About the talk

Today, plastics can be found in practically every ecosystem, harming the species that inhabit them. This talk focuses on water birds that frequent wetlands—one of the least studied ecosystems regarding plastic pollution—acting as dispersal biovectors for plastics. These birds not only act as vectors but are also directly affected by plastics. By examining their diets, movement data, biochemical analysis, biological samples and stable isotopes, we aim to understand how species like the white stork, yellow-legged gull and cattle egret transport plastics from human-modified environments such as urban areas and landfills to natural ecosystems and how this exposure impacts them and the populations toxically.

 About the speaker

I studied Biology at the University of Seville (US), completing my undergraduate thesis on the assembly of dune plant communities in the Doñana area, specifically in Cuesta Maneli. After finishing my degree, I pursued a Master’s in Conservation Biology and Biodiversity at the Pablo de Olavide University (UPO), working on my master’s thesis under Duarte Viana. My research focused on changes in the functional diversity of bird communities in Doñana over time. Currently, and for the past 10 months, I have been a PhD student in the IsoPlastic group, under the supervision of Manuela G. Forero and Marta I. Sánchez as principal investigators.