Flesh-footed Shearwater, hand-coloured lithograph by John Gerrard Keulemans, from the Monograph of the Petrels (Tubinares) by Frederick DuCane Godman

Alix de Jersey (Tasmanian School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia) and colleagues have published in the journal Science Advances on the harmful effects of plastic ingestion by Near Threatened Flesh-footed Shearwater Ardenna carneipes chicks (also described as the Pale-footed or Sable Shearwater).

Four hundred and three pieces of plastic removed from a Flesh-footed Shearwater chick (from the publication)

The paper’s abstract follows:

“Understanding plastics’ harmful impacts on wildlife would benefit from the application of hypothesis agnostic testing commonly used in medical research to detect declines in population health.  Adopting a data-driven, proteomic approach, we assessed changes in 745 proteins in a free-living nonmodel organism with differing levels of plastic exposure.  Seabird chicks heavily affected by plastic ingestion demonstrated a range of negative health consequences:  Intracellular components that should not be found in the blood were frequently detected, indicative of cell lysis.  Secreted proteins were less abundant, indicating that the stomach, liver, and kidneys are not functioning as normal.  Alarmingly, these signatures included evidence of neurodegeneration in <90-day-old seabird chicks with high levels of ingested plastic.  The proteomic signatures reflect the effects of plastic distal to the site of exposure (i.e., the stomach).  Notably, metrics commonly used to assess condition in wildlife (such as body mass) do not provide an accurate description of health or the impacts of plastic ingestion.”

Read popular accounts of the publication here, here and here.

Reference:

de Jersey. A.M., Lavers, J.L., Wilson, R., Zosky, G.R. & Rivers-Auty, J. 2025.  Seabirds in crisis: plastic ingestion induces proteomic signatures of multiorgan failure and neurodegeneration.  Science Advances 11(11).

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 13 March 2025

 The 15th International Effects of Oil on Wildlife Conference (EOW2025) will be held for the first time outside of North America in Cape Town, South Africa over 13-17 October 2025.  The decision to hold the event in South Africa aims to highlight the plight of the Critically Endangered African Penguin Spheniscus demersus.  By holding the conference in the Southern Hemisphere, EOW2025 will also offer an opportunity for many new partners worldwide to participate.

This conference will be co-hosted by the South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) and Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research. based in Delaware, USA.  “Born out of the need to bring together those that found themselves responding to the impacts on wildlife following oil spills, EOW will continue to provide a platform for collaboration between international wildlife and industry experts of all specializations, government agencies and other key partners on topics of wildlife protection, treatment and rehabilitation.

For information on the conference including submission of abstracts (by 1 April),registration (from 1 May),  event location, social events, workshops, sponsors, hotel bookings, etc. click here.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 12 March 2025

 Papers are invited for presentation at the Island Invasives 2026 Conference, in the form of either a talk or a poster.  The conference is to be held in Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa New Zealand over 9-13 February 2026. It is the fourth conference in the series that commenced in Auckland in 2001.

“Papers may be submitted on any topic relating to invasive alien species on islands, where the term ‘island’ is broadly interpreted in terrestrial, marine and freshwater systems.  The invasive species involved may be flora, fauna or funga.  The goal of the conference is knowledge transfer that enables accelerated uptake of eradication methodologies which will enhance biodiversity and the lives of people on islands around the world.  The conference continues its resolute focus on the complete eradication of invasive species of any taxa from islands or island-like bodies.”

Click here to submit, and please  review the submission guidelines carefully before submitting your abstract.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 11 March 2025

Black-footed Albatross by Colleen Laird‎ of Artists and Biologists Unite for Nature (ABUN) for World Albatross Day, 19 June 2020

Jessie Beck (Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Seattle, Washington, USA) and colleagues have published open access in the journal Biological Conservation on quantifying bycatch by US Fisheries of Near Threatened Black-footed Albatrosses Phoebastria nigripes using genetic markers.

The paper’s highlights (unusually there is no abstract) follow:

Characterizing the demographic impact of seabird bycatch is challenging.

Black-footed albatross are [sic] accidentally caught in fisheries throughout the Pacific Ocean.

U.S.fisheries collect seabird bycatch [data] that can be analyzed for population-of-origin.

We identify disproportionate bycatch from specific breeding colonies.

Genetic assignment using targeted genetic markers can tease apart populations in species with low genetic differentiation.

jReference:

Beck, J.N., Baetscher, D.S., Tobin, C., Edwards, S.V., Yung Wa Sin, S., Fitzgerald, S., Tuttle, V.J., Peschon, J. & Larson, W.A. 2025.  Quantifying impacts of seabird bycatch using genetic assignment: a case study of black-footed albatross in U.S. fisheries.  Biological Conservation 303. 110965.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels,10 March 2025