title: Marine debris ingestion by albatrosses in the southwest Atlantic Ocean.
abstract: Plastics and other marine debris affect wildlife through entanglement and by ingestion. We assessed the ingestion of marine debris by seven albatross species in the southwest Atlantic by analyzing stomach contents of birds killed in fisheries. Of the 128 specimens examined, including four Diomedea species (n=78) and three Thalassarche species (n=50), 21 (16.4%) contained 1-4 debris items, mainly in the ventriculus. The most common type was plastic fragments. Debris was most frequent in Diomedea species (25.6%) and, particularly, Diomedea sanfordi (38.9%) and very rare in Thalassarche species (2.0%), presumably reflecting differences in foraging behavior or distribution. Frequency of occurrence was significantly higher in male than female Diomedea albatrosses (39.3% vs. 18.0%). Although levels of accumulated debris were relatively low overall, and unlikely to result in gut blockage, associated toxins might nevertheless represent a health risk for Diomedea albatrosses, compounding the negative impact of other human activities on these threatened species.
authors.affiliation: Recursos Pelágicos, Dirección Nacional de Recursos Acuáticos, Constituyente 1497, 11200 Montevideo, Uruguay; British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK; Proyecto Albatros y Petreles - Uruguay, Centro de Investigación y Conservación Marina (CICMAR), Uruguay. Electronic address: jimenezpsebastian@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Sebastián
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jiménez
authors.affiliation: Recursos Pelágicos, Dirección Nacional de Recursos Acuáticos, Constituyente 1497, 11200 Montevideo, Uruguay.
authors.forename: Andrés
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Domingo
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ecología y Ciencias Ambientales, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Iguá 4225, 11400 Montevideo, Uruguay.
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brazeiro
authors.affiliation: UNDECIMAR, Departamento de Ecología & Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Iguá 4225, 11400 Montevideo, Uruguay.
authors.forename: Omar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Defeo
authors.affiliation: British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK.
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Phillips
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001267:Atlantic Ocean; D001717:Birds; D004435:Eating; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005260:Female; D005398:Fisheries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005766:Gastrointestinal Contents / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D010969:Plastics / Q000032:analysis; D014866:Waste Products / Q000032:analysis*; D014873:Water Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D014876:Water Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D010969:Plastics; D014866:Waste Products; D014873:Water Pollutants
keywords: Plastics; Pollution; Procellariiformes; Seabirds