Sea Birds

 you in to become hungry. You buy takeout in a plastic to-go container that your sandwich in sitting in. This is what happens to sea birds, except they mistakenly eat the plastic as well. Some types of sea birds not only rely heavily on their vision, but on their sense on smell as well, which leads to their ingestion of plastic (Harvey, 2016).

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Plastic pollution can effect seabirds before they start foraging on their own. Chances of survival during their first year of life is expected to be lower if their parent has plastic in their stomach (Willian, 2010). Parents transfer plastic to their chicks during feeding resulting in exposure to plastic chemicals at a young age. Some parents unintentionally bring back micro plastics instead of plankton, thinking they are feeding their chicks with nutrients but unknowingly leading them to starvation (Financial Times, 2018). In South Georgia, Albatross (one of the most endangered bird groups in the world, were found making their nests out of plastic (State News Service, 2017). Eggs are being incubated on plastic and is the first thing a chick sees when opening its eyes.

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When plastic is ingested by birds, it can cause disruption in the digestive tract, ulcers, and leave toxic chemicals in their bloodstream (Williams, 2010).  Because of Albatross size, they are able to swallow large pieces of plastic. Some samples have been taken from the birds stomachs and have found items like whole lighters and toothbrushes (Things Considered, 2017). Seabirds only regurgitate their food when feeding, so when they are not feeding, the plastic causes gastrointestinal blockage as well as only digestion problems (Bains, 2012), Depending on the location, seabirds in a specific area can average an amount of plastic pieces in their stomach, which lets us known how polluted an area is. Because plastic can decrease or disrupt birds reproductive success, populations of different species will decrease (PON, 2011).

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Resources

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Bains, C. (2012, July 5). Most West Coast seabirds have bellies full of plastic. Globe & Mail [Toronto, Canada], p. S2. Retrieved from http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A295280149/OVIC?u=las&sid=OVIC&xid=3da52a3c

Williams, C. (2010). Oceans time to take out the garbage: people may be familiar with images of individual marine animals and birds killed by discarded plastic bags and fishing lines. But the debilitating effects of marine debris on entire species is an urgent environmental issue in the International Year of Biodiversity, as Christine Williams discovered. Ecos, (157). 10.

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Harvey, C. The tragic reason seabirds keep mistaking ocean plastic for food. (2016, November 10). Washingtonpost.com. Retrieved from http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A469730574/AONE?u=las&sid=AONE&xid=c241f94f

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The problem with plastic; Plastic pollution is everywhere: from the stomachs of baby seabirds to the five trillion pieces littering our oceans. Clive Cookson investigates the crisis, while Mandy Barker's photographs of washed-up debris illustrate its extent. (2018, January 27). Financial Times, p. 18. Retrieved from http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A525125432/AONE?u=las&sid=AONE&xid=c7cbf550

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PLASTIC KILLED ALBATROSS CHICK ON NEST, BYCATCH A HUGE THREAT AT SEA BBC DOCUMENTARY SERIES BLUE PLANET 2 PROMPTS MARINE CONSERVATIONIST AND PHOTOGRAPHER TO EXPLAIN WHY THE TALES OF HUMAN IMPACT ARE THE SCENES SHE WON'T BE FORGETTING, WHAT ELSE THREATENS THE SEABIRDS SHE'S CLOSEST TO, AND WHAT YOU CAN DO IN RESPONSE TO HELP. (2017, December 11). States News Service. Retrieved from http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A518511754/AONE?u=las&sid=AONE&xid=c4ea1d26

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Plastics Don't Disappear, But They Do End Up In Seabirds' Bellies. (2014, June 17). All Things Considered. Retrieved from http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A372791103/LitRC?u=las&sid=LitRC&xid=6d07a851

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(2011). Plastic pollution threatens young seabirds. Premium Official News.

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Ruxon, J. (Producer) & Leeson, C. (Director). (2016). A Plastic Ocean [Motion Picture]. Netherlands