Common pollutants are disrupting energy production at the cellular level in wild seabirds, potentially affecting fitness, new research reveals. The study, published in Environment & Health, focused on Scopoli's shearwaters breeding on Linosa, a small and remote volcanic island in the Sicilian Channel. Scientists found that widespread contaminants such as mercury and certain PFAS compounds affect the function of mitochondria, tiny cellular powerhouses that generate energy for activities from flight to reproduction.
