On the remote Lord Howe Island off the coast of Australia, researchers found a shearwater chick whose stomach contained 894 pieces of plastic with a total weight of more than 64 grams. This is a new sad record over 16 years of observations of this seabird population. The data show that in recent years the amount of plastic in the chicks' stomachs has grown sharply, and the former "worst-case scenarios" no longer seem to be the limit.
Parent shearwaters fly out to sea for food and bring their chicks not only fish and squid, but also scraps of plastic, which they mistake for food. Over 80–90 days, while the chick sits in its burrow, it receives dozens of such "portions." In 2025, one bird accumulated 894 fragments, and in 2026, 644 pieces weighing 67,4 grams. Previously the record had stood since 2012, when 276 items were found, and scientists believed that a chick simply would not survive more than that.
Since 2023, the record has been broken every year. Plastic not only takes up space in the stomach, but can also form dense clumps that produce a crunching sound when pressed. Studies show that such chicks gain weight more poorly and may suffer from chronic health problems. Plastic in the ocean is becoming ever more available, and the birds are turning out to be indicators of just how quickly pollution is growing.
Lord Howe Island is considered one of the cleanest corners of the planet, but even here plastic reaches the most vulnerable inhabitants. The parents bring fragments of bottles, caps and indistinguishable pieces, which accumulate in the chicks' stomachs. This is not an accident, but the result of a systemic increase in plastic waste in the marine environment over recent decades.
Observations have been conducted since 2007, and for the first ten years the picture remained relatively stable. The sharp jump began recently and coincides with the overall growth of plastic pollution in the oceans. Scientists emphasize that measures to reduce waste are still not keeping pace with the scale of the problem.
Every such case is a reminder that plastic in the sea does not disappear, but returns to the food chains. Shearwater chicks show how closely our everyday waste is linked to the life of distant marine species.
Reducing the use of single-use plastic and improving waste recycling remain the most effective steps that can slow this process right now.
