Author: Matthew Savoca, Stanford University, The Conversation

Matt Savoca holds a Ph.D. in Ecology from UC Davis. He is currently an NSF postdoctoral research fellow at the Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University. His research interests include foraging ecology, sensory ecology, community ecology, and conservation biology. Originally from New York City, Matt enjoys traveling and photography in his spare time.

Seabirds Were the First Sentinels of Possible Risks to Marine Life From Plastics As a conservation biologist who studies plastic ingestion by marine wildlife, I can count on the same question whenever I present research: “How does plastic affect the animals that eat it?” This is one of the biggest questions in this field, and the verdict is still out. However, a recent study from the Adrift Lab, a group of Australian and international scientists who study plastic pollution, adds to a growing body of evidence that ingesting plastic debris has discernible chronic effects on the animals that consume it.…

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