PAPER for Plastic Debris Rivers to the Sea Conference 2005 Seabirds as indicators of plastic pollution in the North Pacific

Abstract

As far-ranging top predators, seabirds are valuable biological indicators of climatic and human-related perturbations of marine food webs because they sample marine ecosystems over large space and time scales. These same ecological reasons make seabirds valuable indicators of plastic pollution in coastal and oceanic waters. In this paper we review studies of the incidence and impacts of plastic ingestion on North Pacific seabirds, and identify several ecological factors that influence the susceptibility of different species. Foraging mode, habitat use, and body size are important factors to consider when quantifying the magnitude of plastic ingestion and its potential impacts on seabird populations. Largebodied, oceanic species that feed opportunistically at the surface are most susceptible to plastic ingestion. In particular, far-ranging tubenose (Procellariiformes) species, like fulmars and albatrosses, are ideal bio-indicators of marine plastic pollution. In this paper we report on plastic ingestion by Northern Fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis) collected in California during 2003–2004, and review past research on far-ranging Hawaiian albatrosses. These results underscore the value of studies of seabird diet and stomach contents to monitor trends in North Pacific marine pollution. Although it is difficult to quantify population-level impacts resulting from the documented patterns of plastic ingestion in seabirds, the incidence of plastic debris in many long-lived North Pacific species is an emerging ecological problem that warrants further investigation. The mitigation of plastic ingestion in seabirds is a complex problem that will require broad-reaching cooperation between industry and wildlife resource managers, as well as education and public outreach. We present an educational program, designed to increase public awareness of the threats posed to seabirds by marine pollution, and to promote public stewardship of North Pacific seabirds.