Assessing perfluoroalkyl substance pollution in Central Mediterranean breeding shearwaters.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic organofluorine compounds used in various products, which are highly durable in the environment and may pose risks to wildlife health. We investigated the blood cell concentrations of PFAS in breeding Scopoli's shearwaters (Calonectris diomedea) from three different colonies in the central and southern Mediterranean (Linosa, Malta, and La Maddalena). Shearwaters are flexible, high trophic level foragers, and foraging areas may differ according to sex and breeding stage.

Global assessment of marine plastic exposure risk for oceanic birds.

Plastic pollution is distributed patchily around the world's oceans. Likewise, marine organisms that are vulnerable to plastic ingestion or entanglement have uneven distributions. Understanding where wildlife encounters plastic is crucial for targeting research and mitigation.