Researchers make disturbing discovery inside seabirds' stomachs after coastal survey: 'What's been seen can't be unseen'
A researcher has offered up her harrowing experience while studying the impacts of plastic pollution on birds in Australia — perhaps to some political effect.
Lord Howe Island, off the East coast of the Australian mainland, offers a world-renowned sanctuary known for its unique ecosystem and its rich biodiversity.
The region boasts the planet's southernmost coral reef and a range of flora and fauna, including endemic and threatened species. The island is also home to a variety of bird species, including shearwaters — the focus of a mid-May report from Australia's ABC News.
Shearwaters, or mutton birds, are known for undertaking extensive migrations, with some traveling thousands of miles between breeding grounds and other areas. Conservation biologist Jennifer Provencher told Radio Free Asia in April that due to their wide-ranging travels, the birds "have an incredible exposure to plastics for their entire lifecycle."
Researcher Jen Lavers has studied mutton birds for some time and has uncovered a related and alarming trend. In recent years, she told ABC, shearwaters and other sea birds appear to be consuming exorbitant amounts of plastic. Not only is this detrimental to the species' overall health, but it is also a clear indicator of a global problem.
Talking with ABC News, Lavers detailed the volume of plastic waste that is ending up inside the stomachs of birds — and the disturbing noises it can make.
"To witness it firsthand, it is incredibly visceral," she explained. "There is now so much plastic inside the birds you can feel it on the outside of the animal when it is still alive. As you press on its belly … you hear the pieces grinding against each other."
Upon her first visit to Lord Howe Island in 2008, Lavers told ABC, she estimated that around 75% of birds carried around five to 10 pieces of plastic in their stomachs. That figure then ballooned to each bird on the island holding 50-plus pieces.
In 2024, a bird with 403 pieces of internal plastic was discovered. Now, Lavers has recently reported that they've found an "80-day-old seabird chick" with 778 plastic pieces inside.
Previously, Lavers was a co-author on a paper describing "plasticosis" — a brand-new and damaging disease of plastic-caused scar tissue present in seabirds' bodies. It points to a problem that goes beyond Australian waters.
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, the "equivalent of 2,000 garbage trucks full of plastic are dumped into the world's oceans, rivers, and lakes" every day.
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Plastic pollution is not only ingested by wildlife, but it can also lead to animal entanglements and the leaching of harmful chemicals into soil and water systems, which can jeopardize habitats and, ultimately, human health.
Peter Whish-Wilson — an Australian Greens senator and a friend of Lavers — partnered with the researcher in an attempt to spotlight the importance of reducing our reliance on plastics.
A member of the country's left-wing eco-focused party, Whish-Wilson spoke with ABC News about his experience witnessing plastic waste's impacts on the local bird population up close. "What's been seen can't be unseen," Whish-Wilson said.
"I wish every politician and every decision maker in parliaments around the world … could all experience what I experienced … then they'll get it," he added.
Around the globe, governments have begun to take action against plastic waste. Many bills have been enacted to reduce single-use plastics and promote recycling or reuse. Plastic bag taxes and the establishment of manufacturer responsibilities have also been put in place in an effort to phase out plastic usage.
But Whish-Wilson told ABC that not enough policies have taken the start of the supply chain seriously: "What we need to do is focus on the front of the pipe, the producers of this plastic. Packaging is the biggest cause of plastic pollution on the planet, and in the ocean, and I saw it in the stomach of all these poor seabirds."
In addition to supporting pro-environment policies that really work, individuals can make choices to reduce their own use of plastic at home.
Reducing purchases that come wrapped in plastic, bringing a reusable mug to cafés, and using your own glass or stainless steel containers to tote away takeout can make a difference — especially when friends, families, and whole communities get together to inspire mass adoption of these practices.
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