Shorebird Plastic Ingestion Survey | Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna-International Arctic Science Committee

Dr. Scott Flemming was recently hired by the Council’s Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna Working Group (CAFF) and the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) to study how shorebirds breeding in the Arctic are impacted by plastic contamination. He is working in conjunction with Dr. Rick Lanctot (Alaska Shorebirds Coordinator with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service) and Dr. Jennifer Provencher (Environment and Climate Change Canada).

To better understand this potential problem, they conducted a literature review of plastics and shorebirds. Unfortunately, few studies have investigated the presence or quantity of plastics in shorebirds. Consequently, they are reaching out through listservs and various social networks to accomplish the following objectives:
1. Collect unpublished reports and learn about data available on plastic pollution ingestion in shorebirds worldwide.
2. Connect with researchers who are currently carrying out, or wish to learn more about, plastic pollution ingestion in shorebirds.
3. Assess if the factors we think make shorebirds susceptible to plastic pollution are correct, identify taxa that may be especially susceptible to plastics, and determine areas of future research.
4. Gauge interest in potential collaborations for the collection of carcasses and fecal samples for plastic pollution studies in the future.

To help with this effort, they would appreciate you answering this survey comprising six questions by Monday September 14th: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScOykZANnxcrgXf_Gb0itjwZ9kl1VUzeL1nvILO4oMfp5wmNg/viewform

If you have an questions or would like to follow-up please contact Scott Flemming: scott.flemming@canada.ca