Plastic debris in great skua (Stercorarius skua) pellets corresponds to seabird prey species

Hammer, Sjúrður; Nager, Ruedi G.; Johnson, Paul C. D.; Furness, R.W.; Provencher, Jennifer F.

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.12.018

Cited by 101 publications

(55 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Marine top predators, such as marine mammals, ingest microplastics (Lusher et al, ; Nelms et al, ) but the pathways by which this occurs are less well understood. Aside from direct consumption of microplastics from the marine environment, trophic transfer is thought to represent a major route of ingestion for mid‐ and high‐trophic level taxa (Hammer, Nager, Johnson, Furness, & Provencher, ; Nelms et al, ). Here, we present a novel and effective methodology pipeline that facilitates the simultaneous investigation of a more detailed aspect of trophic transfer – the relationship between specific prey types and the abundance of microplastics detected in scats from wild seals – using small sample volumes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

What goes in, must come out: Combining scat‐based molecular diet analysis and quantification of ingested microplastics in a marine top predator

et al. 2019

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Microplastics (plastic particles <5 mm in size) are highly available for ingestion by a wide range of organisms, either through direct consumption or indirectly, via trophic transfer, from prey to predator. The latter is a poorly understood, but potentially major, route of microplastic ingestion for marine top predators. We developed a novel and effective methodology pipeline to investigate dietary exposure of wild top predators (grey seals; Halichoerus grypus) to microplastics, by combining scat‐based molecular techniques with a microplastic isolation method. We employed DNA metabarcoding, a rapid method of biodiversity assessment, to garner detailed information on prey composition from scats, and investigated the potential relationship between diet and microplastic burden. Outcomes of the method development process and results of both diet composition from metabarcoding analysis and detection of microplastics are presented. Importantly, the pipeline performed well and initial results suggest the frequency of microplastics detected in seal scats may be related to the type of prey consumed. Our non‐invasive, data‐rich approach maximizes time and resource–efficiency, while minimizing costs and sample volumes required for analysis. This pipeline could be used to underpin a much‐needed increase in understanding of the relationship between diet composition and rates of microplastic ingestion in high trophic level species.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

What goes in, must come out: Combining scat‐based molecular diet analysis and quantification of ingested microplastics in a marine top predator

et al. 2019

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“…Toothed marine mammals may be more likely to experience trophic transfer as primary route of microplastic ingestion than through direct intake (Lusher et al 2016, Hocking et al 2017. Feces of grey, harbor and fur seals or regurgitated fulmar remains of skuas suggest trophic transfer as these species are known to ingest whole prey (Eriksson and Burton 2003;Rebolledo et al 2013;Hammer et al 2016, Nelms et al 2018. The contamination of microplastics appears to be transported into the deep ocean, not only by the change in density by fouling (Sect.…”

Section: Trophic Cascadementioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding How Microplastics Affect Marine Biota on the Cellular Level Is Important for Assessing Ecosystem Function: A Review

Prinz

Korez

2019

YOUMARES 9 - The Oceans: Our Research, Our Future

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Plastic has become indispensable for human life. When plastic debris is discarded into waterways, these items can interact with organisms. Of particular concern are microscopic plastic particles (microplastics) which are subject to ingestion by several taxa. This review summarizes the results of cutting-edge research about the interactions between a range of aquatic species and microplastics, including effects on biota physiology and secondary ingestion. Uptake pathways via digestive or ventilatory systems are discussed, including (1) the physical penetration of microplastic particles into cellular structures, (2) leaching of chemical additives or adsorbed persistent organic pollutants (POPs), and (3) consequences of bacterial or viral microbiota contamination associated with microplastic ingestion. Following uptake, a number of individual-level effects have been observed, including reduction of feeding activities, reduced growth and reproduction through cellular modifications, and oxidative stress. Microplastic-associated effects on marine biota have become increasingly investigated with growing concerns regarding human health through trophic transfer. We argue that research on the cellular interactions with microplastics provide an understanding of their impact to the organisms' fitness and, therefore, its ability to sustain their functional role in the ecosystem. The review summarizes information from 236 scientific publications. Of those, only 4.6% extrapolate their research of microplastic intake on individual species to the impact on ecosystem functioning. We emphasize the need for risk evaluation from organismal effects to an ecosystem level to effectively evaluate the effect of microplastic pollution on marine environments. Further studies are encouraged to investigate sublethal effects in the context of environmentally relevant microplastic pollution conditions.

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“…Using a dissection microscope, plastic particles were removed, enumerated, and categorized into five classifications: fragment, pellet (spherical particle), fiber/line, film or foam (Free et al, 2014;McCormick et al, 2014). While instrumental analysis methods such as infrared or Raman spectroscopy are necessary for polymeric identification (i.e., polyethylene versus polypropylene), numerous studies have employed only visual identification for microplastic classification (e.g., Bond et al, 2014;Lavers et al, 2014;Devriese et al, 2015;Rochman et al, 2015;Romeo et al, 2015;Fossia et al, 2016;Hammer et al, 2016;Miranda and Carvalho-Souza, 2016;Nicolau et al, 2016;Peters and Bratton, 2016). Given the source (i.e., wastewater), fibers obtained in this processing would presumably be anthropogenic and derived from textiles, though a portion of fibers observed in wastewater may not be plastic, instead derived from other anthropogenic sources (Remy et al, 2015; Nirmela Arsem, personal communication).…”

Section: Wastewatermentioning

confidence: 99%

Microplastic contamination in the San Francisco Bay, California, USA

Sutton

Mason

Stanek

et al. 2016

Marine Pollution Bulletin

334

103

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Plastic debris in great skua (Stercorarius skua) pellets corresponds to seabird prey species

Abstract: 10Plastic is a common item in marine environments. Studies assessing seabird 11 ingestion of plastics have focused on species that ingest plastics mistaken for prey

Cited by 101 publications

References 23 publications

What goes in, must come out: Combining scat‐based molecular diet analysis and quantification of ingested microplastics in a marine top predator

What goes in, must come out: Combining scat‐based molecular diet analysis and quantification of ingested microplastics in a marine top predator

Understanding How Microplastics Affect Marine Biota on the Cellular Level Is Important for Assessing Ecosystem Function: A Review

Microplastic contamination in the San Francisco Bay, California, USA

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