Kiera Jefferson
Marine animals are facing a grave threat from ocean pollution, with plastic waste being a key contributor. Plastic pollution in the ocean has become a global crisis, with billions of pounds of plastic making up about 40% of the world's ocean surfaces. This plastic waste endangers marine life through ingestion and entanglement, causing injury, starvation, suffocation, and death. It is estimated that marine plastics contribute to the death of more than 100,000 marine mammals annually, with plastic debris affecting nearly 700 species. Seabirds, sea turtles, seals, dolphins, whales, and many other creatures are among the victims of plastic pollution, mistaking plastic for food or becoming entangled in abandoned fishing gear. The impact of plastic pollution extends beyond the immediate deaths and injuries, as it also contaminates seafood, posing potential health risks to humans who consume it.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Marine animals mistake plastic for food | Marine animals such as sea birds, whales, dolphins, seals, sea lions, sea turtles, sharks, and fish mistake plastic for prey. |
| Sea turtles, for example, can mistake floating plastic garbage for food and choke, sustain internal injuries, or starve by thinking they are full from eating plastic. | |
| Seabirds that feed from the ocean surface mistake small plastic fragments for food, leading to starvation or suffocation. | |
| Abandoned fishing gear, such as nets, can entangle marine animals and lead to drowning. | |
| Plastic ingestion | Plastic ingestion can cause intestinal injury and death and transfers plastic up the food chain to bigger fish, marine mammals, and human seafood eaters. |
| Microplastics can be ingested by fish and other species that filter their food out of the water. | |
| Plastic ingestion reduces the storage volume of the stomach, causing starvation. | |
| Dead whales have been found with bellies full of plastic. | |
| Entanglement in plastic | Plastic debris can entangle marine animals and lead to injury, starvation, and vulnerability to predators. |
| Endangered wildlife like Hawaiian monk seals and Pacific loggerhead sea turtles are among nearly 700 species that get entangled in plastic litter. | |
| Entanglement in plastic debris has also led to injury and mortality in the endangered Steller sea lion. | |
| Plastic accumulation in the ocean | Plastic accumulates in swirling convergences that make up about 40% of the world's ocean surfaces. |
| At current rates, plastic is expected to outweigh all the fish in the sea by 2050. | |
| The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a gyre of plastic debris in the north-central Pacific Ocean and is the largest accumulation of plastic in the world. |
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What You'll Learn
Ingesting plastic
Marine animals ingest plastic when they mistake it for food. For example, a plastic bag floating in the ocean can look like a squid or other prey to seals and marine mammals. Even species that do not rely on sight to identify prey are not safe. Toothed whales and many dolphin species use echolocation to find their prey, but some scientists believe that unnatural objects like plastic waste can confuse this process and be incorrectly interpreted as food.
Once ingested, plastic can cause intestinal injury and death. It can also take up space in the stomach, leading to starvation. A recent study found that sea turtles that ingest just 14 pieces of plastic have an increased risk of death. Young sea turtles are especially at risk because they are not as selective about what they eat and tend to drift with ocean currents, just like plastic.
Plastic can also release toxins that build up in the fatty tissues of animals, a process known as bioaccumulation. These toxins can then be transferred up the food chain to bigger fish, marine mammals, and humans who consume seafood. A single plastic particle can adsorb up to one million times more toxic chemicals than the water around it.
It is challenging to determine exactly how many marine animals are killed by ingesting plastic each year, but estimates range from 100,000 to 1 million. It is clear that plastic ingestion is a significant threat to marine life and that urgent action is needed to address this growing problem.
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Entanglement in plastic
Plastic pollution in the ocean is a pressing issue that has been causing the death of marine animals for decades. Entanglement in plastic debris has led to injury and mortality in various marine species.
Plastic pollution in the ocean comes from human activities, such as littering, poor waste management, storm water discharge, and natural disasters like hurricanes and tsunamis. Marine animals, including endangered species, often mistake floating plastic garbage for food, leading to choking, internal injuries, and starvation. Plastic ingestion also reduces the storage volume of their stomachs, giving them a false sense of fullness and leading to starvation.
Smaller marine animals, such as sea turtles, seals, and smaller whales, are at immediate risk of drowning if entangled in large or heavy plastic debris. Even if they can move while entangled, their prospects are grim. They may struggle to escape from vessels or become easy prey due to reduced mobility.
The impact of plastic pollution on marine life is devastating, and it is crucial to address this issue through proper waste management, reducing plastic consumption, and participating in beach and community clean-up efforts to prevent further harm to marine ecosystems and the animals that inhabit them.
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Inhaling toxic microplastics
Marine animals are dying due to the plastic pollution of the ocean. Plastic pollution in the ocean is a global crisis, with billions of pounds of plastic found in swirling convergences that make up about 40% of the world's ocean surfaces. Marine debris can harm or kill an animal when it is ingested or when they become entangled in it.
Microplastics, small pieces of plastic defined as less than 5 millimeters long, have been found in the breath of bottlenose dolphins off the coasts of Louisiana and Florida, according to a study published in the journal PLOS One. This is the first evidence that marine mammals could be inhaling microplastics, which have been linked to adverse effects on human and animal health.
The study found that dolphins may be inhaling microplastics even if they live in rural areas away from high levels of human activity. Previous research has discovered microplastics present in marine mammals' tissues from exposure through consumption and then movement from the digestive tract into other organs.
