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title: "Ingested plastics reduce recruitment and survival of Flesh-footed Shearwaters on Lord Howe Island – a 15-year study"
---

# Ingested plastics reduce recruitment and survival of Flesh-footed Shearwaters on Lord Howe Island – a 15-year study

*![Flesh footed Shearwater dissection Jennifer Lavers](https://acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Shearwaters/Flesh_footed/Flesh-footed_Shearwater_dissection_Jennifer_Lavers.jpg)Plastic fragments in the alimentary system of a Flesh-footed Shearwater, photograph by Jennifer Lavers*

 Jennifer Lavers ([Gulbali Institute](https://www.csu.edu.au/research/gulbali/home), Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia) and colleagues have published open access in the journal *[PNAS](https://www.pnas.org/)* on ingested plastics affecting the the[Near threatened](https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/flesh-footed-shearwater-ardenna-carneipes) Flesh-footed Shearwater *Ardenna carneipes*at the population level.

 The paper’s abstract follows:

 “Plastics research lags 30 y behind many other environmental crises, with population-level impacts alluded to but not yet demonstrated for any wild species.    Addressing this “Grand Challenge” requires robust data that span many years of variable exposure. Here, we use 15 y of mark-recapture data to estimate plastics’ impact on the demography of Sable Shearwaters (*Ardenna carneipes*). We found that the ingestion of >1 g of plastic is common and associated with at least an 11% reduction in the probability of birds surviving to return and breed at their natal island, with birds that ingested >5 g of plastic almost never seen again. In a time of unprecedented planetary change and biodiversity collapse, these results provide much- needed insight into plastics’ role in potentially driving species decline.”

 **Reference:**

 Lavers, J.L., Worthington, H. & Bond, A.L. 2026.  Ingested plastics reduce recruitment and survival of an Australian seabird.  *[PNAS](https://www.pnas.org/doi/epdf/10.1073/pnas.2613782123)*[doi/epdf/10.1073/pnas.2613782123](https://www.pnas.org/doi/epdf/10.1073/pnas.2613782123).

 *John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses* *and Petrels, 18 August 2026*