Bronte Wells
Plastic pollution is a pressing global issue, with millions of tonnes of plastic waste entering the ocean annually. This has devastating effects on marine life, including seabirds. Seabirds may become entangled in plastic debris, leading to injury and death, or they may mistake plastic for food, consuming it directly or indirectly through prey. The ingestion of plastic can cause inflammation, scarring, and multi-organ damage in seabirds, and some estimates suggest that over 1 million seabirds die from plastic pollution each year. This issue is not limited to remote locations, as plastic pollution is widespread and can reach even isolated areas through winds and currents. The threat to seabirds is increasing, and it is essential to address plastic pollution through education, waste management, and clean-up efforts to mitigate its impact on these vulnerable species.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Seabirds Dying Each Year from Pollution | More than 1 million |
| Number of Marine Animals Dying Each Year from Pollution | 100,000 |
| Number of Seabird Species Affected by Entanglement or Ingestion of Marine Debris | One-fifth |
| Number of Seabird Species with Plastic in their Stomachs in 1960 | Fewer than 5% |
| Number of Seabird Species with Plastic in their Stomachs in 1980 | 80% |
| Predicted Number of Seabird Species with Plastic in their Stomachs by 2050 | 99% |
| Predicted Number of Seabird Species with Plastic in their Stomachs by 2014 | 90.4% |
| Concentration of Plastic Pieces in the Ocean | 580,000 pieces per km^2 |
| Production of Plastic | Increasing exponentially |
| Plastic Ingestion by Flesh-Footed Shearwater | Highest proportion of its body mass among all marine creatures |
| Plastic Pollution in Midway Atoll | More than 100 pounds of plastic wash up every week |
| Fraction of Individuals Containing Plastic | Increasing at 1.7% per year |
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What You'll Learn
More than 1 million seabirds die from plastic pollution annually
Plastic pollution in the ocean is a global concern, with concentrations reaching 580,000 pieces per square kilometre. The amount of plastic in the ocean is increasing exponentially, and it is estimated that more than 1 million seabirds die from plastic pollution annually. This figure is expected to grow, with predictions that 99% of all seabird species will be ingesting plastic by 2050.
The number of seabird deaths from plastic ingestion is already alarmingly high, and the problem is only getting worse. Plastic pollution in the ocean comes from the millions of tonnes of plastic waste thrown into the ocean each year. According to UNEP data from 2021, without meaningful action, the amount of plastic waste flowing into aquatic ecosystems is expected to nearly triple from 11 million tonnes in 2016 to around 29 million tonnes by 2040.
Seabirds are particularly vulnerable to plastic pollution due to their unique adaptations for survival in the open ocean. For example, albatross species feed by skimming low over the water and inadvertently consume plastic as a result of its lightweight nature. In addition, the smell of krill feeding on the algae that coats marine plastic debris is similar to the natural scents that many seabirds follow when hunting for food, leading them to mistake plastic for prey.
Once plastic is ingested by seabirds, it can cause serious health problems. Plastic fragments can cause inflammation, scarring, affect their ability to eat, and lead to multi-organ damage, including kidney function impairment. In some cases, plastic ingestion can be directly fatal, as chicks of some species are unable to regurgitate plastic pieces and drown as a result.
Efforts are being made to address the impact of plastic pollution on seabirds, such as the LIFE SeaBiL project, which aims to reduce the effects of plastic on marine animals and identify the main sources of this pollution. Beach clean-up campaigns and the development of standardised methods for collecting and categorising marine litter are also important initiatives in the fight against plastic pollution and its devastating consequences for seabirds.
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Abandoned fishing gear is a major cause of seabird deaths
Seabirds are one of the most threatened groups of birds, with about half of all seabird species experiencing population decline. A significant contributor to this is the issue of bycatch, which is when non-target marine species are caught in fishing gear. Bycatch has the highest at-sea impact on seabirds, killing hundreds of thousands, potentially over 1 million seabirds annually.
Abandoned fishing gear is a major cause of these seabird deaths. When fishing gear is lost or abandoned, it continues to catch wildlife in a phenomenon known as "ghost fishing". It is estimated that around the world, 27% of all marine litter consists of lost nets, lines, and traps. This discarded equipment entangles and drowns birds that dive for their food, such as gannets, penguins, and other diving birds.
The problem of abandoned fishing gear is exacerbated by the fact that many seabirds are attracted to fishing boats due to their ability to detect food from large distances. Seabirds are drawn to bait, catch, and discarded fish waste around boats as an "easy" meal. In trawl fisheries, seabirds that feed on the surface of the water, such as albatrosses, are particularly vulnerable to colliding with trawl warps or becoming entangled in nets.
In addition to the direct physical harm caused by abandoned fishing gear, the presence of plastic in the ocean also poses a significant threat to seabirds. The number of seabirds dying as a result of plastic ingestion is currently estimated at 1 million per year. This problem has grown rapidly, with fewer than 5% of seabirds studied in 1960 found to have plastic in their stomachs, increasing to 80% in 1980. It is expected that by 2050, 99% of all seabird species will be ingesting plastic.
While the exact number of seabird deaths caused specifically by abandoned fishing gear is difficult to determine, it is clear that it is a significant contributor to the overall problem of seabird mortality due to pollution and bycatch. Addressing this issue requires a combination of improved regulations, close monitoring of compliance and bycatch rates, and the implementation of seabird conservation measures in fisheries.
