Scientific disciplines join forces to solve mystery of 3 million dead birds

Researchers from different scientific disciplines have worked together to solve the mystery of why millions of migrating seabirds were found dead with their stomachs full of pumice.

Pumice is volcanic rock which is filled with air bubbles, meaning it can be light enough to float on water, and can sometimes form huge rafts from undersea eruptions.

One such raft, the largest one recorded in modern times, washed up on the east coast of Australia in 2013, along with millions of dead birds.

An estimated 3 million short-tailed shearwaters were found dead, and a subsequent study found nearly all had large…