Marine Wildlife

Laysan Albatross Welfare and Lead Poisoning at Midway

Laysan albatrosses at Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge suffer lead poisoning from ingesting paint chips from deteriorating World War II-era military buildings, causing neurological damage and chick mortality.

Key Facts

Midway Atoll hosts over one million Laysan albatrosses, the world largest colony
Lead from deteriorating military structures has poisoned thousands of chicks
Lead poisoning causes neurological symptoms, seizures, and death in albatross chicks
Adults feed paint chips to chicks mistaking them for food items like squid beaks
The US Fish and Wildlife Service has prioritized lead abatement at Midway since 2010

Welfare Considerations

Lead poisoning in chicks causes severe neurological suffering including tremors, inability to walk, and prolonged death. Adults repeatedly feeding toxic material to chicks are responding to normal foraging instincts that have become maladaptive in a contaminated environment, compounding population-level welfare harm.

What You Can Do

Support lead abatement funding for the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge
Donate to American Bird Conservancy seabird programs
Advocate for complete remediation of legacy military contamination at wildlife refuges
Follow USFWS Midway research updates and spread awareness
Support the Pacific Seabird Group monitoring and advocacy work