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Seabirds are attracted to plastic that smells like food
An estimated one million seabirds die each year from plastic pollution. This is a shocking statistic, especially considering that fewer than 5% of seabirds studied in 1960 had plastic in their stomachs, a figure that rose to 80% in 1980. It is expected that by 2050, 99% of all seabird species will be ingesting plastic.
One of the reasons why so many seabirds ingest plastic is that they are attracted to plastic that smells like food. A study from the University of California, Davis, found that plastic debris in the ocean emits a sulfurous compound, dimethyl sulfide (DMS), which some seabirds have relied on for thousands of years to locate food. DMS is a chemical released by algae, which coats floating plastic. It is also released when algae are eaten by animals like krill, a favourite meal of the birds. This olfactory cue tricks the birds into confusing marine plastic with food.
The researchers from the University of California, Davis, confirmed their hypothesis by submerging mesh bags of plastic beads in seawater off the shore of California for a month. They found that the plastic reeked of DMS and that the biofilm living on the plastic may produce enough of the chemical to confuse foraging birds.
The study also found that species that track the scent of DMS to find prey are nearly six times more likely to eat plastic than those that do not. This includes tubenosed seabirds such as petrels and albatross, which have a keen sense of smell that they use to hunt. These species are among the birds most severely affected by plastic consumption.
Preventative measures should be taken to address this issue and protect vulnerable seabird species from the detrimental effects of plastic pollution.
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Plastic ingestion causes kidney damage and multi-organ failure
It is estimated that around 1 million seabirds die each year from plastic pollution. This number is expected to increase, with projections suggesting that by 2050, 99% of all seabird species will be ingesting plastic. The flesh-footed shearwater, which breeds on Lord Howe Island, ingests more plastic as a proportion of its body mass than any other marine creature.
Plastic ingestion has been found to cause kidney damage and multi-organ failure in seabirds. Research has shown that plastic ingestion affects not just the stomach but also multiple vital organs. The proteomic signatures of cell lysis, multi-organ failure, and neurodegeneration have been observed in seabird chicks under 90 days old, indicating that their health is severely compromised.
One study published in Science Advances found that plastic ingestion induced proteomic signatures of multiorgan failure and neurodegeneration in seabird chicks. The study assessed changes in 745 proteins in a free-living non-model organism with differing levels of plastic exposure. The results showed that seabird chicks heavily affected by plastic ingestion had a range of negative health consequences. Intracellular components that should not be found in the blood were frequently detected, indicating cell lysis. Secreted proteins were also less abundant, suggesting that the stomach, liver, and kidneys were not functioning normally.
Another study examined the proventriculus (main stomach component), kidney, and spleen of flesh-footed shearwaters from Lord Howe Island and found all organs to have microplastic particles embedded within them. The birds exhibited severe physiological and medical issues, including tissue damage, a significant reduction in tubular glands, and folds within the proventriculus, as well as evidence of inflammation, fibrosis, and loss of organ structures.
The presence of plastics in seabirds can induce multiple organ and tissue damage, affecting the entire body and not just the stomach as previously assumed. Macroplastics can puncture organs, block passageways, and become absorbed before fragmenting into microplastics, which can then cause further damage by mobilising and causing widespread disease through inflammation and other mechanisms.
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Chicks are particularly vulnerable to plastic ingestion
An estimated 1 million seabirds die each year from plastic pollution. This is a shocking statistic that becomes even more worrying when we consider how quickly this problem has grown. While fewer than 5% of seabirds studied in 1960 were found to have plastic in their stomachs, this number had increased to 80% in 1980. It is now predicted that by 2050, 99% of all seabird species will be ingesting plastic.
In addition, chicks that ingest plastic may experience minor delays in growth and the onset of sexual maturity, as well as an increased incidence of reproductive cysts. These effects have been observed in experiments where birds were fed plastic, although the long-term population-level impacts are still uncertain.
The ingestion of plastic by chicks can also have generational impacts. For example, embryonic exposure to the endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) found in plastic can result in chick deformities and impaired sexual behaviour, immune systems, and thyroid function in adulthood.
Furthermore, chicks may be more susceptible to the health problems caused by plastic ingestion, such as impacted kidney function, higher concentrations of uric acid, and negative effects on cholesterol and enzymes. These issues can further impair their growth and survival, especially during migratory periods.
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Frequently asked questions
It is estimated that more than 1 million seabirds die from plastic pollution every year.
Seabirds can mistake small fragments of plastic for food, or ingest it through prey that have eaten it. Some studies show that the smell of krill feeding on the algae that coats marine plastic debris is similar to natural scents that many seabirds follow when hunting for food. Albatross species, in particular, feed by skimming low over the water and inadvertently consume plastic as a result.
Once in a bird's digestive tract, plastic fragments can cause inflammation, scarring, affect their ability to eat, and lead to multi-organ damage, including kidney damage. This condition has been named "plasticosis" by scientists.
Some seabirds have been observed using marine debris to construct their nests, which can affect breeding. Tissue samples from stranded or dead seabirds are being analysed to understand how they are affected by plastic pollution.
Individuals can reduce their plastic consumption and properly dispose of or recycle their plastic waste. Beach clean-up campaigns and standardising marine litter collection and categorisation can also help reduce plastic pollution and its impact on seabirds.
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