DCV Researchers Lead Study on the Effects of Restricted Access to Fishery Discards on Gulls

Researchers from the Department of Life Sciences of the University of Coimbra (DCV-UC) led a study under the LIFE Ilhas Barreira project, aiming to evaluate the effects of restricted access to fishery discards and landfills on the behaviour and physiological condition of the yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis) and the Audouin’s gull (Larus audouinii).

The study revealed that, when access to these food resources was limited, gulls travelled longer distances to feed, resulting in a decline in their physiological condition. These findings highlight the strong dependence of these species on predictable anthropogenic food sources, raising important questions about the ecological consequences of waste management and fishery discard policies.

The research was recently published in the journal Science of The Total Environment.
Read the full article: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.180672