Effects of Marine Debris:Ingestion By

Birds

Plastics do not biodegrade or mineralize (go away), but they do photo-degrade when exposed to

sunlight, breaking down into smaller and smaller pieces that can be consumed by birds and other

animals.

Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies

Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge Center for Alaskan Coastal

Studies

Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies

Laysan Albatross on Midway Atoll • An estimated 479,526 breeding pairs in 2012

• An additional 500,000 estimated on island – non breeders

• 75% of the world’s Laysan Albatross population inhabit the Midway Atoll colonies

Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies

Black-footed Albatross on Midway Atoll

• An estimated 27,498 breeding pairs in 2012

• 35% of world’s breeding population

• The largest colony of Black-footed Albatross in the world

Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies

Short-tailed Albatross

• Endangered – only about 1,200 remaining in the world

• A breeding pair successfully bred and raised a chick on Eastern Island of Midway Atoll in the spring of 2012

• Two observed on Sand Island of Midway Atoll in 2012

Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies

Albatross carcass filled with plastics

Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies

Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies

Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies

Albatross bolus, measuring about 4 inches long and full of plastic.

Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies

Albatross chick at Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge

Photo by: Chris Jordan Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies

Volunteers collected more than 1000 plastic lighters on Midway

Atoll in less than 3 months.

Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies

Plastic lighters in the ocean can look a lot like the Albatross’s favorite prey.

Photo by Pete Leary, USFWS

Can you tell which of these is a squid?

Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies

Cigarette lighters in the stomach of a dead Albatross

Photo by: B. Mayer Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies

Northern Fulmars

• Forage exclusively at sea

• Retain ingested plastics for a long period of time

• Ideal indicators for marine debris

(Photo: Ashok Khosla, www.seabirds.com)

Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies

Non-food stomach content found in a Northern Fulmar in a recent study. (Photo: Stephanie Avery-Gomm, UBC)

Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies

What can you do?

• Dispose of plastic materials properly.

• Participate in a marine debris clean up.

• Reduce, reuse, recycle! Find out about recycling plastics in our area.

• Be a wise consumer - pay attention to your use of disposable plastic products.

• Show your support, financial and otherwise, for organizations and companies that address pollution issues

• Educate your friends and family about plastic pollution.

• Write your local, state, and federal elected officials about proper plastic disposal, enforcement of illegal ocean dumping, and the need to recycle.

Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies

Information from:

• Michelle Michaud• United States Fish and Wildlife Service. “Marine Debris: Cigarette

Lighters and the Plastic Problem on Midway Atoll.” http://www.fws.gov/midway/Midway_Atoll_NWR_Cigarette_Lighters.pdf

Photos courtesy Michelle Michaud, unless otherwise noted.