Comment on "Marine plastic debris emits a keystone infochemical for olfactory foraging seabirds" by Savoca et al

In their recent paper, Savoca and collaborators (2016) showed that plastic debris in the ocean may acquire a dimethyl sulfide (DMS) signature from biofouling developing on their surface. According to them, DMS emission may represent an olfactory trap for foraging seabirds, which explains patterns of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science advances 2017-06, Vol.3 (6), p.e1700526-e1700526
Main Authors: Dell'Ariccia, Gaia, Phillips, Richard A, van Franeker, Jan A, Gaidet, Nicolas, Catry, Paulo, Granadeiro, José P, Ryan, Peter G, Bonadonna, Francesco
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Birds
Chemical Ecology
Eating
IMARES Onderzoeksformatie
Onderzoeksformatie
Plastics
SciAdv t-comment
Smell
Technical Comment
Technical Comments
Waste Products - analysis
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Summary:In their recent paper, Savoca and collaborators (2016) showed that plastic debris in the ocean may acquire a dimethyl sulfide (DMS) signature from biofouling developing on their surface. According to them, DMS emission may represent an olfactory trap for foraging seabirds, which explains patterns of plastic ingestion among procellariiform seabirds. This hypothesis is appealing, but some of the data that Savoca used to support their claim are questionable, resulting in a misclassification of species, as well as other decisions regarding the variables to include in their models. Furthermore, with their focus on a single lifestyle trait (nesting habit) of dubious relevance for explaining plastic ingestion, Savoca neglect the opportunity to explore other factors that might provide better ecological insight. Finally, we are deeply concerned by the conservation policy recommendation proposed by Savoca -to increase antifouling properties of consumer plastics-which constitutes a substantial environmental risk and delivers the wrong message to decision-makers. The reduction of plastic consumption, waste prevention, and proactive reuse through a circular economy should be at the heart of policy recommendations for future mitigation efforts.
ISSN:2375-2548
2375-2548
DOI:10.1126/sciadv.1700526