As I walked the perimeter of Eastern Island accounting for shorebirds during a survey, I came across a plastic manikin head resting on its side half buried. Located more than 1,300 miles away from the nearest city (Honolulu), Eastern Island is one of three tiny islands that make up Ku‘aihelani, a 2.4-square mile atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Marine debris travels far and wide to reach us here in isolation, and we are constantly reminded of the rest of the world every day.

On Ku‘aihelani (Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge), we work on native habitat conservation and restoration supporting 22 native bird species (roughly 3 million), the endangered ʻilioholoikauaua (Hawaiian monk seal), threatened honu (green sea turtle), and thousands of reef fish and marine invertebrates. We help monitor native species, restore habitats, and remove invasive species and marine debris.

Plastic pollution in our oceans is a growing issue and one of the most notable impacts, that requires rapid response, is wildlife entrapment by plastic and other debris. On one of my first days on the job, we aided NOAA’s team in making a human wall to divert a monk seal from shooting straight to the water while freeing it from a thick rope acting as a corset.

During the North Pacific albatross breeding season, including moli (Laysan) and kaʻupu (black-footed), we had to carefully remove microfilament wrapped tightly around at least five adult birds’ bills, heads or feet.

And during regular surveys, we also found plastic bands wrapped around endangered Laysan ducks’ necks. In one case, an adult was found dead with a band wrapped tightly around its bill, preventing it from being able to forage.

While plastic is constantly arriving on our shores from ocean currents, we receive additional deliveries from ocean surface- feeding seabirds.

Albatross forage across the Pacific Ocean, traveling as far north as the Bering Sea, bringing back floating plastic attached to, or mistaken for food, which they transport and regurgitate into their chick’s hungry mouths.

Unable to regurgitate until later into development, chicks can harbor large amounts of indigestible plastic in their bodies for months. In the remains of one albatross chick, we counted 245 pieces of hard plastics, including 16 bottle caps.

Approximately five tons of plastic debris is deposited on Ku‘aihelani each year from bird ingestion, and range from microplastics (pieces under 5 mm), to household objects including lighters, toothbrushes, plastic toys, bottle caps, buoys and even an occasional syringe. Loss of nutrition, internal injury, intestinal blockage and starvation are all threats plastic pollution poses.

Each year we collect and send approximately 1,000 boluses (regurgitated, indigestible material from chicks) to schools around the country to allow youth to dissect and uncover their contents.

Due to continued plastic production, the amount in our oceans will only continue to increase.

We work with the Papahanau- mokuakea Marine National Monument co-managers (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, state of Hawaii, Office of Hawaiian Affairs and NOAA) to remove marine debris. Together, we removed 100,000 pounds from the monument last year and have another marine debris cruise later this summer, funded by DARRP (Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program). In the main Hawaiian islands, organizations such as Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii work with local communities to clean up beaches and coastlines.

Everyone can make a difference and get involved, whether it is cleaning up a local beach or reducing individual plastic consumption. Plastic pollution is a global issue and the only way for us to overcome its effects is to work together to switch from a culture of convenience to one where we think about the long-term and global impacts of our actions.

Keely Hassett is a second-year Kupu Conservation Leadership Development program member working with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.