ABSTRACT
As top predators, seabirds are highly sensitive to widespread plastic and metal pollution. These bioindicators interact with plastics and metals in many different ways which can lead to several deleterious effects, measurable through different techniques, and ultimately to death. Still, seabirds’ vulnerability to contamination depends on various characteristics such as foraging behaviour and habitat use. Seabirds can also constitute a significant biovector of plastic and metal contamination from marine environments to terrestrial landscapes. This chapter reviews the existing scientific knowledge regarding negative impacts of plastics and metals in marine ecosystems, particularly in seabirds, the way both are interconnected, and the reasons why seabirds are considered suitable biomonitoring tools of plastic and metal pollution patterns. Factors influencing both plastic and metal interactions with seabirds, as well as the currently known appropriate monitoring tools to quantify these interactions are also described. A review of studies addressing seabirds as vectors of plastic and metal pollution is also presented and a broad overview of these aspects is debated through a case study on how plastic exposure affects seabirds.
