Sea Creatures: Pollution's Annual Victims And Their Plight

Marine wildlife is under threat from plastic pollution, with an estimated 13 million metric tons of plastic entering the ocean each year. The impact of plastic on sea creatures is devastating, with entanglement and ingestion being the two primary causes of harm. The durability of plastic means it can take hundreds, if not thousands, of years to degrade, and its accumulation in oceans and on beaches has become a global crisis. While it is challenging to determine the exact number of marine animals killed by plastic annually, estimates suggest that plastic pollution kills 100,000 marine mammals and a million seabirds every year.

Sea turtles often mistake plastic for food, which can cause choking, starvation, and death

Sea turtles are highly vulnerable to plastic pollution. All seven species of sea turtles are affected by plastic pollution, and research suggests that 52% of the world's turtles have eaten plastic waste. Sea turtles often mistake plastic for food, which can cause choking, starvation, and death.

Sea turtles are not selective eaters, and their diets consist of a wide range of plants and animals. For example, the loggerhead species is carnivorous, favouring crabs, whelks, and conchs, while the green sea turtle is mainly herbivorous, feeding on seagrass and algae. Leatherback turtles, on the other hand, are gelatinivores, meaning they primarily eat invertebrates such as jellyfish.

The problem arises because plastic bags and fishing nets resemble the food that sea turtles typically eat. Floating plastic bags can look deceptively similar to jellyfish, algae, or other species that are a significant part of a sea turtle's diet. When sea turtles encounter what they believe to be food, they consume it, unknowingly inviting harmful substances into their digestive tract.

Ingesting plastic has severe consequences for sea turtles. Plastic can cause intestinal blockages and even pierce the intestinal wall, leading to internal bleeding. Additionally, the presence of plastic in a turtle's stomach can create the sensation of fullness, tricking the turtle into believing it has eaten enough. As a result, the turtle stops searching for food and ultimately starves to death.

The impact of plastic pollution on sea turtles is not limited to ingestion. They also face the threat of entanglement in abandoned fishing nets and other plastic debris. Entanglement can drown turtles or prevent them from escaping predators or hunting, leading to starvation. Baby turtles are particularly vulnerable to plastic entanglement as they crawl towards the ocean, and the accumulation of plastics at key nesting beaches poses a significant risk to their survival.

The consequences of plastic ingestion and entanglement for sea turtles are dire, and the problem is widespread. With plastic pollution reaching even the most remote corners of the oceans, sea turtles and other marine life are constantly at risk. It is essential that we take action to reduce plastic pollution and protect these ancient mariners from the devastating impacts of human activities.

Plastic waste kills up to a million seabirds a year

Plastic waste is having a devastating impact on nature, with the ocean being one of the most vulnerable environments. Plastic waste kills up to a million seabirds annually, and this problem is growing at an alarming rate.

In the 1960s, less than 5% of seabirds were found with plastic in their stomachs. By the 1980s, this number had skyrocketed to 80%, and it is now estimated that over 90% of seabirds worldwide eat plastic each year. This shocking trend is projected to continue, with expectations that 99% of seabird species will be ingesting plastic by 2050.

Seabirds mistake plastic for prey, as small plastic fragments can float on the water's surface and resemble their natural food sources. The smell of krill feeding on the algae coating plastic debris is similar to the scents seabirds follow when hunting. Additionally, plastic's lightweight nature makes it challenging for Albatross species, which skim the water's surface to feed, to avoid consuming it.

The impact of plastic ingestion on seabirds can be fatal. It can cause internal punctures, leading to quick deaths. In other cases, birds starve as their stomachs fill up with plastic, providing no nutritional value. Furthermore, emerging evidence suggests that birds are at risk of toxic effects from the chemicals coating the plastics they ingest.

Adult birds that mistake plastic for food often return to their nests and unintentionally feed it to their chicks. Juveniles are even less equipped to handle the effects of plastic, and many do not survive to adulthood. The presence of plastic also impacts kidney function in seabirds, leading to higher uric acid concentrations and negatively affecting cholesterol and enzyme levels.

Another significant threat to seabirds is entanglement in plastic waste, particularly abandoned fishing gear. This ensnaring hazard can lead to drowning, infection, and impaired movement, making birds vulnerable to predators and hindering their ability to find food.

The problem of plastic pollution in our oceans is urgent and far-reaching. It affects creatures large and small, from seabirds to whales and dolphins, and even tiny seahorses living in coral reefs. Urgent action is needed to address this issue and mitigate its devastating consequences for marine life.

Marine mammals are extremely sensitive to noise pollution, which can alter their behaviour

Marine animals are extremely vulnerable to plastic pollution. It is estimated that marine plastics contribute to the death of more than 100,000 marine mammals annually. Plastic can affect marine life in various ways, including entanglement, ingestion, injury, and toxic contamination.

