institute of Standards and Technology, Chemical Sciences Division, Waimānalo, HI, USA
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13
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Community-scientist collaboration in the creation, management and research for two National Wildlife Areas in Arctic Canada. ADV ECOL RES 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.aecr.2022.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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