The spill
Back on July 19, a collision between two ships at the Port of Tyne sent millions of plastic pellets, known as nurdles, flooding into the River Tyne. Since then, it’s been a massive task to get them out of our ecosystem. So far, clean-up crews have only managed to recover about 28% of the 18 tonnes that were dumped into the water.
What’s happening to the birds?
This is lowkey terrifying, but the spill is now impacting our local seabirds. Experts at the Dove Marine Laboratory in Cullercoats are performing necropsies—essentially autopsies for animals—on birds gathered from across the North East, including guillemots, herring gulls, a gannet, and a pink-footed goose.
Dan Turner, coordinator at the North East England Beached Bird Surveys, says the research is urgent because of fears that the birds might starve. The plastic pellets are roughly the same size as fish eggs, so the birds are likely mistaking them for food. When they fill their stomachs with plastic, there's no room for actual nutrients, which is a major L for their survival.
Why it matters
It’s not just about the birds losing their appetite. The research team is also looking into whether these plastic particles—which often carry toxic pollutants on their surface—can make their way into the birds' bloodstreams, potentially harming their overall fitness.
Beyond that, conservation groups like the RSPB are worried this plastic is moving up the food chain, which could affect fish, seals, and dolphins. Volunteers are still out on the beaches trying to clean up the mess, but scientists warn that pellets will likely keep washing up for a while. The research on these birds is expected to keep going until December, and real talk, the vibes are definitely off for our local marine life. We'll be keeping a close eye on this one.
