Seabirds on Lord Howe Island now hold record-breaking plastic counts
Scientists studying seabirds on Australia's Lord Howe Island found a new record of 894 plastic pieces in one bird between 2023 and 2026.
Study tracks ingestion for years
Researchers at the Adrift Lab have examined young sable shearwaters for fifteen years. They wash out stomachs to count man-made items fed by parents who mistake ocean waste for food. The number of pieces found has increased every year since 2011.
Latest bird holds highest count
The most recent specimen contained 894 items weighing 64.2 grams. This total represents more than 15 percent of the bird's expected body weight. The previous high of 400 items was recorded in 2023.
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