Trophic transfer of anthropogenic particles from prey to the Blue-footed Booby in a tropical food web

Wildlife worldwide is exposed to anthropogenic particle (AP) pollution. We present the first assessment of APs in the regurgitates ( n = 48) and feces ( n = 45) of the Blue-footed Booby ( Sula nebouxii ) at El Rancho Island, Sinaloa. Among the regurgitates, we identified sardines ( Opisthonema sp., n = 17), anchovies ( Anchoa spp., n = 28), and blue mackerels ( Scomber australasicus , n = 3). Anthropogenic particle concentrations were higher in anchovies (45.0 ± 50.1 AP·g −1 ) than in sardines (5.8 ± 11.9 AP·g −1 ) or mackerels (1.5 ± 1.1 AP·g −1 ; Z = 2.53, p = 0.01). FTIR analysis showed that cotton (34.8–67.7%) and cellulose (23.4–46.7%) were predominant materials. Our findings confirm that regurgitates and feces can serve as indicators of recent AP exposure in Blue-footed Boobies and that APs are common throughout the marine food chain, underscoring the value of monitoring APs in tropical seabird breeding colonies.