A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
The hidden cost of following currents: Microplastic ingestion in a planktivorous seabird
Authors: De 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
Publisher: Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd
Publication year: 2022
Journal: Marine Pollution Bulletin
Journal name in source: MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
Journal acronym: MAR POLLUT BULL
Article number: 114030
Volume: 182
Number of pages: 6
ISSN: 0025-326X
eISSN: 1879-3363
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114030
Web address : https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X22007123
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.
