out and about by plastic in the seas and oceans is very harmful to seabirds. Previously it was thought that the beasts are by their sight were tricked, new research shows that their nose is that they mislead. This is reported in Eos.
Birds could smell the scent of plastic to be confused with that of food. Plastic in the sea contains the geurcomponent dimethylsulfide, which birds rely on when they are looking for food. This sulfur compound is formed when plankton is broken down in the ocean. And these bits of plankton stick to plastic, which ensures that seabirds the plastic as edible.
Although from the research from the University of California shows that the sight of birds is subsidiary to their smell, have birds with a worse view also more plastic in the stomach. But good visibility prevents not so that birds, the plastic. “How good a bird also see, if his nose tells him that there is in a certain field a lot of food, that is, then he will be more plastic for food respect”, says researcher Matthew Savoca.
Plastic waste has long been a major problem for marine animals. There will be drastic measures must be taken to prevent plastic in our oceans ends up. If not, then it will be in 2050 95% of seabirds have plastic in their stomach. This is evidenced by research from the Australian research institute CSIRO.
The researchers from the University of California think as a result of their findings, of course, also think about a suitable solution. To remain in respect of plastic for food for seabirds lead to a so-called starvation by plastic. To avoid this, a variant of plastic should be developed in which the plankton is not so easy to establish.
A possible solution for the plastic in the oceans comes from the Dutchman Boyan Slat. With his project The Ocean Cleanup he builds large structures consisting of v-shaped barriers of large snakes that can be attached to the seabed. This is the plastic waste on the surface of the sea currents drives, collected and removed by a tanker.
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