Is marine debris ingestion still a problem for the coastal marine biota of southern Brazil? Paula S. Tourinho, Juliana A. Ivar do Sul * , Gilberto Fillmann Laboratório de Microcontaminantes Orgânicos e Ecotoxicologia Aquática, Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande – FURG, C.P. 474, CEP 96201-900, Rio Grande, RS, Brazil article info Keywords: Marine pollution Plastic Chelonia mydas Procellariiformes Sphenisciformes Beach survey abstract The accumulation of synthetic debris in marine and coastal environments is a consequence of the inten- sive and continuous release of these highly persistent materials. This study investigates the current status of marine debris ingestion by sea turtles and seabirds found along the southern Brazilian coast. All green turtles (n = 34) and 40% of the seabirds (14 of 35) were found to have ingested debris. No correlation was found between the number of ingested items and turtle’s size or weight. Most items were found in the intestine. Plastic was the main ingested material. Twelve Procellariiformes (66%), two Sphenisciformes (22%), but none of the eight Charadriiformes were found to be contaminated. Procellariiformes ingested the majority of items. Plastic was also the main ingested material. The ingestion of debris by turtles is probably an increasing problem on southern Brazilian coast. Seabirds feeding by diverse methods are contaminated, highlighting plastic hazard to these biota. Ó 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction The accumulation of synthetic debris in marine and coastal environments is a result of the intensive and continuous release of these highly persistent materials. Once in the environment, mar- ine debris can impact significantly on wildlife, for example, via entanglement and ingestion. During recent decades the ingestion of marine debris by seabirds, turtles, mammals and fishes has been widely reported (Balazs, 1985; Ryan, 1987; Laist, 1997). Reports attributing seabird and sea turtle mortality to debris ingestion are uncommon (Balazs, 1985; Colabuono et al., 2009), although complete obstruction of the gastrointestinal tract can lead to an animal’s death (Bjorndal et al., 1994; Pierce et al., 2004). Sub-lethal effects, such as partial obstruction of the gastrointestinal tract and reduction of feeding stimulus, are more likely to be the major threats in the long-term (Ryan, 1987; Bjorndal et al., 1994; Bjorn- dal, 1997; Spear et al., 1995; McCauley and Bjorndal, 1999). The coastal zone of southern Brazil is an important habitat for resident and seasonal migrant animals. Juvenile green sea turtles use the area to forage and grow during the austral summer and spring (Soto and Beheregaray, 1997). Eighty-three species of pela- gic and coastal seabirds also use these beaches and the surround- ing area primarily for feeding (Vooren, 1997). Pelagic seabirds (40% of the 83 species) have a seasonal migratory behaviour and occur in oceanic and coastal waters in Brazil, while coastal seabirds (60%) inhabit shore areas, feeding in the swash zone (Vooren, 1997). Both pelagic and coastal seabird species migrate. Short-dis- tance migratory seabirds travel to breeding sites along the Brazil- ian coast, but they are found all year long on the southern Brazilian coastline. Long-distance migratory seabirds travel be- tween hemispheres (trans-equatorial migration) or from higher to lower latitudes during the austral winter (austral migration) (Vooren, 1997). Thus seabirds arriving at the beaches of southern Brazil will have had exposure to marine debris from a wide area. This study describes patterns of marine debris ingestion by green sea turtles and different orders of seabirds found stranded at the southern Brazilian coast. 2. Methods 2.1. Study area These surveys were conducted over 350 km of beaches from Peixe Lagoon (31°20 0 S) in the southernmost state of Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul) to the Brazilian border with Uruguay (33°45 0 S) (Fig. 1). The area has exposed sandy beaches with a northeast– southwest orientation and is relatively undeveloped, with tourism activities in some areas during the summer (Esteves et al., 2002). 2.2. Green turtles A total of 34 green turtles found stranded on the beach between December 2006 and March 2007 were identified and measured (i.e. 0025-326X/$ - see front matter Ó 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2009.10.013 * Corresponding author. Tel.: +55 53 3233 6738; fax: +55 53 3233 6601. E-mail address: julianasul@gmail.com (J.A. Ivar do Sul). Marine Pollution Bulletin xxx (2009) xxx–xxx Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Marine Pollution Bulletin journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/marpolbul ARTICLE IN PRESS Please cite this article in press as: Tourinho, P.S., et al. Is marine debris ingestion still a problem for the coastal marine biota of southern Brazil?. Mar. Pollut. Bull. (2009), doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2009.10.013