Abstract
marine organisms that are vulnerable to plastic ingestion or entanglement
have uneven distributions. Understanding where wildlife encounters plastic is
crucial for targeting research and mitigation. Oceanic seabirds, particularly
petrels, frequently ingest plastic, are highly threatened, and cover vast dis-
tances during foraging and migration. However, the spatial overlap between
petrels and plastics is poorly understood. Here we combine marine plastic
density estimates with individual movement data for 7137 birds of 77 petrel
species to estimate relative exposure risk. We identify high exposure risk areas
in the Mediterranean and Black seas, and the northeast Pacific, northwest
Pacific, South Atlantic and southwest Indian oceans. Plastic exposure risk
varies greatly among species and populations, and between breeding and non-
breeding seasons. Exposure risk is disproportionately high for Threatened
species. Outside the Mediterranean and Black seas, exposure risk is highest in
the high seas and Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of the USA, Japan, and the
UK. Birds generally had higher plastic exposure risk outside the EEZ of the
country where they breed. We identify conservation and research priorities,
and highlight that international collaboration is key to addressing the impacts
of marine plastic on wide-ranging species.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 3665 |
Pages (from-to) | 1-14 |
Number of pages | 14 |
Journal | Nature Communications |
Volume | 14 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jul 2023 |
Keywords
- plastic pollution
- birds
- oceanic birds
- pollution
- environment