SOMETHING STINKS: Seabirds Driven to Consume Plastic by Scent

摘要

Plastic pollution has been a long-standing global concern—yet plastic debris continues to plague the open sea habitats. Research conducted at the University of California, Davis has provided a new theory as to why so many seabirds are found with plastic in their stomachs. Plastic exposed to the ocean produces a sulphuric scent that attracts foraging seabirds. The attraction is a result of the scent matching the odor produced by algae when being eaten by krill, natural prey of seabirds. This scent-based confusion causes seabirds to consume plastic by mistaking it as a source of food.