Stephanie Avery-Gomm University of Queensland

Past progress and future opportunities: Monitoring microplastic pollution in the North Pacific

#PICES2019 @saverygo

“The objects flying through the air in this picture would take 40 hours to clean – except no house-wife need bother.

They are all meant to be thrown away after use.”

>8 million metric tons of plastic waste enters the ocean each year

Jambeck et al., 2015 Science Plastic is everywhere Water bottle degradation over ~3 years

Inaccessible Island ©Peter G. Ryan

Hundreds of species have ingested plastic

Provencher et al., 2018 Enviro Rev Frequency of occurrence of plastic ingestion (± SD) 0.0 0.5 1.0 0.0 0.5 1.0 0.0 0.5 1.0 (G) (D) (A) Bottom.Feeding

Pursuit.Diving Foraging Method Opportunistic Surface.Plunging Yes No Nocturnality Dipping Aerial.Pursuit Surface.Seizing Pattering Scavenging No Yes Skimming Pursuit.Plunging (H) (E) (B) Mixed Other.Inverts < 100 Bird Mass(g) Subadult/Adult Cephalopods

Age Diet > 1000 Subadult Fish 100−500 Adult Carrion.Birds

Nest−bound Crustaceans 500−1000 (C) (F) (I) Anseriformes 1960s 1 Charadriiformes 2 1970s 3 Sample Size

Phaethontiformes Decade

Order 4 Gaviiformes 1980s 5 Pelecaniformes 1990s 21−50 51−100 Suliformes 2000s >100 Sphenisciformes 10−Jun 2010s Procellariiformes 20−Nov

have ingested plastic

Histrionicus histrionicus Histrionicus

Melanitta perspicillata Melanitta

Stercorarius longicaudus Stercorarius Hundreds

Somateria mollissima Somateria

Bucephala islandica Bucephala parasiticus Stercorarius

Somateria spectabilis Somateria

Phalaropus fulicarius Phalaropus

Stercorarius pomarinus Stercorarius

Clangula hyemalis Clangula

Catharacta maccormicki Catharacta Phalaropus lobatus Phalaropus

(J)

