Marine wildlife faces a growing number of threats across the globe, and the survival of many species and populations are dependent on us, as a community. Over the last four decades one threat in particular has emerged, which is the pollution of oceanic and coastal habitats with plastic debris/marine debris (Barletta et al., 2014). Marine debris is a growing environmental concern. The global plastics production has rapidly increased, resulting in large volumes of litter entering the marine environment (Hardesty et al., a2015). Determining the consequences of this debris on ocean health and marine fauna has now become a critical environmental priority, particularly for threatened and endangered species (Hardesty et al., a2015; Borerro et al., 2014). The Centre for Biological Diversity is one organization that wants to raise awareness of this problem, and claims “plastic accumulating in our oceans and on our beaches has become a global crisis … at current rates plastic is expected to outweigh all the fish in the sea … plastics pollution has a direct and deadly effect on wildlife.” This claim is not deceptive or misleading; there are multiple studies that show evidence of the destruction plastic creates. However, marine debris is one of the most extensive and solvable pollution problems plaguing the world’s oceans (Register and Sheavly, 2007). In this investigation, I will provide evidence that the organization’s claim is valid by using a comprehensive understanding of the sources of marine debris; the properties of plastic; and the impacts marine debris has on humans and wildlife.
All plastic debris in the ocean originates from someone mishandling them thoughtlessly or deliberately (Register and Sheavly, 2007). Litter from the streets enters the streams and rivers through storm drains and sewers, which eventually ends up in greater bodies of water (Register and Sheavly, 2007). It then gets washed up on shorelines or left behind by visitors on beaches, where it can cause harm to other humans or wildlife (Register and Sheavly, 2007). Food wrappers, shopping bags, straws, fishing line, six-pack rings, and beverage bottles are all regular examples of debris (Register and Sheavly, 2007). Another way litter enters the ocean is by boats, ships, offshore oilrigs and platforms, and fishing piers (Register and Sheavly, 2007). A recent report released by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation suggests, based on recent trends in plastic production, that by 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2016).
There are a few properties of plastic that are potential factors that contribute to global problems. One property of plastic is that it has high buoyancy, which allows it to float and travel in currents for thousands of miles (Register and Sheavly, 2007). Plastic is also very durable and slow to degrade, which allows for plastic to have a long lifespan (Register and Sheavly, 2007). Additionally, plastic is involved in almost all aspects of our lives, in transport, clothing, footwear, and as packaging materials for a wide range of food, drinks, and other goods (Moore et al., 2009). Plastic packaging also makes for very easy disposables (Moore et al., 2009). Therefore, discarded plastic can contaminate a wide range of natural terrestrial, freshwater and marine habitats.
Marine debris is a growing environmental concern due to its aesthetic, economic, and ecological impacts (Hardesty et al., a2015). Not only can wildlife be harmed by marine debris, humans can too. Many things can harm visitors to beaches, such as: broken glass, medical waste and fishing lines (Hardesty et al., a2015). Consequently, swimmers, divers, and snorkelers can be entangled and injured in marine debris, resulting in the suffocation and possible death that marine animals experience everyday (Register and Sheavly, 2007). Although the impact of plastic waste is affecting humans, the only concern to governments is whether or not plastic waste will affect the city or country’s economy. If shorelines become potentially dangerous or unattractive, governments and communities will be forced to spend funds for beach maintenance (Register and Sheavly, 2007). Unattractive and littered beaches discourage people from fishing, boating, swimming, and visiting coastal areas, which cause seaside businesses to suffer (Register and Sheavly, 2007). Just as plastics have an affect on humans, its impacts also concern marine wildlife.
Plastics in the marine environment are of increasing concern because of their persistence and effects on the oceans, and wildlife. Plastic debris occurs on coastlines, in the Arctic sea ice, at the sea surface, and on the sea floor (Andrady et al., 2015). Globally, the known affects of plastic debris on species is profound, with the affected being at least 23 % of marine mammals, 36 % of seabirds, and 86 % of sea turtles (Sigler, 2014). The main cause is the weathering of plastic debris that breaks plastic down into particles that even small marine invertebrates may ingest (Andrady et al., 2015). Its small size also renders this debris untraceable to its source and extremely difficult to remove from open ocean environments (Andrady et al., 2015). In fact, fifty-one trillion micro plastic particles float in the ocean, where they are easily swallowed by all forms of marine life (Eriksen et al., 2015). These small particles are extremely dangerous to seabirds, which mistake the plastic pellets for zooplankton, fish eggs, or other forms of food because of their colour and shape (Register and Sheavly, 2007; Hardesty et al., b2015). Plastic bags are also very deadly for wildlife; especially sea turtles. This is because plastic bags strongly resemble the shape of jellyfish, which is their primary food source (Sigler, 2014). Not only do these animals confuse plastic for food, but so do many others. Most of them cannot regurgitate an item once it has been swallowed, often causing it to become lodged in their throats and digestive tracts (Register and Sheavly, 2007). Animals that cannot dislodge or pass the debris through their system will stop eating and slowly starve to death (Register and Sheavly, 2007). This is just one of the disheartening affects of plastic pollution.
In conclusion, plastic pollution is a very large and globally relevant problem. If we do not drastically decrease our plastic production, this pollution will continue to increase in magnitude and pose an even greater threat to our oceans and wildlife. Corresponding with the claim made by the Centre for Biological Diversity, if we continue to produce around eight million tons of plastic per year (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2016) the mathematics clearly show that plastic in the oceans will eventually outweigh the number of fish; thus making it a global crisis. Many studies have concluded that plastic has an enormous number of consequences on humans, numerous species, and marine environments. Through this investigation, I aimed to assert that the Center for Biological Diversity’s claim is valid through the presentation of data collected and discussed about the sources of plastic, the properties of plastic, and some of the major impacts it produces. The bottom line is, as long as we do not address plastic pollution from a global perspective, we will not solve it.