The Use of Great Skua Pellets as Indicators of Plastic Pollution in Seabirds

Abstract

Plastic particles were found in 108 (22%) of 483 Great Skua Stercorarius skua pellets that contained remnants of a single identifiable avian prey item, collected at Inaccessible Island, South Atlantic Ocean. Plastic was associated with seven petrel prey species. Comparisons with plastic particles found in these species at Gough Island, 400 km distant, showed that small particles (< 8 mg) were under-represented in skua pellets. This caused underestimates of plastic loads in prey species, uarticularlv in small birds (storm-petrels). Other biases resulting from the use of skua pellets as indicators of plastic pollution in seabird; are discussed.