First record of debris ingestion by the shorebird American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus) on the Southern coast of Brazil

Plastic has become abundant in the oceans and proved to be a threat to marine and coastal fauna. In this study, we present the first record of synthetic debris ingested by the shorebird American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus) in Brazil. We collected 24 stomach contents from October 2007 to Oct...

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Detalhes bibliográficos
Autores: Rossi, Liana Chesini [UNESP], Scherer, Angelo Luis, Petry, Maria Virginia
Tipo de documento: artigo
Estado:Versão publicada
Data de publicação:2019
País:Brasil
Recursos:Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP)
Repositório:Repositório Institucional da UNESP
Idioma:inglês
OAI Identifier:oai:repositorio.unesp.br:11449/185384
Acesso em linha:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.11.051
http://hdl.handle.net/11449/185384
Access Level:Acceso aberto
Palavra-chave:Accidental ingestion
Beach pollution
Environmental impacts
Marine debris
Plastic pollution
Threat
Descrição
Resumo:Plastic has become abundant in the oceans and proved to be a threat to marine and coastal fauna. In this study, we present the first record of synthetic debris ingested by the shorebird American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus) in Brazil. We collected 24 stomach contents from October 2007 to October 2015 and 58% were juveniles. Synthetic materials were found in 100% of stomachs. Used plastic fragments and plastic pellets were the most frequent items, beige and white were more common colors. Synthetic material may be unintentionally ingested directly through substrate consumption or indirectly through prey consumption. Hence, debris ingestion may be common, representing an impact to coastal birds. Based on our results, we hope to highlight the need for public policies to reduce the disposal of synthetic debris in the oceans and beaches.