Cerorhinca monocerata Cerorhinca

Catharacta antarctica Catharacta

Melanitta fusca Melanitta

Aythya marila Aythya

Ptychoramphus aleuticus Ptychoramphus

Catharacta skua Catharacta

Fratercula corniculata Fratercula

Fratercula cirrhata Fratercula

Synthliboramphus hypoleucus Synthliboramphus Fratercula arctica Fratercula

Synthliboramphus antiquus Synthliboramphus Aethia cristatella Aethia

Brachyramphus brevirostris Brachyramphus

Aethia pygmaea Aethia

Brachyramphus marmoratus Brachyramphus

Aethia psittacula Aethia

Cepphus columba Cepphus

1 Cepphus grylle Cepphus

Procelsterna cerulea Procelsterna Uria lomvia Uria

Uria aalge Uria

Alca torda Alca

Alle alle Alle Sterna hirundo Sterna

0 alba Gygis Sterna aleutica Sterna

Sterna nereis Sterna

Sterna albifrons Sterna

Sterna paradisaea Sterna

Sterna hirundinacea Sterna

Sterna vittata Sterna

Sterna dougallii Sterna

Sterna fuscata Sterna

Sterna lunata Sterna

Chlidonias niger Chlidonias

frequency ofoccurrence sandvicensis Sterna

Sterna bergii Sterna

Sterna maxima Sterna Anous tenuirostris Anous

of plasticingestion Anous stolidus Anous

Anous minutus Anous

Rissa brevirostris Rissa

Empirical mean Empirical

Rissa tridactyla Rissa

Xema sabini Xema

Pagophila eburnea Pagophila

Larus philadelphia Larus

Larus ridibundus Larus

Larus novaehollandiae Larus

Larus hartlaubii Larus

Larus audouinii Larus

Larus melanocephalus Larus

Larus crassirostris Larus

Larus canus Larus

Larus heermanni Larus

1 0 hyperboreus Larus

Avery argentatus Larus Larus marinus Larus

of species Puffinus carneipescreatopus Puffinus

Larus michahellis

Puffinus gravis Puffinus Larus dominicanus

Puffinus griseus Puffinus Larus fuscus

Puffinus tenuirostris Puffinus Larus schistisagus

Puffinus newelli Puffinus Larus glaucoides

Puffinus assimilis Puffinus Larus glaucescens

Puffinus yelkouan Puffinus Phaethon lepturus

Puffinus mauretanicus Puffinus Phaethon rubricauda

Puffinus gavia Puffinus Gavia stellata

Puffinus huttoni Puffinus Gavia pacifica

Puffinus pacificus Puffinus Gavia immer

-Gomm bulleri Puffinus Pelecanus conspicillatus

Puffinus puffinus Puffinus Fregata minor

Puffinus nativitatis Puffinus Fregata ariel

Calonectris leucomelas Calonectris Fregata magnificens

Calonectris diomedea Calonectris Morus bassanus

Calonectris edwardsii Calonectris Morus capensis

Pseudobulweria rostrata Pseudobulweria Morus serrator

Procellaria conspicillata Procellaria Sula sula

Procellaria aequinoctialis Procellaria Sula leucogaster

Procellaria westlandica Procellaria Sula dactylatra

Procellaria cinerea Procellaria Phalacrocorax auritus

Procellaria parkinsoni Procellaria Phalacrocorax carbo

Bulweria bulwerii Bulweria Phalacrocorax neglectus

Pterodroma lessonii Pterodroma Phalacrocorax urile

Pterodroma macroptera Pterodroma Phalacrocorax capensis

Pterodroma incerta Pterodroma Phalacrocorax pelagicus

Pterodroma neglecta Pterodroma Phalacrocorax coronatus

Pterodroma arminjoniana Pterodroma Phalacrocorax aristotelis

Pterodroma alba Pterodroma Phalacrocorax atriceps

Pterodroma phaeopygia Pterodroma Pygoscelis adeliae

Pterodroma cookii Pterodroma Pygoscelis antarcticus

Pterodroma longirostris Pterodroma Pygoscelis papua

Pterodroma mollis Pterodroma Aptenodytes forsteri et al.

Pterodroma brevipes Pterodroma Aptenodytes patagonicus

Pterodroma pycrofti Pterodroma Spheniscus magellanicus

Pterodroma hypoleuca Pterodroma Spheniscus demersus

Pterodroma inexpectata Pterodroma Spheniscus humboldti

Pterodroma ultima Pterodroma Megadyptes antipodes

Pterodroma atrata Pterodroma Eudyptes chrysolophus

Pterodroma cervicalis Pterodroma Eudyptes moseleyi

Pterodroma externa Pterodroma Eudyptes chrysocome

Pterodroma leucoptera Pterodroma Oceanodroma castro

Pterodroma solandri Pterodroma Oceanodroma furcata

Pterodroma nigripennis Pterodroma Hydrobates pelagicus

Pachyptila desolata Pachyptila Oceanodroma leucorhoa

Pachyptila salvini Pachyptila Oceanodroma tristrami

Pachyptila turtur Pachyptila Oceanodroma tethys

Pachyptila belcheri Pachyptila Oceanodroma melania

Pachyptila vittata Pachyptila Oceanodroma markhami

Halobaena caerulea Halobaena Fregetta tropica

Pelecanoides georgicus Pelecanoides Fregetta grallaria

Pelecanoides magellani Pelecanoides Garrodia nereis

Pelecanoides urinatrix Pelecanoides Nesofregetta fuliginosa

Lugensa brevirostris Lugensa Pelagodroma marina

Fulmarus glacialis Fulmarus Oceanites gracilis

Fulmarus glacialoides Fulmarus Oceanites oceanicus

Macronectes halli Macronectes Phoebastria irrorata

Macronectes giganteus Macronectes Phoebastria nigripes

Daption capense Daption Phoebastria immutabilis

Pagodroma nivea Pagodroma Diomedea epomophora

Thalassoica antarctica Thalassoica Diomedea sanfordi

Diomedea exulans Diomedea Diomedea dabbenena Thalassarche cauta Thalassarche Diomedea antipodensis

