ACAP Latest News

Frequency of occurrence of plastic in seabirds, from the publication

Stephanie Avery-Gomm (School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia) and colleagues have published open access in the journal Biology Letters on the frequency of occurrence of ingested plastic material in 93 281 individual seabirds representing 240 species.

The paper’s abstract follows:

“Seabirds are especially vulnerable to ingesting plastic pollution. However, we have a limited understanding of which traits might increase their risk of plastic ingestion.  Here, we use a dataset of seabird plastic occurrence records (93 281 birds from 240 species) to investigate which species accumulate plastic and whether this is related to diet, foraging method, pelagic specialism, body mass or phylogenetic position.  In our dataset, 182 of the 240 species (76%) contained plastic.  Within orders, the highest levels were in pelicans (Pelecaniformes; 67%) and the lowest in penguins (Sphenisciformes; 5%).  In our phylogenetically informed analysis, accounting for artefacts of study design (e.g. sample size, year, ocean, source, age class and sampling method), none of the ecological traits we tested had a consistent effect on plastic occurrence.  Instead, phylogenetic relatedness was the best predictor in our models, reflecting the tight correlation between seabird phylogenetic groupings and their traits.   This suggests that phylogenetic position may serve as a rapid way to identify species likely to accumulate plastic. Future research should focus on developing predictions of plastic accumulation risk for understudied species, implementing standardized methodologies and investigating species-specific morphological and environmental variables that may affect their risk of plastic accumulation.”

With thanks to Alex Bond.

Reference:

Avery-Gomm, S., Potapova, N., Potter, C., Bond, A.L., Borrelle, S.B., Lavers, J.L., Portugal, S.J., Possingham, H., Provencher, J. & Cooper, N. 2026.  Frequency of plastic occurrence varies across phylogeny but not ecology in seabirds.   Biology Letters 22 (10): 20260079.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 21 October 2026

A view of Macquarie Island, photograph by Aleks Terauds

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI, “bird flu”) has been detected in a seal and a gull on Australia’s Macquarie Island in the southern Pacific Ocean (click here).  Samples collected from a Southern Elephant Seal Mirounga leonina and a Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus were returned to with island personnel and subsequently tested, returning a positive result for H5 bird flu.

“Federal Agriculture Minister Julie Collins told parliament three other species had returned negative tests, including skuas, giant petrels [ACAP-listed Macronectes sp.] and penguins.  She also said there had been no signs of any mass mortality events among the island's wildlife at this stage.  Ms Collins said the samples from the southern elephant seal and kelp gull would undergo further testing at a CSIRO laboratory.”

The expeditioners on Macquarie have now all been removed, leaving the island uninhabited, following an earlier decision related to bird flu.  It has not been announced publicly when the island will be reinhabited.

Bird flu Has now been recorded on nearly all the sub-Antarctic islands where samples have been collected in the South Atlantic and southern Indian Oceans (see articles in ACAP Latest News from here).  Macquarie Island falls within the Pacific sector of the Southern Ocean.

With bird flu reported from mainland Australia (including Tasmania) and New Zealand, it seems only a matter of time before it is reported from the sub-Antarctic island groups south of New Zealand – completing the circle of Southern Ocean islands that have been affected.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 20 October 2026

 Jon Plissner on Midway Atoll with Laysan Albtrosses

“Join [the Friends of Midway Atoll] for our live webinar, Beyond the Nest: the Science and Future of Albatrosses, featuring Dr. Jon Plissner, former Supervisory Biologist at Kuaihelani (Midway Atoll), who spent nine years working on the island.  Discover the fascinating history of Midway's albatrosses, decades of research, population trends, conservation challenges, and the remarkable story of Wisdom, the world's oldest known wild bird.

Special Guest: Biologist and photographer Dan Rapp will join us live from Midway.  Both guests will answer your questions during a live Q&A.”

Dr. Jon Plissner, Former Midway Atoll Supervisory Biologist

Dr. Plissner retired from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in April 2026 after nine years on Midway Atoll, beginning as a six-month volunteer and ultimately serving as the refuge’s Supervisory Biologist. A career ornithologist specializing in bird movements and population dynamics, he has worked on research projects across the U.S., from Alaska to Hawaiʻi.  Now retired in Maine, Dr. Plissner continues to support Midway’s biological programmes and volunteers with the USGS Bird Banding Laboratory.  He plans to return to Midway this winter to assist with the beginning of the albatross breeding season.

Dan Rapp, Seabird Biologist & Photographer

Dan Rapp, biologist and photographer

Dan is a seabird biologist with extensive experience working across Hawaiʻi, Alaska, and Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. He earned his graduate degree from Hawaiʻi Pacific University, where his research focused on plastic ingestion in seabirds at Lalo (French Frigate Shoals). Dan became a full-time resident of Kuaihelani (Midway Atoll) during the Seabird Protection Project and has since contributed to numerous conservation and research projects throughout the monument.

Sunday, 08 November 2026, 10h00 Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time (GMT-10).

A recording of the presentation will be sent to those who register.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 19 October 2026

 A Predator Free Conference, with the theme “Removing invasives. Restoring nature” is planned to be held in Wellington, New Zealand over 1-3 February 2028.  The conference will be hosted by the Predator Free New Zealand Trust and held in the Tākina Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre.

“In 2028, we’ll host the first-ever Predator Free Conference, bringing together the people, ideas, science, technology and stories driving this work in New Zealand and internationally.  Aotearoa New Zealand has set itself one of the boldest conservation goals on the planet: to remove introduced predators from an entire country by 2050.  This conference brings the people instrumental in driving that goal into one room, to share and celebrate what has been achieved in the last 10 years, what we've learned, how tools and technology have evolved and how we are bringing the community along with us.  The conference [will deliver] practical insight, hands-on demonstrations and real conversations built specifically for people working in predator eradication and ecological restoration.”

Register to receive more news of the planned conference here.

With thanks to David Lewis, Predator Free New Zealand Trust.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 16 October 2026