Message in a belly : Plastic pathways in Fulmars

• Main Author: Kühn, Susanne
• Format: Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Wageningen University 2020
• Subjects: Life Science; Arctic; Arctic Ocean; Fulmar; Svalbard; Fulmarus glacialis; Iceland; Northern Fulmar
• Online Access: https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/message-in-a-belly-plastic-pathways-in-fulmars; https://doi.org/10.18174/509638

In the framework of the EU JPI PLASTOX project, this PhD project focused on the effects of ingested plastic on marine wildlife and in particular the northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis). Plastic ingestion by fulmars was studied on Iceland and on Svalbard. Trophic transfer of plastic between predators and their prey was explored, by quantifying plastics ingested by prey fish from the Arctic Ocean and the North Sea. Ingested plastics were categorized according to their material characteristics. A mixture of relevant microplastics was created to be used in environmental impact studies. Experiments were conducted to investigate the transfer of chemicals from ingested plastic to northern fulmars. Furthermore an updated literature overview of species affected by plastics is provided.