Marine Threats
Pollution in the ‘Peaceful’ Ocean
This particular Murrelet species actually spends a majority of its time in the ocean, particularly close to the coast. (A Barna STATUS: THREATENED CRITICAL HABITAT: DESIGNATED Marbled murrelet potentially occurs in these, n.d.) So damage and pollution to the Pacific ecosystem directly impact the Marbled Murrelets. The birds scavenge and eat a majority of their diet on the coast, making them extremely vulnerable to oil spills.
When bird feathers come into contact with oil, it separates and mats the strands, destroying their waterproofing ability, and exposing skin to the harsh elements. Eventually, this exposure leads the birds to suffer from hypothermia or hyperthermia. Tens of thousands of Murrelets have died during large scale oil spills in the past. (International bird rescue, 2018)
Ocean plastic and trash are also catastrophic to the Marbled Murrelet species. Similarly to other marine life, brightly colored plastics can oftentimes be mistaken for food. Eventually, the continuous consumption of plastics starves and ultimately kills off the poor birds. (“Nearly Every Seabird on Earth Is Eating Plastic,” 2015)
Go Fish
​
Overfishing has a direct influence on the Marbled Murrelets. Most of their diet comes from marine life. So first and foremost, the overfishing pulls out and kills lots of krill, fish, and other prey that the Murrelets need to survive. Additionally, pollution as a result of excessive fishing is detrimental. As stated before, oil and gasoline leaks/spills are very dangerous to the species. Additionally, drift-net fishing has hurt the birds as well. They can be caught by accident, tangled in abandoned nets, and hurt from boat pollution (both oil and trash). Overall, overfishing has a huge negative influence on the Marbled Murrelet species. (Fish, Service, Fish, Lacey, & Wa, 2009)