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pdf Mallory, M. L. (2006). "The northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) in Arctic Canada: ecology, threats, and what it tells us about marine environmental conditions." Environmental Reviews 14(3): 187-216. Popular

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Mallory-2006-The northern fulmar (Fulmarus gla.pdf

Mallory, M. L. (2006). "The northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) in Arctic Canada: ecology, threats, and what it tells us about marine environmental conditions." Environmental Reviews 14(3): 187-216.
The northern fulmar Fulmarus glacialis is a ubiquitous seabird found across the North Atlantic Ocean and into the Canadian Arctic. However, we know little of its ecology in the Arctic, which is unfortunate, because it possesses many traits that make it an excellent biomonitor of the condition of Arctic marine environments. Presently, Arctic fulmars face threats from harvest, bycatch in fisheries, and fouling in oil spills while the birds are in their winter range (the North Atlantic). However, during breeding, migration, and overwintering, they may also experience stress from ecotourism, contaminants, particulate garbage, and climate change. In this paper I review the effects of all of these threats on fulmars and I describe how the ecology of these birds makes them particularly suitable for tracking contaminants, garbage, and the effects of climate change in the Arctic marine ecosystem. I also highlight our key existing knowledge gaps on this species and how additional research will strengthen the utility of fulmars as biomonitors. 

pdf Mallory, M. L. (2008). "Marine plastic debris in northern fulmars from the Canadian high Arctic." Marine Pollution Bulletin 56(8): 1501-1504. Popular

Tagged in MarineLitterGeneralUndefined 763 downloads

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Mallory-2008-Marine plastic debris in northern.pdf

Mallory, M. L. (2008). "Marine plastic debris in northern fulmars from the Canadian high Arctic." Marine Pollution Bulletin 56(8): 1501-1504.
No Abstract Available

pdf Mallory, M. L., et al. (2006). "Marine plastic debris in northern fulmars from Davis Strait, Nunavut, Canada." Marine Pollution Bulletin 52(7): 813-815. Popular

Tagged in MarineLitterGeneralUndefined 732 downloads

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Mallory-2006-Marine plastic debris in northern.pdf

Mallory, M. L., et al. (2006). "Marine plastic debris in northern fulmars from Davis Strait, Nunavut, Canada." Marine Pollution Bulletin 52(7): 813-815.
No Abstract Available

pdf Poon, F. E., et al. (2017). "Levels of ingested debris vary across species in Canadian Arctic seabirds." Marine Pollution Bulletin 116(1): 517-520. Popular

Tagged in MarineLitterGeneralUndefined 762 downloads

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Poon-2017-Levels of ingested debris vary acros.pdf

Poon, F. E., et al. (2017). "Levels of ingested debris vary across species in Canadian Arctic seabirds." Marine Pollution Bulletin 116(1): 517-520.
Plastic debris has become a major pollutant in the world's oceans and is found in many seabird species from low to high latitudes. Here we compare levels of plastic ingestion from two surface feeders, northern fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis) and black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla), and two pursuit diving species, thick-billed murres (Uria lomvia) and black guillemots (Cepphus grylle) in the Canadian high Arctic. This is the first report quantifying plastic ingestion in kittiwakes in this region, and as predicted, kittiwakes and fulmars had higher frequency of plastic ingestion than guillemots and murres. Despite this, amounts of plastic ingested by birds remain lower than regions farther south.

pdf Provencher, J. F., et al. (2009). "Evidence for increased ingestion of plastics by northern fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis) in the Canadian Arctic." Marine Pollution Bulletin 58(7): 1092-1095. Popular

Tagged in MarineLitterGeneralUndefined 783 downloads

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Provencher-2009-Evidence for increased ingesti.pdf

Provencher, J. F., et al. (2009). "Evidence for increased ingestion of plastics by northern fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis) in the Canadian Arctic." Marine Pollution Bulletin 58(7): 1092-1095.
No Abstract Available

pdf Provencher, J. F., et al. (2010). "Ingested plastic in a diving seabird, the thick-billed murre (Uria lomvia), in the eastern Canadian Arctic." Marine Pollution Bulletin 60(9): 1406-1411. Popular

Tagged in MarineLitterGeneralUndefined 846 downloads

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Provencher-2010-Ingested plastic in a diving s.pdf

Provencher, J. F., et al. (2010). "Ingested plastic in a diving seabird, the thick-billed murre (Uria lomvia), in the eastern Canadian Arctic." Marine Pollution Bulletin 60(9): 1406-1411.
Plastic debris has become ubiquitous in the marine environment and seabirds may ingest debris which can have deleterious effects on their health. In the North Atlantic Ocean, surface feeding seabirds typically ingest high levels of plastic, while the diving auks which feed in the water column typically have much lower levels. We examined 186 thick-billed murres from five colonies in the eastern Canadian Arctic for ingested plastic debris. Approximately 11% of the birds had at least one piece of plastic debris in their gastrointestinal tracts, with debris dominated by user plastics. This is the first report of ingested plastics in an auk species in Canada’s Arctic, and the highest incidence of plastic ingestion to date for thick-billed murres (Uria lomvia).

pdf Provencher, J. F., et al. (2014). "Marine birds and plastic debris in Canada: a national synthesis and a way forward." Environmental Reviews 23(1): 1-13. Popular

Tagged in MarineLitterGeneralUndefined 837 downloads

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Provencher-2014-Marine birds and plastic debri.pdf

Provencher, J. F., et al. (2014). "Marine birds and plastic debris in Canada: a national synthesis and a way forward." Environmental Reviews 23(1): 1-13.
Marine plastic ingestion by seabirds was first documented in the 1960s, but over 50 years later our understanding about the prevalence, intensity, and subsequent effect of plastic pollution in the oceans is still developing. In Canada, systematic assessments using recognized standard protocols began only in the mid-2000s. With marine plastic pollution identified by the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) as one of the most critical challenges for the environment, a greater understanding of how plastics affect marine birds in Canada, along with a national strategy, is timely and necessary. To better understand which and how many marine birds are affected by marine debris, we reviewed reports of plastic ingestion and nest incorporation in Canada. Of the 91 marine bird species found in Canadian waters, detailed plastic ingestion data from multiple years and locations are available for only six species. Another 33 species have incidental reports, and we lack any data on dozens more. Future efforts should focus on characterizing the risk of plastic ingestion among understudied species and on continued monitoring of species that are known indicators of plastic pollution internationally and found in multiple regions of Canada to facilitate comparisons at the national and international levels.

pdf Provencher, J. F., et al. (2014). "Prevalence of marine debris in marine birds from the North Atlantic." Marine Pollution Bulletin 84(1): 411-417. Popular

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Provencher-2014-Prevalence of marine debris in.pdf

Provencher, J. F., et al. (2014). "Prevalence of marine debris in marine birds from the North Atlantic." Marine Pollution Bulletin 84(1): 411-417.
Marine birds have been found to ingest plastic debris in many of the world’s oceans. Plastic accumulation data from necropsies findings and regurgitation studies are presented on 13 species of marine birds in the North Atlantic, from Georgia, USA to Nunavut, Canada and east to southwest Greenland and the Norwegian Sea. Of the species examined, the two surface plungers (great shearwaters Puffinus gravis; northern fulmars Fulmarus glacialis) had the highest prevalence of ingested plastic (71% and 51%, respectively). Great shearwaters also had the most pieces of plastics in their stomachs, with some individuals containing as many of 36 items. Seven species contained no evidence of plastic debris. Reporting of baseline data as done here is needed to ensure that data are available for marine birds over time and space scales in which we see changes in historical debris patterns in marine environments (i.e. decades) and among oceanographic regions.

pdf Robards, M. D., et al. (1995). "Increasing frequency of plastic particles ingested by seabirds in the subarctic North Pacific." Marine Pollution Bulletin 30(2): 151-157. Popular

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Robards-1995-Increasing frequency of plastic p.pdf

Robards, M. D., et al. (1995). "Increasing frequency of plastic particles ingested by seabirds in the subarctic North Pacific." Marine Pollution Bulletin 30(2): 151-157.
We examined gut contents of 1799 seabirds comprising 24 species collected in 1988–1990 to assess the types and quantities of plastic particles ingested by seabirds in the subarctic waters of Alaska. Of the 15 species found to ingest plastic, most were surface-feeders (shearwaters, petrels, gulls) or plankton-feeding divers (auklets, puffins). Of 4417 plastic particles examined, 76% were industrial pellets and 21% were fragments of ‘user’ plastic. Ingestion rates varied geographically, but no trends were evident and rates of plastic ingestion varied far more among species within areas than within species among areas. Comparison with similar data from 1968 seabirds comprising 37 species collected in 1969–1977 revealed that plastic ingestion by seabirds has increased significantly during the 10–15-year interval between studies. This was demonstrated by: (i) an increase in the total number of species ingesting plastic; (ii) an increase in the frequency of occurrence of plastic particles within species that ingested plastic; and, (iii) an increase in the mean number of plastic particles ingested by individuals of those species.

pdf Stelfox, M., et al. (2016). "A review of ghost gear entanglement amongst marine mammals, reptiles and elasmobranchs." Marine Pollution Bulletin 111(1-2): 6-17. Popular

Tagged in Macroplastics 2871 downloads

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Stelfox-2016-A review of ghost gear entangleme.pdf

Stelfox, M., et al. (2016). "A review of ghost gear entanglement amongst marine mammals, reptiles and elasmobranchs." Marine Pollution Bulletin 111(1-2): 6-17.
This review focuses on the effect that ghost gear entanglement has on marine megafauna, namely mammals, reptiles and elasmobranchs. A total of 76 publications and other sources of grey literature were assessed, and these highlighted that over 5400 individuals from 40 different species were recorded as entangled in, or associated with, ghost gear. Interestingly, there appeared to be a deficit of research in the Indian, Southern, and Arctic Oceans; and so, we recommend that future studies focus efforts on these areas. Furthermore, studies assessing the effects of ghost gear on elasmobranchs, manatees, and dugongs should also be prioritised, as these groups were underrepresented in the current literature. The development of regional databases, capable of recording entanglement incidences following a minimum global set of criteria, would be a logical next step in order to analyse the effect that ghost gear has on megafauna populations worldwide.

pdf Trevail, A. M., et al. (2014). Plastic Ingestion by Northern Fulmars, Fulmarus glacialis, in Svalbard and Iceland, and Relationships between Plastic Ingestion and Contaminant Uptake, Norsk Polarinstitutt. Popular

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Trevail-2014-Plastic Ingestion by Northern Ful.pdf

Trevail, A. M., et al. (2014). Plastic Ingestion by Northern Fulmars, Fulmarus glacialis, in Svalbard and Iceland, and Relationships between Plastic Ingestion and Contaminant Uptake, Norsk Polarinstitutt.
Plastic pollution is of worldwide concern. However, international commercial advances into the Arctic are   occurring without knowledge of the existing threat  posed to the local marine environment by plastic litter. 
Here, we quantify plastic ingestion by northern fulmars, Fulmarus glacialis, from Svalbard, at the gateway to future shipping routes in the high Arctic. Plastic ingestion by Svalbard fulmars does not follow the established decreasing trend away from human marine impact. Of 40 individuals, 87.5% had ingested plastic, averaging at 0.08g or 15.3 pieces per individual. Plastic ingestion levels in Svalbard exceed the ecological quality objective defined by OSPAR for European seas, highlighting an urgent need for mitigation of plastic pollution in the Arctic, and international regulation of future commercial activity.
Preliminary analises of new data for plastic ingestion by fulmars in Iceland support the arguments above, and reveal that annual variation in plastic may be significant: an area warranting further study. The updated monitoring average shows that 84% of northern fulmars in  Iceland have ingested plastic. Levels in Iceland still exceed OSPAR monitoring targets.
In addition, this report presents an increase in variability of tissue contaminant load with plastic ingestion, although differences are not significant. This is the case for multiple classes of contaminants, including PCBs, PBDEs, DDTs, chlordanes and other pesticides, that could either be adsorbing to the surface of plastic pieces whilst in sea water or leaching from within the plastic (e.g. flame retardants). This further emphasises the need for mitigation of plastic pollution and strict enforcement of legislation in the future.
This report highlights future research needs, as well as policy needs to regulate and mitigate this major environmental problem.

pdf Trevail, A. M., et al. (2015). "Elevated levels of ingested plastic in a high Arctic seabird, the northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis)." Polar Biology 38(7): 975-981. Popular

Tagged in MarineLitterGeneralUndefined 712 downloads

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Trevail-2015-Elevated levels of ingested plast.pdf

Trevail, A. M., et al. (2015). "Elevated levels of ingested plastic in a high Arctic seabird, the northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis)." Polar Biology 38(7): 975-981.
Plastic pollution is of worldwide concern; however, increases in international commercial activity in the Arctic are occurring without the knowledge of the existing threat posed to the local marine environment by plastic litter. Here, we quantify plastic ingestion by northern fulmars, Fulmarus glacialis, from Svalbard, at the gateway to future shipping routes in the high Arctic. Plastic ingestion by Svalbard fulmars does not follow the established decreasing trend away from human marine impact. Of 40 sampled individuals, 35 fulmars (87.5 %) had plastic in their stomachs, averaging at 0.08 g or 15.3 pieces per individual. Plastic ingestion levels on Svalbard exceed the ecological quality objective defined by OSPAR for European seas. This highlights an urgent need for mitigation of plastic pollution in the Arctic as well as international regulation of future commercial activity.

pdf Vlietstra, L. S. and J. A. Parga (2002). "Long-term changes in the type, but not amount, of ingested plastic particles in short-tailed shearwaters in the southeastern Bering Sea." Marine Pollution Bulletin 44(9): 945-955. Popular

Tagged in MarineLitterGeneralUndefined 761 downloads

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Vlietstra-2002-Long-term changes in the type.pdf

Vlietstra, L. S. and J. A. Parga (2002). "Long-term changes in the type, but not amount, of ingested plastic particles in short-tailed shearwaters in the southeastern Bering Sea." Marine Pollution Bulletin 44(9): 945-955.

We report the current (1997–1999, 2001) incidence and amount of ingested plastic in short-tailed shearwaters (Puffinus tenuirostris) in the southeastern Bering Sea and compare our results with plastic reported in shearwaters during 1970–1978. We also examine correlations between plastic loads and shearwater body mass. We found that 84% (N=330) of shearwaters sampled in 1997–1999 and 2001 contained plastic. The incidence and amount of ingested plastic have not significantly changed since the 1970s. In contrast, the predominant type of plastic has changed over time, from industrial plastic to user plastic. Seasonal patterns in the incidence and amount of ingested plastic also changed from peak levels during early and late summer in the 1970s to mid summer in the late 1990s and 2001. We suggest that the availability of neuston plastic to seabirds in the Bering Sea has undergone a shift in composition since the 1970s. Shearwater body mass appears little if at all impaired by plastic, at least at present levels of consumption.

pdf Zarfl, C. and M. Matthies (2010). "Are marine plastic particles transport vectors for organic pollutants to the Arctic?" Marine Pollution Bulletin 60(10): 1810-1814. Popular

Tagged in MarineLitterGeneralUndefined 754 downloads

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Zarfl-2010-Are marine plastic particles transp.pdf

Zarfl, C. and M. Matthies (2010). "Are marine plastic particles transport vectors for organic pollutants to the Arctic?" Marine Pollution Bulletin 60(10): 1810-1814.

Plastic litter accounts for 50–80% of waste items stranded on beaches, floating on the ocean surface and lodged in the seabed. Organic pollutants can be absorbed onto plastic particles from sea water, attached to their surfaces or included in the plastic matrix as additives. Such chemicals may be transported to remote regions by buoyant plastics and ocean currents. We have estimated mass fluxes of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) to the Arctic via the main ocean currents and compared them to those in the dissolved state and in air. Substance fluxes with atmospheric or sea water currents account for several tons per year, whereas those mediated by plastics are four to six orders of magnitude smaller. However, the significance of various pollutant transport routes does not depend only on absolute mass fluxes but also on bioaccumulation in marine food chains.

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