Characterization of plastic ingestion in urban gull chicks and its implications for their use as pollution sentinels in coastal cities
Max, Ana (Institut de Ciències del Mar)
Martín-Vélez, Victor (Institut de Ciències del Mar)
Navarro, Joan (Institut de Ciències del Mar)
Borrell, Asunción (Universitat de Barcelona)
Montalvo Porro, Tomas (Institut de Recerca Sant Pau)
Garcia-Garin, Odei. (Universitat de Barcelona)
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Date:	2025
Abstract:	The increase of plastic pollution represents a significant ecological threat, particularly in human-impacted environments. However, the effects of plastic ingestion by urban wildlife are less understood. This study investigates the presence of microplastic (MPs; plastic <5 mm in size) and macroplastics (MaPs, plastic >5 mm in size) in yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis) chicks inhabiting the urban marine ecosystem of Barcelona (northeastern Spain). The stomach contents of 56 gull chicks were analysed, revealing the presence of MPs in 100 % of the individuals and MaPs in 19. 64 % of individuals. Additionally, trophic analysis, through stomach content and stable isotope determination, identified links between diet and plastic ingestion, with diet diversity associated with higher MaP abundance. These results highlight the high presence of plastics in the early stages of an urban-dwelling wildlife species and open the potential role of the use of urban gull chicks as sentinels of marine and terrestrial pollution in urban coastal areas. The findings suggest that chicks can serve as bioindicators of plastic pollution, emphasizing the urgent need to address the high levels of plastic contamination in urban environments.
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, i la comunicació pública de l'obra, sempre que no sigui amb finalitats comercials, i sempre que es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original. No es permet la creació d'obres derivades.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Bioindicator ; Diet analysis ; Macroplastics ; Microplastics ; Pollution ; Stable isotopes ; Yellow-legged Gull
Published in:	Marine pollution bulletin, Vol. 211 (february 2025) , p. 117409, ISSN 1879-3363

DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.117409
PMID: 39667134

9 p, 2.8 MB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Health sciences and biosciences > Institut de Recerca Sant Pau
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles