Geology topics
S.I. Fefer
Publications and source records attributed to S.I. Fefer.
Effects of the 1982-83 El Niño – Southern Oscillation on Pacific Ocean bird populations
Seabird reproductive success, population size, and movements in the Pacific region responded dramatically to the 1982-83 El Niño – Southern Oscillation (ENSO). At sites within the North and South Pacific Gyres, the onset of seabird responses tracked oceanographic changes related to ENSO; to the north of the gyres, responses were delayed 1 yr. Reproductive failures and high adult mortality were detected at all sites investigated. Post-ENSO, the return to “normal” nesting patterns depended on species and locality. The 1982-83 ENSO revealed a dimension to the variability in seabird reproductive biology only now appreciated by ornithologists.
Ingestion of plastic debris by Laysan albatrosses and wedge-tailed shearwaters in the Hawaiian Islands
Surveys of Laysan Albatross and Wedge-tailed Shearwaters on Midway and Oahu Island, Hawaii, identified a high proportion of birds with plastic in the upper gastrointestinal tract, representing hazards to the health of adult birds and their chicks. Fifty Laysan Albatross chicks were examined for plastic items lodged within the upper digestive tract. Forty-five (90%) contained plastic, including 3 chicks having proventricular impactions or ulcerative lesions. Plastic items in 21 live albatross chicks weighed a mean of 35.7 g chicka??1 (range 1a??175 g). Four dead birds contained 14a??175 g (mean 76.7 g). Two of four adult albatross examined contained plastic in the gut. Laysan albatross chicks have the highest reported incidence and amount of ingested plastic of any seabird species. Twelve of 20 adult Wedge-tailed Shearwaters (60%) contained plastic particles 2a??4 mm in diameter. Impaction did not appear to be a significant hazard for adult shearwaters. Shearwater chicks were not examined. Chemical toxicity of plastic polymers, plasticizers and antioxidant additives is low, although many pigments are toxic and plastics may serve as vehicles for the adsorption of organochlorine pollutants from sea water, and the toxicity of plastics is unlikely to pose significant hazard compared to obstruction and impaction of the gut.