Econauts

There is a lot of plastic in the ocean.  Litter is actually dumped directly into the ocean from ships and offshore dumping.  Run off from drainage systems and rivers carries vast amounts of trash into the ocean.  It is estimated that ships dup 6.5 million tons of waste into the ocean every year (Derraik 2002, Hartwig et al. 2007).  Over 13,000 pieces of plastic float on every square kilometer of ocean, with the help of ocean currents, this plastic distributed over thousands of miles. (Derriak 2002, UNEP 2005).  Even small-uninhabited islands are being bombarded with plastic and other trash. These small pieces of derbies are having huge effects on tons of marine animals especially marine birds.

           When it comes to birds, especially seabirds, this waste is having devastating effects on their lives.  For example, 95% of Laysan Albatross chicks, 73% of Southern Giant-petrel chicks have plastic in their digestive systems (Auman et al. 1997, Copello and Quintana 2003). Further more, 95% of Great Shearwater, 93% Blue Petrel and over 80% of Northern Fulmar have plastic in their digestive systems as well (Ryan et al. 1987, Moser and Lee 1992). 36% of Northern Fulmar and 29% of Black-browed Albatross stomachs contain debris such as plastic, nylon, rubber and metal wire. (Mallory et al. 2006, Petry et al. 2007).

           These findings are extremely horrifying when you think about it.  Chicks are dying at an alarming rate around the world’s oceans.  The debris ingested by these birds and especially in chicks can obstruct and even physically damage their airways and digestive systems.  This can lead to suffocation, malnutrition, starvation, and even death (BirdLife International 2008).

           There is clearly a large problem that we have to deal with now.  So how can you help? Recycle!  Think before you litter.  Use refillable products such as water bottles, soap containers, and washable food containers.  Check out this website it is loaded with information on how you can help http://riseaboveplastics.org/

                                                   References

Auman, H. J., Ludwig, J. P., Giesy, J. P. and Colborn, T. (1997) Plastic ingestion by Laysan Albatross chicks on Sand Island, Midway Atoll, in 1994 and 1995. Pp. 239–244 in G. Robinson and R. Gales, eds., Albatross biology and conservation. Chipping Norton: Surrey Beatty & Sons.

BirdLife International (2008) Seabirds suffer from eating "junk". Presented as part of the BirdLife State of the world's birds website. Available from: http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/sowb/casestudy/159. Checked: 08/05/2015 

Copello, S. and Quintana, F. (2003) Marine debris ingestion by Southern Giant Petrels and its potential relationships with fisheries in the Southern Atlantic Ocean. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 46: 1504–1515.

Derraik, J. G. B. (2002) The pollution of the marine environment by plastic debris: a review. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 44: 842–852.

Hartwig, E., Clemens, T. and Heckroth, M. (2007) Plastic debris as nesting material in a Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) colony at the Jammerbugt, Northwest Denmark. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 54: 595–597. 

Plastic pollution travels easily from land to sea. It blows in from bins and garbage dumps, or flows through stormwater drains into our waterways and eventually the sea. Once in the ocean, it slowly breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces which are eaten by animals at the bottom of our food chains.

Plastic bags are petroleum-based and do not biodegrade.

Sea turtles and other marine creatures mistake plastics and other garbage as food (such as jellyfish) and ingest it. This mistake causes blockages within their digestive system and eventual death.

According to the US EPA, Americans use more than 380 billion plastic bags and wraps each year. It takes 12 million barrels of oil to produce this many bags.  Worldwide, as many as one trillion plastic bags are used each year. This equates to 100 million barrels of oil!  

Hundreds of thousands of sea turtles, whales, and other marine mammals, and more than 1 million seabirds die each year from ocean pollution and ingestion or entanglement in marine debris. Marine debris is manmade waste that is directly or indirectly disposed of in oceans, rivers, and other waterways.

Most trash reaches the seas via rivers, and 80% originates from landfills and other urban sources. This waste, which is also consumed by fish and can entangle sharks and damage coral reefs, tends to accumulate in gyres (areas of slow spiraling water and low winds) and along coastlines.