Plastic ingestion, retention, and transport in animals from the eastern Canadian Arctic

Plastic and microplastic pollution has been recognized as a global concern. I aimed to assess the retention and transport of plastic pollution in the Canadian Arctic using two important animals from the Arctic ecosystem: seals and seabirds. First, I examined 142 seal stomachs from four communities in the eastern Canadian Arctic to identify whether seals are accumulating plastics in their stomachs. No evidence of accumulated plastic debris in seal stomachs was found, suggesting that seals in the eastern Canadian Arctic are likely not exposed to plastics during foraging. Second, the faecal precursors of northern fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis) and thick-billed murres (Uria lomvia) were examined to identify if these birds are excreting microplastics in their guano. Anthropogenic particles were found in both species, however, there was no relationship between the microplastic particles in the faecal precursors and plastic debris found in the stomachs of the same birds.