Recommended best practices for plastic and litter ingestion studies in marine birds: Collection, processing, and reporting
Jennifer F. Provencher,
Stephanie B. Borrelle,
Alexander L. Bond,
Jennifer L. Lavers,
Jan A. van Franeker,
Susanne Kühn,
Sjúrður Hammer,
Stephanie Avery-Gomm,
Mark L. Mallory
Affiliations
Jennifer F. Provencher
Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Gatineau, QC K1A 0H3, Canada; Department of Biology, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS B4P 2R6, Canada
Stephanie B. Borrelle
David H. Smith Conservation Research Program, Society for Conservation Biology, Washington, DC 20005, USA; Northern New Zealand Seabird Trust, Leigh 0947, Auckland, New Zealand
Alexander L. Bond
Bird Group, Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, Akeman Street, Tring, Hertfordshire HP23 6AP, UK; Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Battery Point, Tasmania 7004, Australia
Jennifer L. Lavers
Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Battery Point, Tasmania 7004, Australia
Jan A. van Franeker
Wageningen Marine Research, Ankerpark 27, 1781 AG Den Helder, the Netherlands
Susanne Kühn
Wageningen Marine Research, Ankerpark 27, 1781 AG Den Helder, the Netherlands
Sjúrður Hammer
Faroe Marine Research Institute, FO-110 Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
Stephanie Avery-Gomm
ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia; School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
Mark L. Mallory
Department of Biology, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS B4P 2R6, Canada; Canada Fulbright Chair in Arctic Studies, University of Washington, Box 353650, Seattle, WA 98195-3560, USA
Marine plastic pollution is an environmental contaminant of significant concern. There is a lack of consistency in sample collection and processing that continues to impede meta-analyses and large-scale comparisons across time and space. This is true for most taxa, including seabirds, which are the most studied megafauna group with regards to plastic ingestion research. Consequently, it is difficult to evaluate the impacts and extent of plastic contamination in seabirds fully and accurately, and to make inferences about species for which we have little or no data. We provide a synthesized set of recommendations specific for seabirds and plastic ingestion studies that include best practices in relation to sample collection, processing, and reporting, as well as highlighting some “cross-cutting” methods. We include guidance for how carcasses, regurgitations, and pellets should be handled and treated to prevent cross-contamination, and a discussion of what size class of microplastics can be assessed in each sample type. Although we focus on marine bird samples, we also include standardized techniques to remove sediment and biological material that are generalizable to other taxa. Lastly, metrics and data presentation of ingested plastics are briefly reviewed in the context of seabird studies.
