Plastic ingestion in European shags (Gulosus aristotelis): Temporal patterns and possible trophic transfer via Labridae prey in northern Spain.

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Autori principali: Santín, Nuria, Álvarez, David
Natura: Artículo científico
Lingua:en
Pubblicazione: Marine pollution bulletin 2026
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author Santín, Nuria
Álvarez, David
author_facet Santín, Nuria
Álvarez, David
Santín, Nuria
Álvarez, David
collection PubMed - marine biology
contents Plastic ingestion in European shags (Gulosus aristotelis): Temporal patterns and possible trophic transfer via Labridae prey in northern Spain. Santín, Nuria Álvarez, David Animals Plastics Spain Food Chain Environmental Monitoring Water Pollutants, Chemical Ecosystem Marine plastic pollution is increasingly recognized as a major threat to marine ecosystems. Here, we investigate temporal patterns of diet composition and plastic ingestion in the European shag (Gulosus aristotelis), a generalist coastal predator closely associated with nearshore habitats and therefore well suited as a sentinel of coastal ecosystem change, over five non-consecutive years between 2006 and 2022. Over the study period, the species showed significant temporal shifts in prey use, although labrids consistently remained the dominant prey group. In contrast, the occurrence of plastic debris, mainly textile microfibers, remained stable across years, indicating a chronic and continuous exposure to this type of contamination. The coexistence of dietary variability and persistent plastic ingestion highlights the European shag's role as both an indicator of ecological change and a sentinel of long-term marine pollution. By combining detailed diet analysis with Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR)-based identification of plastic polymers, our results provide additional evidence that microplastic exposure in European shags may partly occur through trophic transfer associated with dominant prey groups such as Labridae.
format Artículo científico
id pubmed_42026448
institution PubMed
language en
publishDate 2026
publisher Marine pollution bulletin
record_format pubmed
spellingShingle Plastic ingestion in European shags (Gulosus aristotelis): Temporal patterns and possible trophic transfer via Labridae prey in northern Spain.
Santín, Nuria
Álvarez, David
Animals
Plastics
Spain
Food Chain
Environmental Monitoring
Water Pollutants, Chemical
Ecosystem
Plastic ingestion in European shags (Gulosus aristotelis): Temporal patterns and possible trophic transfer via Labridae prey in northern Spain. Santín, Nuria Álvarez, David Animals Plastics Spain Food Chain Environmental Monitoring Water Pollutants, Chemical Ecosystem Marine plastic pollution is increasingly recognized as a major threat to marine ecosystems. Here, we investigate temporal patterns of diet composition and plastic ingestion in the European shag (Gulosus aristotelis), a generalist coastal predator closely associated with nearshore habitats and therefore well suited as a sentinel of coastal ecosystem change, over five non-consecutive years between 2006 and 2022. Over the study period, the species showed significant temporal shifts in prey use, although labrids consistently remained the dominant prey group. In contrast, the occurrence of plastic debris, mainly textile microfibers, remained stable across years, indicating a chronic and continuous exposure to this type of contamination. The coexistence of dietary variability and persistent plastic ingestion highlights the European shag's role as both an indicator of ecological change and a sentinel of long-term marine pollution. By combining detailed diet analysis with Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR)-based identification of plastic polymers, our results provide additional evidence that microplastic exposure in European shags may partly occur through trophic transfer associated with dominant prey groups such as Labridae.
title Plastic ingestion in European shags (Gulosus aristotelis): Temporal patterns and possible trophic transfer via Labridae prey in northern Spain.
topic Animals
Plastics
Spain
Food Chain
Environmental Monitoring
Water Pollutants, Chemical
Ecosystem
url https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42026448/