The Use of Great Skua Pellets as Indicators of Plastic Pollution in Seabirds
- 1 March 1988
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Taylor & Francis in Emu - Austral Ornithology
- Vol. 88 (1) , 16-19
- https://doi.org/10.1071/mu9880016
Abstract
SummaryRyan, P.G. & Fraser, M.W. (1988) The use of Great Skua pellets as indicators of plastic pollution in seabirds. Emu 88, 16–19.Plastic particles were found in 108 (22%) of 483 Great Skua Stercorarius skua pellets that contained remnants of a single identifiable avian prey item, collected at Inaccessible Island, South Atlantic Ocean. Plastic was associated with seven petrel prey species. Comparisons with plastic particles found in these species at Gough Island, 400 km distant, showed that small particles (< 8 mg) were under-represented in skua pellets. This caused underestimates of plastic loads in prey species, particularly in small birds (storm-petrels). Other biases resulting from the use of skua pellets as indicators of plastic pollution in seabirds are discussed.This publication has 6 references indexed in Scilit:
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