What happens when albatross or other seabirds ingest debris?
We have all seen and been moved by photos of a seabird carcass (typically a Laysan albatross) laden with plastic debris. The detrimental effects of marine debris ingestion on Laysan albatross have been an object of research interest for many years, but like most ecological issues the answers are not straightforward. Regardless, the problem of marine debris ingestion is real; not just in seabirds, but species of fish, marine mammals, and sea turtles. Albatross: Ingestion of debris may cause a blockage in the digestive tract, perforate the gut, result in a loss of nutrition (due to displacement of food), or cause a false feeling of being “full”. Studies have found that ingested plastic debris is problem for seabirds; however may not be a significant direct cause of mortality (e.g., on a population level) (Sievert and Sileo, 1993; Auman et al., 1997). More research is needed to see if these results (mid-1990’s) have changed. Other Seabird Species: There are numerous studies on ingestion o
