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Plastic, plastic everywhere, nor any bite to eat: Pacific albatrosses feast on garbage patch offerings

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on October 28, 2009 at 7:59 am

albatross_plasticFrom the Scientific American:

“As harbingers of ill fate in maritime lore, albatross have, themselves, come to be an indicator for modern-day oceanic pollution. Snatching up floating and near-surface food, Laysan albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis) in especially trash-strewn tides now pick up a more dangerous repast than they are accustomed to.

“With increasing amounts of marine debris, what once may have been ‘optimal’ foraging strategies for top marine predators, are leading to sub-optimal diets comprised in large part of plastic,” wrote authors of a new paper on the subject.

The new paper, published online Tuesday in PLoS ONE, documents the new, deleterious diets that many of the wide-roving birds now have. …”

Read more from the Scientific American by clicking here.

October 28, 2009 · Filed Under Pacific Ocean Garbage Dump

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