The Effects of Plastic Pollution on Marine Life

If it wasn’t already abundantly clear by the billions of molecules of microplastics infesting our oceans, the soil, and even our bodies; we have a plastic problem. Of all the dangerous environmental challenges facing the human race, plastic pollution might be the most pressing. When Leo Baekeland first invented plastic in 1907, he must have believed that it would be an innovation that would change the world. He could have no idea that his wondrous invention, designed to basically last forever, would eventually become so over-utilized that it would begin to overwhelm humanity itself.

Plastic pollution has become a danger to every single creature on this planet, but its impact on marine life is particularly profound. From the gigantic garbage patch creating an island in the middle of the Pacific ocean, to the minuscule particles of plastic debris wafting through every wave, ripple, and rain drop. Sadly, the vast expanse of the world’s oceans has become a dumping ground for millions of tons of plastic waste. Despite the best efforts of recycling and anti-pollution initiatives, every year, more and more plastic finds its way into the world’s marine habitats. These plastics endanger countless species and disrupt the delicate balance of ocean life.

In this article, we will explore how plastic pollution has and continues to affect marine life. We will also delve deep into the different ways in which it harms animals. Finally, we will discuss the steps that can be taken to combat this global issue.

The Scale of Plastic Pollution in Our Oceans

Each year, millions of tons of plastic end up in the ocean, and every single scrap of it comes from human beings. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), around 8 million tons of plastic are dumped into the ocean every year. This means by the year 2050, it is estimated that there will be more plastic in the ocean by weight than there are actual fish. If this sounds shocking or outlandish to you, buckle up, buttercup, it’s only going to get more astonishing. The truth is, this insane statistic is only here to highlight the scale of the problem and its long-term implications, but those implications are greater still.

The most common types of plastic that makes its way into oceanic environments include single-use plastics, such as straws, plastic bags, bottles, and food wrappers. Despite their relatively flimsy nature, these items often take hundreds of years to decompose, which means they will remain in the ocean for generations; long after the species they have helped to kill have gone extinct. Moreover, most of these items won’t biodegrade back into natural component parts like other forms of debris. Instead, they will break down into dangerous microplastics, which prevent an even more potent threat to all living things.

Microplastics are tiny plastic particles less than 5 millimeters in size, they are particularly problematic because they are nearly impossible to remove once they enter the water. These plastics are particularly insidious, having made their way into fish and other organisms, which we then ourselves eat! Macroplastics, meanwhile, which are large, visible plastic items, are not as much of a problem in the long term, but are causing quite the commotion at present.

How Plastic Pollution Affects Marine Animals

Marine plants an animals, while especially resilient, are also highly-specialized. This means that the presence of plastic pollution can have a profound impact on them. From the smallest plankton to the largest whales, animals across the entire food chain are affected by the pervasive presence of plastic. Plastic has such an effect on marine life, in fact, that it has been divided into several categories, including ingestion, entanglement, habitat destruction, and chemical contamination.

Ingestion of Plastic

Whether by accident or because they don’t know any better, one of the most common ways that marine animals are harmed by ocean plastic is through ingestion. Fish, seabirds, turtles and marine mammals, often mistake plastic for food, which gets wound up or impacted in their digestive systems, leading them to a rather painful, highly confusing death. The problem is especially severe for animals that consume small particles, like plankton or jellyfish, which can be easily confused with microplastics.

• Turtles: Several species of sea turtle feed on jellyfish almost exclusively, and this is rather unfortunate, as jellyfish bear a rather impressive resemblance to floating plastic bags. These poor creatures are often found with plastic bags and other debris in their stomachs. The result of which is a blocked digestive systems, eventual malnutrition, internal injuries, and almost always, death.
• Fish: Many fish species might accidentally ingest a bit of plastic trash here and there, but the big problem lies with those fish that mistakenly ingest microplastics while feeding on plankton or small organisms that have consumed plastic. Not only does this harm the fish itself, but the implications further down the line are massive, especially for humans who consume seafood. Once the plastic has entered the food chain, it doesn’t leave; and spoilers, it already has.
• Seabirds: Birds like albatrosses and seagulls are particularly vulnerable to plastic ingestion. These animals are voracious scavengers, that often consume plastic debris while foraging for food. Once ingested, the plastic can easily clog up their digestive systems, leading to starvation and eventual death.
• Whales and Dolphins: Even large marine mammals, such as whales and dolphins, are not immune to the presence of plastic. These amazing an imals have also been found with plastic waste in their stomachs. In fact, it happens so often that artists Joel Stockdill and Yustina Salnikova even built a sculpture of a whale out of single-use plastics as a way to illustrate the danger. While they typically eat larger prey, many whales and dolphins still at risk from plastic pollution, especially when it has insinuated itself into the food chain.

