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Ingested plastics in beach-washed fairy prions Pachyptila turtur from Tasmania
Citation
Lavers, JL and de Jersey, AM and Jones, NR and Stewart, LG and Charlton-Howard, HS and Grant, ML and Woehler, EJ, Ingested plastics in beach-washed fairy prions Pachyptila turtur from Tasmania, Marine Pollution Bulletin, 184 Article 114096. ISSN 0025-326X (2022) [Refereed Article]
Copyright Statement
© 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
DOI: doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114096
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.
Item Details
Item Type: | Refereed Article |
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Keywords: | marine debris, plastic pollution, mass mortality, wreck event, ocean warming, marine heatwave |
Research Division: | Biological Sciences |
Research Group: | Ecology |
Research Field: | Marine and estuarine ecology (incl. marine ichthyology) |
Objective Division: | Environmental Policy, Climate Change and Natural Hazards |
Objective Group: | Adaptation to climate change |
Objective Field: | Ecosystem adaptation to climate change |
UTAS Author: | Lavers, JL (Dr Jennifer Lavers) |
UTAS Author: | de Jersey, AM (Miss Alix de Jersey) |
UTAS Author: | Jones, NR (Mr Neville Robert Jones) |
UTAS Author: | Stewart, LG (Miss Lillian Stewart) |
UTAS Author: | Charlton-Howard, HS (Mrs Hayley Charlton) |
UTAS Author: | Grant, ML (Miss Megan Grant) |
ID Code: | 153213 |
Year Published: | 2022 |
Deposited By: | Ecology and Biodiversity |
Deposited On: | 2022-09-14 |
Last Modified: | 2022-11-23 |
Downloads: | 0 |
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