The rise of plastics since the mid-20th century, both as a material element of modern life and as a growing environmental pollutant, has been widely described. Their distribution in both the terrestrial and marine realms suggests that they are a key geological indicator of the Anthropocene, as a distinctive stratal component. Most immediately evident in terrestrial deposits, they are clearly becoming widespread in marine sedimentary deposits in both shallow- and deep-water settings.

As most port areas throughout the world, Guanabara Bay (GB), which hosts the Harbour of Rio de Janeiro (HRJ), is under intense environmental stress. Located in one of the most iconic places of the world, GB environmental status has been the focus of worldwide attention with the imminent 2016 Olympic Games. The aim of this study was to discuss all past and current relevant aspects to characterize the environment of GB and its main harbour, including geomorphology, climatology, hydrology, geography and biodiversity aspects.

Plastics are a contaminant of emerging concern accumulating in marine ecosystems. Plastics tend to break down into small particles, called microplastics, which also enter the marine environment directly as fragments from a variety of sources, including cosmetics, clothing, and industrial processes. Given their ubiquitous nature and small dimensions, the ingestion and impact of microplastics on marine life are a cause for concern, notably for filter feeders.

The northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) is defined as an indicator species of plastic pollution by the Oslo-Paris Convention for the North-East Atlantic, but few data exist for fulmars from Norway. Moreover, the relationship between uptake of plastic and pollutants in seabirds is poorly understood.