title: Prey and plastic ingestion of Pacific Northern Fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis rogersii) from Monterey Bay, California.
abstract: Marine plastic pollution affects seabirds, including Pacific Northern Fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis rodgersii), that feed at the surface and mistake plastic for prey or incidentally ingest it. Direct and indirect health issues can result, including satiety and possibly leading to inefficient foraging. Our objective was to examine fulmar body condition, identify cephalopod diet to species, enumerate and weigh ingested plastic, and determine if prey number and size were correlated with ingested plastics in beach-cast fulmars wintering in Monterey Bay California (2003, n=178: 2007, n=185). Fulmars consumed mostly Gonatus pyros, G. onyx, and G. californiensis of similar size for both years. We found a significant negative correlation between pectoral muscle index and average size of cephalopod beaks per stomach; a significant increase in plastic categories between 2003 and 2007; and no significant correlation between number and mass of plastic compared with number and size of prey for either year.
authors.affiliation: Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, 8272 Moss Landing Road, Moss Landing, CA 95039, USA; California Department of Fish and Wildlife Office of Spill Prevention and Response, Marine Wildlife Veterinary Care and Research Center, 1451 Shaffer Road, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA; Oikonos Ecosystem Knowledge, PO Box 2570, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA. Electronic address: erica@oikonos.org.
authors.forename: Erica L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Donnelly-Greenan
authors.affiliation: Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, 8272 Moss Landing Road, Moss Landing, CA 95039, USA. Electronic address: jharvey@mlml.calstate.edu.
authors.forename: James T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Harvey
authors.affiliation: California Department of Fish and Wildlife Office of Spill Prevention and Response, Marine Wildlife Veterinary Care and Research Center, 1451 Shaffer Road, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA; Oikonos Ecosystem Knowledge, PO Box 2570, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA. Electronic address: hannah@oikonos.org.
authors.forename: Hannahrose M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Nevins
authors.affiliation: Oikonos Ecosystem Knowledge, PO Box 2570, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA. Electronic address: michelle@oikonos.org.
authors.forename: Michelle M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Hester
authors.affiliation: National Marine Mammal Laboratory Alaska Fisheries Science Center/NOAA, 7600 Sand Point Way N.E. F/AKC3, Seattle, WA 98115, USA. Electronic address: mindwalk@msn.com.
authors.forename: William A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Walker
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D061006:Bays; D001717:Birds / Q000502:physiology*; D001823:Body Composition; D002140:California; D049830:Cephalopoda; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary; D004435:Eating; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D005260:Female; D005766:Gastrointestinal Contents; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D010969:Plastics
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D010969:Plastics
keywords: Cephalopod; Diet; Ingestion; Northern Fulmar; Plastic