Refereed journal article or data article (A1)

The hidden cost of following currents: Microplastic ingestion in a planktivorous seabird




List of AuthorsDe Pascalis Federico, De Felice Beatrice, Parolini Marco, Pisu Danilo, Pala David, Antonioli Diego, Perin Elena, Gianotti Valentina, Ilahiane Luca, Masoero Giulia, Serra Lorenzo, Rubolini Diego, Cecere Jacopo G

PublisherPergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd

Publication year2022

JournalMarine Pollution Bulletin

Journal name in sourceMARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN

Journal acronymMAR POLLUT BULL

Article number 114030

Volume number182

Number of pages6

ISSN0025-326X

eISSN1879-3363

DOIhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114030

URLhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X22007123


Abstract
Microplastics are increasingly pervasive pollutants, particularly abundant in the neuston where they drift with currents. We assessed dietary microplastic ingestion in the Mediterranean storm petrel (Hydrobates pelagicus melitensis), a small pelagic seabird that forages on plankton and inhabit the Mediterranean sea, one of the most polluted seas worldwide. We collected spontaneous regurgitates from 30 chick-rearing individuals and used GPS tracking data from 7 additional individuals to locate foraging areas. Birds foraged in pelagic areas characterized by water stirring and mixing, and regurgitates from 14 individuals (i.e. 45 %) contained microplastics. Fibers were the dominant shape (56 %), with polyester, polyethylene and nylon being the most frequent polymers. Our findings highlight the potential sensitivity of this species of conservation interest to plastic pollution and suggest that storm petrel regurgitates can be a valuable matrix to investigate microplastic ingestion in planktonic for-agers, providing a characterization of spatio-temporal patterns of microplastic exposure in pelagic environments.


Last updated on 2023-30-05 at 11:53