In review

Thalassarche steadi Thalassarche Phoebetria fusca

Thalassarche salvini Thalassarche Phoebetria palpebrata

Thalassarche eremita Thalassarche Thalassarche chlororhynchos

Thalassarche bulleri Thalassarche Thalassarche carteri Thalassarche impavida Thalassarche Thalassarche chrysostoma Thalassarche melanophrys effects on assemblages altered assemblages

effects on population grows at a slower rate populations

fewer individuals successfully reproducing and rearing young effects on organism mortality

slower growth of birds

damaged parasites sub-lethal gastric tissue effects less altered dehydration feeding immunity

reduced volume of blocked perforated pathogen chemical stomach stomach stomach transfer to transfer to initiation tissue tissues

plastic ingestion

climate change habitat availability entanglement

multiple stressors fisheries food persistent organic by-catch availability pollutants oil pollution invasive species heavy metals

Browne et al. 2015 Proc R Soc B Plastics are a diverse suite of contaminants

Rochman et al. 2019 Enviro Toxicol Chem effects on assemblages altered assemblages

effects on population grows at a slower rate populations

fewer individuals successfully reproducing and rearing young effects on organism mortality

slower growth of birds

damaged parasites sub-lethal gastric tissue effects less altered dehydration feeding immunity

reduced volume of blocked perforated pathogen chemical stomach stomach stomach transfer to transfer to initiation tissue tissues

plastic ingestion

climate change habitat availability entanglement

multiple stressors fisheries food persistent organic by-catch availability pollutants oil pollution invasive species heavy metals

Browne et al. 2015 Proc R Soc B How do we get a better picture of what is going on with plastic pollution in the North Pacific? Can we monitor plastic debris in a cost- effective way that detects spatial and temporal trends across an entire ocean? How will we detect success? Monitoring microplastic pollution

1. Direct sampling of plastic pollution at sea 2. Using biological monitoring 3. Beach surveys Monitoring microplastic pollution

1. Direct sampling of plastic pollution at sea 2. Using biological monitoring 3. Beach surveys

Ryan et al. 2009 Proc Roy Soc B Monitoring microplastic pollution

1. Direct sampling of plastic pollution at sea 2. Using biological monitoring 3. Beach surveys

Ryan et al. 2009 Proc Roy Soc B Northern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) Northern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) are effective monitors of marine plastic pollution

Breeding Non-Breeding Northern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) are effective monitors of marine plastic pollution

“…because they are fools, they make great tools”

• Stomach content = quantitative data about plastic at sea

• Sources: Beached Bird Surveys, Fisheries Bycatch

• Already vetted as a bio monitor for marine litter Northern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) are effective monitors of marine plastic pollution

“…because they are fools, they make great tools”

• Stomach content = quantitative data about plastic at sea

• Sources: Beached Bird Surveys, Fisheries Bycatch

• Already vetted as a bio monitor for marine litter Northern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) are effective monitors of marine plastic pollution

Breeding Non-Breeding “Save our North Sea” Program for monitoring marine litter

• 1970s legislative efforts to reduce input of debris

• 2002 North Sea Ministers establish Ecological Quality Objective (EcoQO)

• Northern Fulmar selected as biological monitor for marine litter Ecological Quality Objective (EcoQO) for marine litter

“There should be less than 10% of Northern Fulmars having 0.1 g or more plastic in the stomach in samples of 50–100 Fulmars from each of 5 different areas of the North Sea over a period of at least 5 years”. Scientist coordinated. Volunteer supported.

Dr. Jan van Franeker

Coordinates Fulmar Marine Litter Monitoring Program • Beach surveys: volunteer supported • Bycatch birds: collection from fisheries • Annual dissection workshops • Quality control of sample analysis • Results reported to decision makers • Lab research refines & improves interpretation of results What information about plastic pollution has the North Sea program revealed? 1) Regional differences in microplastic pollution via comparisons of EcoQO performance

% of birds with > 0.1g plastic

van Franeker et al., 2011 Enviro Poll 1) Regional differences in microplastic pollution via comparisons of EcoQO performance

% of birds with > 0.1g plastic

van Franeker et al., 2011 Enviro Poll 2) Shifts in characteristics of pollution

User

Industrial

van Franeker et al. 2011 Enviro Poll 3) Consensus between fulmar & at-sea surveys

“Industrial plastic pellets in North Sea fulmars have decreased by ~75%, while user plastics varied without a strong overall change. Similar trends were found in net- collected floating plastic debris in the North Atlantic subtropical gyre, with a ~75% decrease in plastic pellets and no obvious trend in user plastic.“

