from Dr. Jennifer L. Lavers:
I have established a collaboration with La Trobe University looking at plastic ingestion by shearwaters. We know that a large percentage of chicks contain plastic, and are concerned that some of the adult mortality on Tasmanian beaches (in Sept/Oct after their long migration from the Bering Sea) may also be due to plastic.
If you are interested in helping further, please collect (freshly dead) WHOLE Short-tailed Shearwaters from any of your local beaches. After collection, they should be placed in a plastic bag (with a label that has the person who collected the bird, when and where) in a freezer. I will attempt to collect them in person in Nov/Dec. However, I won’t be able to drive to all locations, so if you (or anyone you know) are visiting Hobart, please feel free to drop frozen birds at the Tasmanian Museum in ROSNY (Winkleigh Place, across from Eastlands Shopping Ctr) (don’t worry if they thaw a little on the drive down)
NOTE: please keep a close eye out for any shearwaters with WHITE FEET, these are of particular interest.
Many thanks in advance!
Jenn
Dr. Jennifer L. Lavers
Zoologist, Tasmanian Museum & Art Gallery
GPO Box 1164
Hobart, TAS 7001
Office: (03) 6211 4172
URL: www.jenniferlavers.org/plastic-pollution
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