Plastic particles and Other anthropogenic materials were recorded from the regurgitations and the stomachs of seabirds at Macquarie Island; these were ingested both at sea and on land. Eight percent of regurgitated casts from Macquarie Island Cormorants contained polystyrene beads. Plastic particles were recorded from the stomachs of Southern Giant Petrels, Subantarctic Skuas, and Kelp Gulls. Birds examined in 1988 had a higher frequency of occurrence of foreign objects than birds examined prior to 1980.
Abstract:
Sections of coastline of Heard and Macquarie Islands were surveyed for marine debris in summer 1987-88, and 1989 respectively. These surveys were carried out at the same sites of previous surveys in 1986-87 at Heard Island, and 1988 at Macquarie Island. The minimum rate of artefact accumulation was 13 objects km-1 year-1 for Heard Island, and 9.1 objects km-1 year-1 for Macquarie Island. Drift cards released from known locations and collected on the two islands show a similar artefact catchment area. Plastic litter was a major component of the debris at both islands. Fisheries related debris accounted for 40% of all artefacts on Heard Island compared to 29% on Macquarie Island. Entanglement of fur seals appears to be more common at Heard Island, while plastic ingestion by seabirds appears more common at Macquarie Island.
