Plastic pollution is inflicting extensive damage on seabirds, with new research revealing its effects extend beyond the digestive system. Beneath the surface of seemingly healthy birds, plastics are causing harm to critical organs such as the liver, kidneys, and brain. These hidden impacts could have serious implications for the survival of species like the sable shearwaters, whose chicks ingest plastics brought back from polluted oceans. The findings, published in Science Advances, highlight the invisible toll of plastic on wildlife.
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Researchers on Lord Howe Island, located between Australia and New Zealand, discovered that young shearwaters, even those with less than a gram of plastic in their stomachs, are already suffering from organ damage. The research points to a drop in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in their brains, a protein vital for cognitive functions like memory and song recognition. The decrease in BDNF is comparable to symptoms seen in conditions like Alzheimer’s and dementia in other species. This could hinder the birds’ ability to form social bonds essential for survival in their noisy colonies.
Plastic has become a pervasive threat to seabirds, with millions of tonnes of plastic waste entering the oceans each year. The research team identified a condition called ‘plasticosis’ to describe the scarring caused by plastic ingestion in seabirds. Microplastics, which can infiltrate deep into the organs, are now known to damage the liver and kidneys, altering blood chemistry and affecting protein production. A broader study of these birds showed that nearly a quarter of protein expression was affected in those exposed to more plastic, hinting at severe internal damage.
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In response, scientists are pushing to create a comprehensive database of protein signatures to track the effects of plastic on different species. This would aid future research and improve assessments of plastic’s impacts on wildlife health. As seabirds are among the most affected by plastic ingestion, understanding these hidden consequences is crucial for conservation efforts and mitigating the growing crisis of plastic pollution.
