alice trevail 2015 fulmar project
DESCRIPTION
Studying marine litter around the southwest coasts using fulmars as an indicator speciesAlice TrevailSouth West Fulmar Project/National Oceanography Centre, [email protected] litter is a well-documented problem, likely to persist given the continual increase in plastic production. The South West Fulmar Project is a new initiative to quantify marine litter around the southwest coasts. The project relies on volunteers collecting beached fulmars to quantify plastic ingestion. Data can then be compared to other regions in the northeast Atlantic as well as marine litter policy. This talk will cover the suitability of fulmars as an indicator species, what we have learnt about plastic pollution in other areas from fulmar monitoring, and a call for help with collecting fulmars from beaches!TRANSCRIPT
Seabirds as Monitors of Marine Litter
South West Marine Ecosystems, 13th March 2015
The South West Fulmar ProjectAlice Trevail
Global plastic production
Earliest reports of plastic in the food chain
Million tonnes
Monitoring with Northern Fulmars
Photos: S. Kühn
% of Population
With plastic
Without plastic
Stomach plastic: North Sea average
Fulmar:
Human:
Credits: Jan A Van Franeker
South West Fulmar Project
Aim: to protect our coasts from plastic litter
Fulmar plastic ingestion amounts:
• Policy tool (OSPAR/MSFD)
• Public awareness
What can you do?
Please keep an eye out for beached fulmars!
Help with project promotion hugely appreciated!!!
