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  1. Article ; Online: Occurrence of Microplastics in Harbour Seals ( Phoca vitulina ) and Grey Seals ( Halichoerus grypus ) from German Waters

    Carolin Philipp / Bianca Unger / Ursula Siebert

    Animals, Vol 12, Iss 551, p

    2022  Volume 551

    Abstract: The level of knowledge on microplastic exposure in marine mammals is limited by the access to dead and alive individuals. Focusing on the Northeast Atlantic area, some studies already confirmed the microplastic presence in free-ranging marine mammals, ... ...

    Abstract The level of knowledge on microplastic exposure in marine mammals is limited by the access to dead and alive individuals. Focusing on the Northeast Atlantic area, some studies already confirmed the microplastic presence in free-ranging marine mammals, such as harbour porpoises or harbour seals inhabiting the North Sea (NS). In contrast, knowledge on the exposure to grey seals and particularly on specimen inhabiting the Baltic Sea (BS) are scarce. This study examined 63 gastrointestinal tracts (GIT) of harbour seals and grey seals originating from German waters (NS and BS) found between 2014 and 2019. Besides the documentation of microplastic findings, this study is dealing with life history and health parameters, attempting to identify correlations with microplastic presence. This study confirmed beside the presence, the egestion of microplastics (>100 µm; MPs) in the examined seals, without correlations in parasite infestations or inflammation responses. 540 suspected MPs were identified in 62 intestinal samples (42% fibres, 58% fragments), and 228 MPs in seven stomachs (28% fibres, 72% fragments). In accordance, first evidence of the retainment of fragments in the GIT were given. However, no significant difference in MP occurrence was indicated for different sex or age groups.
    Keywords marine mammals ; Phocidae ; North Sea ; Baltic Sea ; gastrointestinal tract ; intestine ; Veterinary medicine ; SF600-1100 ; Zoology ; QL1-991
    Subject code 333
    Language English
    Publishing date 2022-02-01T00:00:00Z
    Publisher MDPI AG
    Document type Article ; Online
    Database BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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  2. Article ; Online: First Evidence of Retrospective Findings of Microplastics in Harbour Porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) From German Waters

    Carolin Philipp / Bianca Unger / Sonja M. Ehlers / Jochen H. E. Koop / Ursula Siebert

    Frontiers in Marine Science, Vol

    2021  Volume 8

    Abstract: Microplastic ingestion by lower trophic level organisms is well known, whereas information on microplastic ingestion, egestion and accumulation by top predators such as cetaceans is still lacking. This study investigates microplastics in intestinal ... ...

    Abstract Microplastic ingestion by lower trophic level organisms is well known, whereas information on microplastic ingestion, egestion and accumulation by top predators such as cetaceans is still lacking. This study investigates microplastics in intestinal samples from harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) found along the coastline of Schleswig-Holstein (Germany) between 2014 and 2018. Out of 30 individuals found along the North Sea (NS) and the Baltic Sea (BS) coast, 28 specimens contained microplastic. This study found a relationship between the nutritional status of cetaceans and the amount of found microplastics. Harbour porpoises with a good or moderate nutritional status contained a higher number of microplastics, when compared with specimens in a poor nutritional status. In addition, when individuals died accidently due to suspected bycatch in gillnets, where a feeding event is highly assumed or a pharyngeal entrapment happened, the microplastic burden was higher. In total, 401 microplastics (≥100 μm), including 202 fibres and 199 fragments were found. Intestines of the specimens of the BS contained more microplastics than the ones from the NS. Differences in the share of fibres could be revealed: for BS fibres constituted 51.44% and for NS, fibres constituted 47.97%. The polymers polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide, acrylic (with nitrile component) and an acrylic/alkyd paint chip (with styrene and kaolin components) were identified. This is the first study investigating the occurrence of microplastics in harbour porpoises from German waters and will, thus, provide valuable information on the actual burden of microplastics in cetaceans from the North and Baltic Seas.
    Keywords microplastic burden ; FTIR ; marine mammals ; cetacean ; North Sea ; Baltic Sea ; Science ; Q ; General. Including nature conservation ; geographical distribution ; QH1-199.5
    Subject code 333
    Language English
    Publishing date 2021-05-01T00:00:00Z
    Publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
    Document type Article ; Online
    Database BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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  3. Article ; Online: Handle with Care—Microplastic Particles in Intestine Samples of Seals from German Waters

    Carolin Philipp / Bianca Unger / Elke K. Fischer / Joseph G. Schnitzler / Ursula Siebert

    Sustainability, Vol 12, Iss 10424, p

    2020  Volume 10424

    Abstract: The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) aims to reduce the marine debris burden in the marine environment by 2020. This requires an assessment of the actual situation, which includes the occurrence as well as the caused impacts. Information on ... ...

    Abstract The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) aims to reduce the marine debris burden in the marine environment by 2020. This requires an assessment of the actual situation, which includes the occurrence as well as the caused impacts. Information on both is scarce when it comes to top predators like marine mammals and the burden of microplastic. This is hampered by the limited access to free ranging marine mammals for collecting samples, as well as sample handling. The present study investigated gastrointestinal tracts and faecal samples of harbour seals ( Phoca vitulina ) and grey seals ( Halichoerus grypus ) regularly occurring in the German North Sea and Baltic Sea with the aim of gaining information on the occurrence of microplastics. In total, 255 particles ≥100 µm (70 fibres, 185 fragments) were found in exemplary ten intestine and nine faecal samples. The findings ranged from zero fibres and six fragments, up to 35 fibres and 55 fragments per sample. Additionally, this study established a protocol for sample handling, microplastic isolation (≥100 µm) and quantification of gastrointestinal tracts and faecal samples of marine mammals with a low share of contamination. This approach helps to quantify the presence of microplastics in free-ranging marine mammals and is therefore applicable to assess the real burden of microplastic presence in the marine environment.
    Keywords microplastic ; plastic isolation ; plastic ingestion ; gastrointestinal tract ; marine mammals ; Environmental effects of industries and plants ; TD194-195 ; Renewable energy sources ; TJ807-830 ; Environmental sciences ; GE1-350
    Subject code 333
    Language English
    Publishing date 2020-12-01T00:00:00Z
    Publisher MDPI AG
    Document type Article ; Online
    Database BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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  4. Article ; Online: Small Cetacean in a Human High-Use Area

