CQUniversity Australia - Krista Verlis

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Research Details

Thesis Name: The effects of marine debris on Australian seabirds

Thesis Abstract:

Marine debris is one of the main threats facing oceans worldwide, and has negatively impacted on many species of marine life, including seabirds. However, little is known on its prevalence and impacts on the Australian coastline. This research will examine the occurrence of marine debris and its effects on nesting Australian seabirds at both nearshore and offshore locations in the southern Great Barrier Reef and along the central Queensland coastline down to northern New South Wales. This area encompasses important seabird nesting sites. Beaches at these locations will be surveyed at six-month intervals to provide information on the types, amounts and sources of debris. The wedge-tailed shearwater (Ardenna pacifica) will be sampled for the ingestion of plastic marine debris and blood samples will be taken to test for the presence of chemicals of concern (COCs) that may have been transferred to the bird from this ingestion. Nest material of brown boobies (Sula leucogaster) will be surveyed for marine debris, with amounts, types and sources of this debris being determined. This research will inform on this federally recognised key threatening process, and allow for appropriate management strategies and conservation initiatives to be developed.

Why my research is important/Impacts:

Marine debris is a federally recognised key threatening process and has been identified by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s Gladstone Local Marine Advisory Committee (GLMAC) as a main issue of concern for the local area. This project will have an important role in contributing data to understanding this important issue, and will also benefit the sustainable management and protection of marine biodiversity in Queensland. Marine debris presents a great threat to seabirds and other marine life, with plastics in particular being of great concern. This is due to its persistence and abundance in the marine environment, with plastics being the most common items found in debris surveys. Threats from debris include entanglement, ingestion and ability of plastic debris to act as a vector for chemical contaminants, which can lead to things such as reduced foraging efficiency, morbidity, endocrine disruption, reduced reproductive efficiency, and death. A seabird’s method of feeding, the similarity of debris items to natural prey, and the use and presence of debris in the nesting area, can all increase the likelihood of an interaction. Currently no data exists on the extent of marine debris pollution, or its impacts in the southern Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and along the subtropical east Australian coastline. This is despite the great ecological importance of the reef and the significance of the area as a seabird nesting area. Unpublished data of marine debris surveys done in the Gladstone area and on Heron Island indicate marine debris is an issue within the area; with my preliminary research showing ingestion in Ardenna pacifica chicks and use in the nest materi

Funding/Scholarship: Strategic Research Scholarship (SRS) for Krista Verlis; Project has received funding from Birds Queensland; Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland and the Stuart Leslie Birdlife Australia Grant. In addition to receiving project support from Smart Water Research Centre on the Gold Coast.