You might have seen this picture around social media. Itβs a good representation of a big problem that lots of amazing people are working on fixing. Plastic pollution is a widespread problem affecting the marine environment. It also threatens ocean health, food safety and quality, human health, coastal tourism, and contributes to climate change! π£ The most visible and disturbing impacts of marine plastics are the ingestion, suffocation and entanglement of hundreds of marine species. Marine wildlife such as seabirds, whales, fishes and turtles, mistake plastic waste for prey, and most die of starvation as their stomachs are filled with plastic debris. They also suffer from lacerations, infections, reduced ability to swim, and internal injuries. Floating plastics can also contribute to the spread of invasive marine organisms and bacteria, which disrupt ecosystems! π Small actions that we all take to remedy the problem together can amount to huge collective change. This information was published by the IUCN, but there are lots of really great articles that detail the problem much better than we can get into on Instagram! There are also lots of ways that we can all do a small part to help in a tangible way, even if perhaps none of us individually are responsible for the industrial plastic pollution. Beautiful Photo by Justin Hofman #repost @natures #ioconservancy #natures #nature #wildlife #wildlifephotography #naturephotography #amazinganimals #naturelovers #earth #animals #animalsphotography #ocean #sea #pollution #plastic #conservation #wildlifeconservation #oceanaction #ecospurs (at New Plymouth, New Zealand) https://www.instagram.com/p/CNjbPcyHfx-/?igshid=qggnapr56ogk
