About GLOVE: Global Plastic Ingestion Database

GLOVE, the Global Plastic Ingestion Initiative, is an online, open-access dashboard database dedicated to plastic ingestion studies. It addresses the challenge of inaccessible plastic ingestion data by consolidating information for scientists, decision-makers, and society. The platform was developed through a collaboration primarily involving the Federal University of Ceará (UFC), Federal University of Alagoas (UFAL), Federal University of Pará (UFPA) in Brazil, and the Tor Vergata University of Rome in Italy.

The resource provides a centralized repository for data on plastic ingestion by wild animals across marine, freshwater, and terrestrial environments. GLOVE was built in the R environment, with its web interface developed using Shiny. It currently integrates data from 530 studies, encompassing 245,366 individual records across 1458 species. This scientifically grounded tool helps researchers identify knowledge gaps and informs the design of effective actions against plastic pollution, supporting efforts for microplastic pollution mapping and data sharing.

Key Features of GLOVE: Global Plastic Ingestion Database

• Extensive Coverage: Compiles data from 530 studies, including 245,366 individual records for 1458 species.
• Multi-Environment Focus: Covers plastic ingestion in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems.
• Detailed Descriptors:** Provides information on species taxonomy, body size, sampling procedures (methods, geographic location, time), polymeric composition, color, and shape of ingested plastic debris.
• Open-Access and Downloadable: All data is freely accessible through the online dashboard and can be downloaded in CSV format.
• Trend Monitoring: Enables monitoring of past and present plastic ingestion studies to identify changes, trends, and research gaps.

Development and Validation

GLOVE was developed as a collaborative effort involving researchers from the. The initiative emerged from the need for a globally comprehensive and accessible platform for plastic ingestion data.

The platform’s methodology involves systematic literature searches on Google Scholar using keywords such as “debris ingestion” and “plastic ingestion.” A trained research team manually extracts and curates data from peer-reviewed journals and books, including articles in multiple languages. Scientific names are aligned with current taxonomic databases like FishBase, AviBase, ASM Mammal Diversity Database, The Reptile Database, and WoRMS to ensure data accuracy and consistency. The development and scope of GLOVE are detailed in the peer-reviewed publication: Monteiro et al., 2022, Marine Pollution Bulletin.

Access and Data Availability

GLOVE is an open-access web-based dashboard available at gloveinitiative.shinyapps.io/Glove/. The platform allows users to explore plastic ingestion data by biological group, species, and various plastic characteristics such as polymeric composition, color, and shape. All aggregated data can be downloaded free of charge in CSV format, facilitating further analysis and integration into other research efforts. While the underlying R and Shiny code are not explicitly detailed as open-source, the interactive application is fully accessible.

Community and Support

The GLOVE platform includes sections for “Help & Feedback” on its website, indicating channels for user engagement and support. The project is managed by a dedicated team, with Dr. Tommaso Giarrizzo as Project Manager. The developing team commits to continuously updating the platform with new studies and information, ensuring its relevance and utility for the scientific community and stakeholders.

Why This Resource Belongs on Plastiverse

GLOVE directly addresses a critical need in microplastics research by providing a centralized, open-access database on plastic ingestion by wildlife. Its comprehensive coverage of marine, freshwater, and terrestrial species, combined with detailed descriptors of ingested plastics, makes it an invaluable resource for assessing the ecological impacts of plastic pollution. Researchers can use GLOVE for comparative studies, identifying vulnerable species, tracking pollution trends, and informing conservation strategies. As a peer-reviewed and actively maintained resource, GLOVE exemplifies the kind of data-driven, verifiable tool Plastiverse aims to curate for the global microplastics research community.