Marine mammals, such as whales, dolphins, and porpoises, are highly dependent on underwater sound for communication, locating prey and mates, and navigating. However, noise pollution in the marine environment poses a significant threat to their natural soundscape. Ships, seismic surveys, explosions, construction, and sonar devices have turned the once peaceful ocean into a loud and chaotic habitat, detrimental to the health and behaviour of these animals.

• They may move away from the source of noise, as seen in the case of blue whales, which stopped feeding, increased their swimming speed, and moved away from the sound source during an experiment with active sonar.
• They might adjust their activities to avoid noisy times of the day.
• They may increase their anti-predatory behaviour, as the loud noises can cause panic and a rapid ascent to the surface, leading to decompression sickness and, in some cases, tissue damage from gas bubble lesions.
• Their vocal behaviour can change. For example, increased ship noise has caused bottlenose dolphins to simplify their vocal calls, with higher whistle frequencies and reduced complexity.
• They may compensate for the noise by changing the volume, frequency, or duration of their calls or waiting until the noise subsides before signalling. However, these changes can be costly.

Noise pollution not only decreases the communication range of marine mammals but also interferes with their key life functions, including communication, navigation, and prey detection. It can lead to temporary or permanent hearing loss, behavioural and physiological changes, masking of acoustic signals, injury, and even death.

Therefore, it is crucial to implement policies to reduce propeller noise from ships and mitigate the sounds of sonar equipment, seismic air guns, pile-driving, and construction. Developing quieter technologies is essential to improving the ocean soundscape and enabling the recovery of marine life.

Plastic waste can encourage the growth of pathogens in the ocean, increasing the chance of coral contracting disease

Plastic waste is having a devastating impact on the ocean and the array of species that call it home. According to the United Nations, at least 800 species worldwide are affected by marine debris, with plastic accounting for as much as 80% of that litter. It is challenging to know the exact number of marine animals harmed or killed by plastic pollution annually, but estimates place the figure at over 100,000 marine mammals. All seven sea turtle species are affected, and plastic has also been found in the stomachs of seabirds, whales, dolphins, and fish.

Plastic waste is a significant contributor to the growth of pathogens in the ocean, which increases the likelihood of coral contracting diseases. A recent study found that corals in contact with plastic had an 89% chance of contracting a disease, compared to only a 4% likelihood for corals that were not exposed. This is because plastic debris stresses coral through light deprivation, toxin release, and anoxia, creating an inviting environment for pathogens to invade. The more structurally complex and spikey the coral species, the more likely they are to be affected by plastic.

The impact of plastic waste on coral reefs is not limited to the Asia-Pacific region, where the study was conducted. It is estimated that 11.1 billion plastic items are entangled on coral reefs across the region, with that number projected to increase by 40% by 2025. Effective plastic waste management is critical to reducing the diseases that threaten ecosystem health and human livelihoods.

The weight of ocean plastics is predicted to exceed the combined weight of all the fish in the seas by 2050 unless urgent action is taken to address this issue.

Plastic pollution can affect mating rituals and reproduction rates

Plastic pollution is a serious threat to marine life, with an estimated 100,000 marine mammals killed by plastic every year. It is difficult to know the exact number of sea creatures affected by plastic pollution, but it is clear that the problem is widespread and has devastating consequences.

Plastic pollution can have far-reaching effects on the mating rituals and reproduction rates of sea creatures. One example is the impact of plastic on sea turtles. Research indicates that half of sea turtles worldwide have ingested plastic. This ingestion of plastic can lead to starvation, as the turtles feel full after consuming plastic but are not actually receiving any nutrients. Additionally, plastic pollution on beaches can affect the temperature of the sand where incubation occurs, impacting the reproduction rates of sea turtles.

Another way that plastic pollution can affect mating rituals and reproduction rates is through the disruption of hormone production in sea creatures. Chemicals in plastics can interfere with the endocrine system, leading to reduced fertility and reproductive success. This can have long-term impacts on the population sizes of affected species.

Furthermore, plastic pollution can also impact the behaviour of sea creatures, which in turn can affect their mating rituals and reproduction rates. For example, entanglement in plastic debris can make it difficult for sea creatures to move and find mates. Ingested plastic can also cause health issues that impact the reproductive capabilities of sea creatures.

The accumulation of plastic in the oceans can also lead to the destruction of habitats that are essential for mating and reproduction. Coral reefs, for instance, can be smothered and broken by discarded fishing nets and other plastic waste, reducing the available space for marine life to carry out their mating rituals and reproduce.

Overall, plastic pollution poses a significant threat to the mating rituals and reproduction rates of sea creatures, with potential long-term consequences for the health and diversity of marine ecosystems.

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