    Dominik A. Nachtsheim / Sacha Viquerat / Nadya C. Ramírez-Martínez / Bianca Unger / Ursula Siebert / Anita Gilles

    Frontiers in Marine Science, Vol

    Trends in Harbor Porpoise Abundance in the North Sea Over Two Decades

    2021  Volume 7

    Abstract: The North Sea is one of the most heavily used shelf regions worldwide with a diversity of human impacts, including shipping, pollution, fisheries, and offshore constructions. These stressors on the environment can have consequences for marine organisms, ... ...

    Abstract The North Sea is one of the most heavily used shelf regions worldwide with a diversity of human impacts, including shipping, pollution, fisheries, and offshore constructions. These stressors on the environment can have consequences for marine organisms, such as our study species, the harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), which is regarded as a sentinel species and hence has a high conservation priority in the European Union (EU). As EU member states are obliged to monitor the population status, the present study aims to estimate trends in absolute harbor porpoise abundance in the German North Sea based on almost two decades of aerial surveys (2002–2019) using line-transect methodology. Furthermore, we were interested in trends in three Natura2000 Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), which include the harbor porpoise as designated feature. Trends were estimated for each SAC and two seasons (spring and summer) as well as the complete area of the German North Sea. For the trend analysis we applied a Bayesian framework to a series of replicated visual surveys, allowing to propagate the error structure of the original abundance estimates to the final trend estimate and designed to deal with spatio-temporal heterogeneity and other sources of uncertainty. In general, harbor porpoise abundance decreased in northern areas and increased in the south, such as in the SAC Borkum Reef Ground. A particularly strong decline with a high probability (94.9%) was detected in the core area and main reproduction site in summer, the SAC Sylt Outer Reef (−3.79% per year). The overall trend for the German North Sea revealed a decrease in harbor porpoise abundance over the whole study period (−1.79% per year) with high probability (95.1%). The assessment of these trends in abundance based on systematic monitoring should now form the basis for adaptive management, especially in the SAC Sylt Outer Reef, where the underlying causes and drivers for the large decline remain unknown and deserve further investigation, also in a regional North ...
    Keywords harbor porpoise ; North Sea ; monitoring ; Bayesian trend analysis ; marine mammal conservation ; biodiversity indicators ; Science ; Q ; General. Including nature conservation ; geographical distribution ; QH1-199.5
    Subject code 333
    Language English
    Publishing date 2021-01-01T00:00:00Z
    Publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
    Document type Article ; Online
    Database BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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  5. Article ; Conference proceedings: Marine litter: One of the major threats for marine mammals. Outcomes from the European Cetacean Society workshop

    Panti, Cristina / Amy Lusher / Bianca Unger / Elisa L. Bravo Rebolledo / Gema Hernandez-Milan / Kristian Syberg / Maria Cristina Fossi / Mark P. Simmonds / Matteo Baini

    Environmental pollution. 2019 Apr., v. 247

    2019  

    Abstract: Marine litter is a pollution problem affecting thousands of marine species in all the world's seas and oceans. Marine litter, in particular plastic, has negative impacts on marine wildlife primarily due to ingestion and entanglement. Since most marine ... ...

    Abstract Marine litter is a pollution problem affecting thousands of marine species in all the world's seas and oceans. Marine litter, in particular plastic, has negative impacts on marine wildlife primarily due to ingestion and entanglement. Since most marine mammal species negatively interact with marine litter, a first workshop under the framework of the European Cetacean Society Conference, was held in 2017 to bring together the main experts on the topic of marine mammals and marine litter from academic and research institutes, non-governmental organisations, foundations and International Agreements. The workshop was devoted to defining the impact of marine litter on marine mammals by reviewing current knowledge, methodological advances and new data available on this emerging issue. Some case studies were also presented from European waters, such as seals and cetaceans in the North, Baltic, and Mediterranean Seas. Here, we report the main findings of the workshop, including a discussion on the research needs, the main methodological gaps, an overview of new techniques for detecting the effects of marine litter (including microplastics) on marine mammals and, also, the use of citizen science to drive awareness. The final recommendations aim to establish priority research, to define harmonised methods to detect marine litter and microplastics, enforce networking among institutions and support data sharing. The information gathered will enhance awareness and communication between scientists, young people, citizens, other stakeholders and policy makers, and thereby facilitate better implementation of international directives (e.g., the Marine Strategy Framework Directive) in order to answer the question about the actual status of our oceans and finding solutions.
    Keywords case studies ; Cetacea ; experts ; ingestion ; international agreements ; issues and policy ; marine debris ; microplastics ; nongovernmental organizations ; oceans ; pollution ; research institutions ; scientists ; seals ; stakeholders ; wildlife
    Language English
    Dates of publication 2019-04
    Size p. 72-79.
    Publishing place Elsevier Ltd
    Document type Article ; Conference proceedings
    ZDB-ID 280652-6
    ISSN 1873-6424 ; 0013-9327 ; 0269-7491
    ISSN (online) 1873-6424
    ISSN 0013-9327 ; 0269-7491
    DOI 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.01.029
    Database NAL-Catalogue (AGRICOLA)

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