The authors of the study hope to do further research on microplastic inhalation in dolphins to understand the types of plastic they are exposed to and the potential health risks. Scientists studying marine mammals and microplastic consumption have long speculated that inhalation was a way for cetaceans to acquire microplastics in their bodies.
Microplastics are associated with chemicals from manufacturing and the surrounding environment, and there is concern regarding physical and chemical toxicity. They may absorb and carry various pollutants, enhancing their negative effects. Human activity has led to microplastic contamination throughout the marine environment, and as a result, microplastics are ingested by many species of wildlife, including fish and shellfish.
Nutritional authorities advise Americans to increase their seafood consumption, but awareness or concerns about microplastics in seafood could lead consumers to reduce their consumption. Research is critical to understanding and reducing human health risks and protecting consumers while supporting their nutritional health.
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Habitat destruction
Marine debris, including plastic pollution, poses a significant threat to the habitats of sea animals. Wetlands, mangroves, coral reefs, seagrass beds, and salt marshes are among the critical habitats that provide protection and food sources for marine life. However, these habitats are vulnerable to the detrimental effects of pollution.
Plastic pollution, in particular, has become a global crisis, with billions of pounds of plastic inundating our oceans and beaches. This crisis directly impacts and kills marine wildlife, with thousands of seabirds, sea turtles, seals, and other marine mammals falling victim each year. Endangered species, such as Hawaiian monk seals and Pacific loggerhead sea turtles, are among the nearly 700 species affected by plastic ingestion and entanglement.
Plastic debris can smother and restrict the flow of oxygen to marine life, severely impacting deep-water environments. Large debris, such as shipping containers, can crush habitats and release toxins into the sediment, damaging or killing corals and other sensitive organisms. Abandoned fishing gear, or ghost gear, continues to capture and kill wildlife, damaging their habitats and interfering with active fishing gear.
Human activities play a significant role in habitat destruction, with urban, industrial, and agricultural development infringing on natural habitats. Wetlands, for example, are often dredged and filled to make way for human expansion. Additionally, cities, factories, and farms generate waste, pollution, and chemical runoff that can wreak havoc on reefs, seagrasses, birds, and fish. Inland dams impact fish migration and alter the salinity of coastal waters, further disrupting marine habitats.
Climate change is another critical factor in marine habitat destruction. As the Earth's temperature rises, the oceans absorb the extra heat, disrupting the life cycles of marine animals. Increased atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, caused by the burning of fossil fuels, lead to elevated ocean acidity, inhibiting the ability of many marine animals to form shells.
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Predatory vulnerability
Marine animals are facing a growing threat to their survival due to human activities that pollute the oceans. Plastic pollution, in particular, poses significant risks, with billions of pounds of plastic inundating the Earth's five major ocean gyres. This plastic pollution has severe consequences for marine life, causing injuries, infections, and deaths.
Marine predators, such as whales, seals, and dolphins, are especially vulnerable to the harmful effects of plastic pollution. They often mistake plastic waste for their natural prey, leading to fatal consequences. For example, plastic bags floating in the water can resemble squid or other prey, tricking seals and marine mammals into ingesting them. This mistake can be deadly, as the ingested plastic can cause internal injuries, intestinal damage, and even death.
Whales, including the sperm whale, are also susceptible to plastic pollution. Their sophisticated sonar-like echolocation techniques, used to locate prey, can be disrupted by unnatural objects like plastic waste. This confusion may lead them to inadvertently ingest plastic, as evidenced by autopsies of stranded whales.
Fishing nets, made of plastic, pose another significant threat to marine predators. These nets are often abandoned or lost, accounting for a substantial portion of ocean plastic pollution. Marine animals can become entangled in these nets, leading to injuries, drowning, and death. The impact is not limited to marine mammals, as even rare species like the humpback dolphin have been observed entangled in marine debris.
The impact of plastic pollution extends beyond the directly affected marine life. As plastic accumulates in the oceans, it contaminates seafood sources. Heavy metals and other pollutants accumulate in shellfish and fish, making them unsafe for human consumption. This contamination poses a risk to human health and underscores the urgent need to address plastic pollution in our oceans.
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Frequently asked questions
There are two main ways in which plastic pollution can kill sea animals: ingestion and entanglement. Marine animals can mistake plastic for food, leading to intestinal injury and death. Plastic can also reduce the storage volume of the stomach, causing starvation. Animals can also get entangled in plastic debris, leading to injury and drowning.
All kinds of sea animals, from small finches to blue whales, are affected by plastic pollution. Endangered wildlife such as Hawaiian monk seals, Steller sea lions, Pacific loggerhead sea turtles, dolphins, humpback dolphins, sea lions, and sharks are among the nearly 700 species that eat and get caught in plastic litter. Seabirds are also particularly vulnerable to plastic pollution, with an estimated 60% of all seabird species having eaten plastic.
To reduce the impact of plastic pollution on sea animals, it is important to focus on preventing the problem at its source. This includes minimizing plastic leakage into the natural environment, making plastics less toxic, and increasing the likelihood that plastics can be reused, repurposed, or recycled effectively. Individuals can also play a role by recycling, using reusable alternatives to disposable products, and participating in beach or community cleanups.
