Frequency and composition of anthropogenic debris in the nests of sooty gulls Larus (Adelarus) hemprichii Bruch, 1853 from Sir Bu Na'ir Island, United Arab Emirates

The proliferation and dispersion of marine debris results with various, often harmful, interactions with marine fauna. One such interaction, that is poorly investigated, is the incorporation of marine debris into the nests of seabirds, which at times results in hatchling entanglement. The objective of this study is to investigate the qualitative and quantitative aspects of marine debris used in the construction of the nests of sooty gulls Larus (Adelarus) hemprichii (Bruch, 1853) from Sir Bu Na'ir Island, United Arab Emirates. The numeric and gravimetric proportions of debris were documented following classification of type, color and presumed source. The results show that 11.2% of the 258 active nests examined contained debris. On average, nests included 2.0 +/- 0.4 items of 6.1 +/- 1.9 g mass. Non-plastic rubbish, particularly metals and glass, were the predominant debris utilized. The results reflect that sooty gulls frequently use anthropogenic debris as nesting materials in Sir Bu Na'ir Island.