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Low and steady: Minimal change in plastic exposure in Kermadec Petrels in the remote South Pacific.
Summary
Researchers documented plastic ingestion in Kermadec Petrels on remote South Pacific islands and found that ingestion rates have remained stable over more than 30 years — in contrast to related species nearby — suggesting these birds may selectively avoid plastic or forage in lower-contamination zones.
Plastic pollution is increasing in our oceans, and while exposure is also increasing in many wild species, there are exceptions. Understanding which species are at risk is therefore important to identifying conservation priorities and responding to the pollution crisis. Here, we document ingested plastics in Kermadec Petrels (Pterodroma neglecta) on uninhabited Henderson Island and Oeno Atoll in the remote South Pacific and compare our results with historical data. While sample sizes are limited, the data suggests plastic ingestion has remained consistent over >30 years, with 23.1% of fledglings (n = 13) sampled in 2025 containing small quantities of plastics (mean ± SD: 0.0113 ± 0.0061 g, median pieces 2.0). These data contrast with plastic ingestion records for other closely related species in the region, suggesting Kermadec Petrels can selectively avoid consuming plastic, or forage in locations with lower plastic densities, and are therefore at less risk of exposure.