Threatened Seabirds Are Foraging at Plastic Pollution Hotspots
Madeleine Cuff | July 4, 2023 | NewScientist
Threatened seabirds are spending days and sometimes weeks foraging for food around floating garbage patches in the ocean, according to a major study that warns international action to tackle plastic pollution is urgently needed.
The research used tracking data from more than 7000 birds, combined with plastic pollution location data, to map the plastic exposure risk of 77 species of petrel, a group of migratory seabirds.
It found that 25 per cent of all plastic exposure for seabirds occurs outside national jurisdictions, mainly at huge floating patches of pollution such as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
Birds can spend anywhere from hours to weeks foraging for food in these pollution hotspots, says team member Bethany Clark at the charity BirdLife International.
“During the breeding season, they spend less time [at pollution hotspots] because they have to get back to feed their chicks. But that can still be many hours, and then in the non-breeding season, they can spend weeks,” she says.
Previous studies have found that plastic can get caught up in seabirds’ stomachs, causing obstructions and poisoning. Petrels have also been shown to regurgitate plastic pollution to feed to their chicks.
