The damages of plastic pollution in the ocean
Pollution from a plastic is a very serious threat to our oceans. Plastics make up close to 90% of the
litter in the oceans. Even with awareness of the problem, the amount of plastic in our oceans keeps
increasing. Plastic pollution is a serious threat to marine health as well as for humans, it also
contributes to the destruction of our ecosystems. Most of the plastic pollution in the ocean is a
product of littering, which is when plastic is not disposed of or recycled properly, which can end up
in waterways that then take it into our oceans. The plastic has affected the ocean’s ecosystem as
well as the animals that inhabit it. They are seriously affected by ingestion and exposure to plastic
but often become entangled in plastic causing losses in movement, choking, and death.
Plastic pollution’s effects on ocean ecosystems
“Plastic waste is now found in the most remote areas of the planet. It kills marine life and is
doing major harm to communities that depend on fishing and tourism.” – António Guterres,
UN secretary general. A research team, led by Jenna Jambeck, produced the first study that assessed
the amount of plastic trash that flows into the oceans annually. That research, published in 2015,
estimated that 8 million metric tons of plastic ends up in the oceans every year. That is the equivalent
to five grocery bags of plastic trash for every foot of coastline around the globe. It is estimated that
plastic pollution in the ocean contributes to the death of more than 100 thousand marine animals every
single year. This can happen in more than one way, marine animals could get entangled in plastic bags
or soft drink cases, which could choke or limit the animal’s ability to move, the animal could ingest
plastics and microplastics, leading to poisoning, and starvation. When animals, like the leatherback
sea turtle, see a plastic bag, they assume it is a jellyfish, which is their main food source. Once they
eat this plastic, they feel full, eventually leading to starvation, The plastic could come in all shapes
and sizes, which can affect many different species in different ways and at different times. This plastic
can come in the form of microplastic which could be worse for some organisms, like filter feeders
(ex: sponges, clams, krill, etc). When a filter feeder filters water for its nutrients, the filter feeder
sucks in large amounts of microplastics which can harm, and even kill these animals. This can even
harm people, as some communities rely on fish and seafood to survive, and when mass amounts of
fish are killed due to plastic pollution, these communities could starve, not to mention it could poison
the fish anyone eats at the dinner table, as microplastics are carcinogenic, meaning they have the
potential to cause cancer.
Dealing with plastic pollution in the ocean.
There are many ways that we can counter plastic pollution and the effects of it.
Even the simplest of actions, like buying reusable water bottles are enough to help the cause. Instead
of buying a plastic water bottle, buy a bottle and fill it up with water, or just reuse plastic bottles that
are already there. If we make an effort to clean up our beaches, and recycle properly, we may be able
to counter these effects. Other solutions could use special machines, like the pyrolysis machine, which
turns plastic into usable fuel. If funding could be available for plants like these, we could have a
chance at cleaning up our planet and our oceans of plastic waste, and making it into more usable
material. In Germany, recycling laws are stricter, which means people will know how to recycle
properly before they throw plastic into a bin. Recycling is most likely one of the most efficient ways
to slow down ocean pollution, as most plastic goes into the ocean or landfills. It comes down to the
individual eventually, with enough people Recyling, the oceans could benefit greatly.
Ocean pollution is devastating for ecosystems and the ocean itself. Ocean pollution can kill hundreds
upon thousands of marine life each year, and most of this is due to plastics and plastics that are very
small, called microplastics. Animals die for many reasons including suffocation, inability to move,
being poisoned by microplastics, damage by plastics, starvation, and more ways that can harm ocean
life. However, there is simple solutions that can limit the amount of plastic going into the ocean which
include actions like: recycling properly, buying reusable water bottles or reusing water bottles,
funding projects such as pyrolysis, etc. Which means that we as people can fix this ocean problem,
but we have to take initiative to do it.
Works cited:
https://www.fauna-flora.org/news/how-does-plastic-pollution-affect-marine-life/
(indirect)
Earth.org, “15 Plastic Pollution Quotes to Inspire You to Go Waste Free”
Earth.org https://tinyurl.com/plastic-pollution-qoutes, December 16th, 2021.
October 27th, 2022.
(direct)
Laura Parker, “HERE'S HOW MUCH PLASTIC TRASH IS LITTERING THE EARTH”,
National Geographic,
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/plastic-produced-recyclingwaste-ocean-trash-debris-environment - December 20th,2018. October 27th , 2022