1 Sooty Shearwater Chick, By Its Death At 80 Days, Had 778 Pieces Of Plastic Lodged In Its Body (Record So Far)
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During this year’s assessment, one of the sable shearwater chicks that the scientists tested broke an unsettling record: It had 778 pieces of plastic lodged in its body. Since the chick was just around 80 days old, this roughly equates to its parents feeding it 10 pieces of plastic each day of the bird’s life. A number of birds across the island had enough plastic to literally make a crunching noise when researchers gently pressed their stomachs. (The Washington Post recently published the audio of this noise if you want to hear it for yourself.)
For their study published in March, the scientists wanted to focus on the impact of plastic ingestion on protein composition, which can drive a number of functions throughout the body. They found that seabird chicks with high levels of plastic exposure had protein markers indicative of liver and kidney diseases and neurodegeneration. For example, birds with high levels of plastic in their bodies had lower levels of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which facilitates the growth and survival of certain neurons, including those that help birds recognize each other’s song. This has implications for the long-term survival of the species, the study’s authors say. “Our results suggest while not all birds die from plastics exposure, they may have health issues and suffer from reduced cognitive functions, including those needed for courtship (such as song),” several of the study’s authors wrote in a recent article for The Conversation. “This may make it more difficult for them to successfully find mates and produce chicks.”
The direct impacts of large plastic and debris pollution are fairly obvious. Research suggests that more than half of the world’s sea turtles have ingested plastic at some point in their lives, which can rupture internal organs or cause intestinal blockages. As I’ve reported in the past, whales are frequently entangled in fishing gear. But this recent study zeroes in on the insidious effects of plastic ingestion on the body’s internal processes, which can be difficult and time-consuming to unravel, the study’s authors say. Plastics are infused with a slew of chemicals for different reasons, such as making them more colorful or flame retardant. In fish, there is evidence plastic particles and associated chemicals can disrupt hormone levels, which can damage their reproductive organs.
This could spell trouble for humans, too. Researchers recently tested around 180 seafood samples either bought at the store or obtained from a fishing boat in Oregon, and detected microplastics in 99 percent of them, according to a January study.
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https://insideclimatenews.org/news/27052025/todays-climate-plastic-pollution-seabird-health-ocean/
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