Plastic ingestion by harbour porpoises Phocoena phocoena in the Netherlands: Establishing a standardised method.

ABSTRACT: Stomach contents of harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) collected in the Netherlands between 2003 and 2013 were inspected for the presence of plastic and other man-made litter. In 654 stomach samples the frequency of occurrence of plastic litter was 7% with less than 0.5% additional presence of non-synthetic man-made litter. However, we show that when a dedicated standard protocol for the detection of litter is followed, a considerably higher percentage (15% of 81 harbour porpoise stomachs from the period 2010-2013) contained plastic litter. Results thus strongly depended on methods used and time period considered. Occurrence of litter in the stomach was correlated to the presence of other non-food remains like stones, shells, bog-wood, etc., suggesting that litter was often ingested acc

SUBMITTER: van Franeker JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5884759 | biostudies-literature | 2018 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature