Jennifer L. Lavers, Jarrod C. Hodgson, Rohan H. Clarke, Prevalence and 
composition of marine debris in Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster) nests at 
Ashmore Reef, Marine Pollution Bulletin, Volume 77, Issues 1–2, 15 
December 2013, Pages 320-324, ISSN 0025-326X, 
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2013.09.026.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X13005778)
Abstract: Anthropogenic debris is ubiquitous in the marine environment 
and has been reported to negatively impact hundreds of species globally. 
Seabirds are particularly at risk from entanglement in debris due to 
their habit of collecting food and, in many cases, nesting material off 
the ocean’s surface. We compared the prevalence and composition of 
debris in nests and along the beach at two Brown Booby (Sula 
leucogaster) colonies on Ashmore Reef, Timor Sea, a remote area known to 
contain high densities of debris transported by ocean currents. The 
proportion of nests with debris varied across islands (range 3–31%), 
likely in response to the availability of natural nesting materials. 
Boobies exhibited a preference for debris colour (white and black), but 
not type. The ephemeral nature of Brown Booby nests on Ashmore Reef may 
limit their utility as indicators of marine pollution, however 
monitoring is recommended in light of increasing demand for plastic 
products.

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