Industrial Plastic User Plastic

van Franeker and Law et al., 2015 Enviro Poll Elsewhere in the world… In the North Pacific (2009,2010) Research objectives

1. Establish a quantitative baseline of plastic ingestion for Northern Fulmar in the eastern North Pacific. 2. Investigate how plastic ingestion from this region compares globally. 3. Determine if there is evidence of increased plastic ingestion. In the North Pacific (2009,2010)

Marine Pollution Bulletin 64 (2012) 1776–1781

Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect

Marine Pollution Bulletin

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/marpolbul

Northern fulmars as biological monitors of trends of plastic pollution in the eastern North Paciﬁc

a, b c d e Stephanie Avery-Gomm ⇑, Patrick D. O’Hara , Lydia Kleine , Victoria Bowes , Laurie K. Wilson , Karen L. Barry f

a Zoology Department, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4 b Environment Canada – Canadian Wildlife Service, c/o Institute of Ocean Sciences, P.O. Box 6000, 9860 W Saanich Road, Sidney, BC, Canada V8L 4B2 c Slater Museum of Natural History, University of Puget Sound, 1500 N Warner, Tacoma, WA 98416, USA d BC Ministry of Agriculture Animal Health Center, 1767 Angus Campbell Road, Abbotsford, BC, Canada V3G 2M3 e Environment Canada – Canadian Wildlife Service, 5421 Robertson Road, Delta, BC, Canada V4K 3N2 f Bird Studies Canada, 5421 Robertson Road, Delta, BC, Canada V4K 3N2

article info abstract

Keywords: Marine plastic debris is a global issue, which highlights the need for internationally standardized methods of Northern fulmar monitoringplasticpollution.Thestomachcontentsofbeachednorthernfulmar(Fulmarus glacialis)havepro- Fulmarus glacialis venacost-effectivebiomonitorinEurope.However,recentinformationonnorthernfulmarplasticingestionis Marine plastic pollution lacking in the North Pacific. We quantified the stomach contents of 67 fulmars from beaches in the eastern North Pacific North Pacific in 2009–2010 and found that 92.5% of fulmars had ingested an average of 36.8 pieces, or Plastic ingestion 0.385 gofplastic.Plasticingestioninthesefulmarsisamongthehighestrecordedglobally.Comparedtoearlier Beached seabirds studies in the North Pacific, our findings indicate an increase in plastic ingestion over the past 40 years. This studysubstantiatestheuseofnorthernfulmarasbiomonitorsofplasticpollutionintheNorthPacificandsug- gests that the high levels of plastic pollution in this region warrant further monitoring. Ó 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction Plastic pollution is so pervasive that it is now found in every ocean of the world, including those formerly thought of as pristine, Since the 1950s, plastic production rates and input of plastic such as the Arctic Ocean and Southern Ocean (Provencher et al., into the marine environment have increased dramatically and 2010; Ainley et al., 1990). In 2009, the UNEP challenged the global plastic is now recognized globally as a major form of marine pol- community to improve methods to monitor trends in plastic pollu- lution (Barnes et al., 2009; Moore, 2008; PlasticsEurope, 2010). tion (UNEP, 2009). Although many countries have documented plas- Marine plastic pollution has significant environmental, economic, tic debris in the marine environment, no standard technique has cultural, and aesthetic costs (see UNEP, 2009 for review). Of par- been used, and the lack of consistent methodology has made it diffi- ticular concern is the detrimental impact of plastic pollution on cult to monitor trends or to compare plastic pollution between dif- marine animals via entanglement or ingestion (Derraik, 2002; ferent regions of the world (Ryan et al., 2009). This highlights the Gregory, 2009). Plastic ingestion can result in direct mortality need for a reliable, internationally standardized method of monitor- or a range of sub-lethal effects such as gastrointestinal blockage, ing trends in plastic pollution. One such method, which has been lacerations, reduced feeding (Laist, 1987; Ryan, 1988; Sievert and implemented with success in the historically polluted, industrial Sileo, 1993; Azzarello and Van Vleet, 1987), or absorption of North Sea, uses mass of plastic ingested by beached northern ful- toxic compounds (Mato et al., 2001; Teuten et al., 2009). mars (Fulmarus glacialis glacialis) as an indicator for tracking tempo- Although population level impacts of plastic entanglement and ral and geographical trends in the abundance and composition of ingestion on marine taxa are not yet fully understood, to date small-sized plastic pollution (van Franeker and Meijboom, 2002; over 260 species (including invertebrates, turtles, fish, seabirds van Franeker et al., 2011). and mammals) have been reported to ingest or become entan- Northern fulmars are procellariid seabirds belonging to three gled in plastic debris (Boerger et al., 2010; Laist, 1997). subspecies (Fulmarus glacialis rodgersii, F. g. glacialis, Fulmarus glacialis auduboni), each with distinct breeding locations and vast migratory ranges in the Northern Pacific, High Arctic and Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 778 322 3483. ⇑ Northern Atlantic (Hatch and Nettleship, 1998). Northern fulmars E-mail addresses: [email protected] (S. Avery-Gomm), [email protected] (P.D. are particularly suitable as biomonitors of trends in plastic O’Hara), [email protected] (L. Kleine), [email protected] (V. Bowes), pollution because, like many petrels, they forage exclusively at [email protected] (L.K. Wilson), [email protected] (K.L. Barry).

