Birds don’t like eating plastic (塑料). But more seabirds are eating plastic waste in the world’s seas and oceans. Why?
It is possibly because the plastic waste smells like a seabird’s food, according to a new study published in the journal Science Advances.
Matthew Savoca is the study’s lead author at the University of California, Davis. “Animals usually have a reason for the decisions they make,” he said. “If we want to truly understand why animals are eating plastic in the ocean, we have to think about how animals find food.”
The study found that plastic waste easily gathers algae (海藻) on the water. Together they give off a smell that is very similar to the krill (磷虾) that many seabirds feed on. It could explain why certain birds – including albatrosses (信天翁) and shearwaters (海鸥类飞鸟) – are nearly six times more likely to eat plastic than other birds. They usually find food by their sense of smell.
There is more plastic pollution in the world every year. A study last year showed that about 8 million tons (吨) of plastic enters the oceans every year. It is enough to cover every coastline (海岸线) in the world.
Birds and other sea animals, such as turtles and fish, eat plastic. It can badly hurt the organs (器官) of the animals. Some birds even mistakenly feed their babies waste instead of food.
Scientists hope this study can raise the alarm about plastics in our oceans and help save the seabirds. TEENS