On a remote Australian island, seabirds feed on plastic

May 19, 2025

Q: Researchers found seabirds on Lord Howe Island eating so much plastic waste that they crunch when touched. A scientist said the grisly discovery on the small island between Australia and New Zealand is a warning about the danger of plastic waste to other creatures. Where is Australia and its southeastern neighbor, New Zealand?

Circle the area on this map

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Q: It is estimated that more than 170 trillion pieces of plastic have been dumped into the world’s oceans. However, that is just a fraction of all plastic waste. Which nation consumes the most plastic?

A. Brazil

B. China

C. India

D. United States

Q: Lord Howe Island is home to 445 people and about 44,000 sable shearwaters, which pick up plastic trash from the sea and feed it to their chicks. How long have modern humans lived on Lord Howe Island?

A. About 200 years

B. About 700 years

C. 50,000 to 65,000 years

D. 200,000 to 300,000 years

Q: The 5.6-square-mile Lord Howe Island limits tourists to 400 at a time to protect its subtropical environment. As a remote part of the Australian state of New South Wales, Lord Howe Island casts votes in a parliamentary district of the nation’s largest city. What is Australia’s largest city?

A. Brisbane

B. Canberra

C. Melbourne

D. Sydney

Q: About 70% of Lord Howe Island remains relatively untouched, but several native bird species have gone extinct since humans arrived. Which animals imported by humans killed off many of the birds?

A. Cats

B. Pigs

C. Owls

D. All of the above

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Answers for this quiz: Click here