Blight and Burger unpublished; Robards et al., 1997; Avery-Gomm et al. 2012 Local results. Global comparisons.

Ecological Quality Objective target for marine litter: “Good Environmental Status is achieved if less than 10% of northern fulmars having 0.1 g or more plastic in the stomachs.”

Western Atlantic Eastern Atlantic Eastern Pacific Avery-Gomm et al., 2017 Local results. Global comparisons.

Ecological Quality Objective target for marine litter: “Good Environmental Status is achieved if less than 10% of northern fulmars having 0.1 g or more plastic in the stomachs.” 45-61% of fulmars from the Eastern North Pacific exceeded the target

Western Atlantic Eastern Atlantic Eastern Pacific Avery-Gomm et al., 2017 Local results. Global comparisons.

Ecological Quality Objective target for marine litter: “Good Environmental Status is achieved if less than 10% of northern fulmars having 0.1 g or more plastic in the stomachs.”

---North Sea---

Western Atlantic Eastern Atlantic Eastern Pacific Avery-Gomm et al., 2017 Local results. Global comparisons.

Ecological Quality Objective target for marine litter: “Good Environmental Status is achieved if less than 10% of northern fulmars having 0.1 g or more plastic in the stomachs.”

Western Atlantic Eastern Atlantic Eastern Pacific We currently have no standardized plastic ingestion data for Northern Fulmar from Helthe Western North Pacific! Snapshots aren’t enough.

Can we cost-effectively monitor plastic debris in a way that detects spatial and temporal trends across an entire ocean? North Pacific Plastic Monitoring Program?

Collect 50-100 fulmar from each region/country each year.

A coordinator could • Arrange volunteer-supported bird collections in new regions • Liaise with existing programs in the USA and Canada • Coordinate dissection workshops & analyse data • Manage a centralized data repository • Preform integrative analyses for publishing & reporting Building on success

LEO Network tracks community reported changes, including wrecking events.

BIOPS Bioindicators of Plastic Pollution program is already working with fisheries in Alaska to monitor plastic ingestion in fulmar.

Beach Surveys have detected ~10,000 fulmar on 450 beaches (USA)

Beached Bird Surveys along the west coast of Vancouver Island also detect fulmars (BC, Canada)

provides locally sampled plastic pollution data for across the BC coast in a user-friendly interface What role might PICES play? Thank You!

Jan van Franeker, Patrick D. O’Hara, Ken Morgan, Jennifer Provencher, Lydia Kleine, Stephanie Avery-Gomm Victoria Bowes, Laurie Wilson, Karen Barry, Peter Hodum, Gary Shugart, Sharnelle Fee, University of Queensland / Louise Blight, Allen Burger, Peter Clarkson, Environment and Climate Change Canada Robert and Mara Love, Darlene Choquette, [email protected] , Max Liboiron Florence Poon, Paul Smith, @saverygo Greg Robertson, Doug Bertram, Hugh Possingham, Richard Fuller, Stephanie Borrelle, Alex Bond, Jennifer Lavers, Craig White, Stephen Portugal, Mark Mallory.