Ingesting plastic is bad for the animals and for the humans who eventually eat them. If you think that you’re immune, remember that 3 billion people eat seafood around the world. These insidious plastics can have long-term effects on their health and reproduction; the extent of which we do not yet fully understand. Meanwhile, the chemicals in plastic have a way of leaching into an organism’s body, disrupting hormones and weakening immune systems.

Entanglement in Plastic Debris

Microplastic foodstuffs aren’t the only danger to marine animals. Entanglement in plastic waste is another significant threat to birds, mammals, and sea turtles. In fact, larger plastic items, such as fishing nets, plastic six-pack rings, and discarded ropes, has been shown to accidentally trap thousands of marine animals a year, leading to injury, suffocation, and death.

• Marine Mammals: Dolphins, seals, and other marine mammals hav e been known to get entangled in discarded fishing gear and plastic debris. This can cause severe injury or impair the animal’s ability to swim, hunt, and breathe. Since marine mammals do need to breathe air sometimes, severe entanglement can lead to drowning or suffocation.
• Sea Turtles: The poor sea turtles are getting the worst of plastic on both ends. These ocean-faring reptiles are frequently entangled in plastic debris, including discarded fishing lines and plastic bags.
• Birds: Seabirds, like albatrosses, gulls, and other waterfowl, often become tangled in plastic debris, especially discarded fishing lines and those little plastic rings from 6-pack aluminum cans. The birds, once unable to free themselves, can become drowned, suffocated, or prone to other marine predators.

Entanglement in plastic waste is often a death sentence for marine animals, and it is one of the most visible and tragic effects of plastic pollution in the ocean. Animals that become trapped in this way often suffer greatly from their wounds, getting infections, and being unable to hunt, flee, or forage for food.

Habitat Destruction

We know that habitat destruction is a big problem for many marine ecosystems, but did you know that much of this destruction is caused by plastic waste? Plastic pollution has been linked to the destruction of vital marine habitats such as coral reefs, seagrass beds, and mangrove forests. The accumulation of plastic on these ecosystems can cause physical damage, smother delicate organisms, and disrupt the balance of the entire food web.

• Coral Reefs: Coral reefs are particularly vulnerable to plastic pollution. Plastic debris settles on coral reefs, blocking sunlight, which is crucial for the photosynthetic processes of the algae that live within the coral. A the same time, some plastics can harm the coral structure itself, making them more susceptible to disease and bleaching.
• Seagrass Beds and Mangroves: Mangroves and seagrass beds are essential habitats for many species, they offer food and shelter to these animals. Unfortunately, plastic pollution can smother seagrass beds and mangrove trees, preventing them from growing and disrupting the marine life that depends on them.

Chemical Contamination

Plastic waste isn’t simply a surface problem. As plastic breaks down in the sun, it leaches harmful chemicals into the water, which can contaminate marine life. Many plastics already contain toxic additives, such as BPA, phthalates, and flame retardants, all of which have been shown to disrupt the hormonal systems of living organisms; including humans.

• Toxins in the Food Chain: As plastic breaks down into microplastics, it releases toxic chemicals into the water and the bodies of marine animals. It starts in plankton and works its way up, eventually affecting nearly every species that lives along the food chain, including humans who consume seafood.
• Polluted Waters: The chemicals released by plastics pollute the water, leading to lower oxygen levels and increased toxicity, which can harm marine life and disrupt entire ecosystems.

The Global Impact of Plastic Pollution

The effects of plastic pollution extend far beyond individual species or even entire marine ecosystems. The pervasive presence of plastic waste in our oceans is contributing to a global environmental crisis and the oceans themselves have become a toxic dumping ground. There is a significant loss of marine biodiversity happening all over the world, every single day. This causes a massive disruption of food webs and contamination of marine habitats. At the same time, all have significant consequences that occur for these marine animals have similar consequences for human societies as well.

Impact on Fisheries and Food Security

Nearly 3 billion people around the world rely on fish and seafood as a primary source of protein and nutrition. Many more rely on global fisheries to provide money and livelihoods. Unfortunately, both are serious effected by the fish that ingest plastic. Fish that do have weakened immune systems, disrupted hormones, and suffer from decreased reproductive success. This also means that fish are more prone to disease, which can affect whole populations and potentially make its way to human beings. As we stated earlier, consuming seafood contaminated with microplastics may have unknown long-term health implications as well.

Ecosystem Collapse and Climate Change

As coral reefs continue to fall prey to plastic pollution, so too do these fallen ecosystems contribute even more to the global threat of climate change. Unfortunately, healthy marine ecosystems, such as coral reefs and seagrass beds, play a vital role in sequestering carbon and maintaining global climate stability. When they are damaged or die because of plastics, climate change exacerbates, which then contributes to other problems across every ecosystem, marine or otherwise.

What Can Be Done to Combat Plastic Pollution?

Though it isn’t easy, many people are doing their level best to address plastic pollution in our oceans . Either way, such initiatives require a multifaceted approach that involves individuals, industries, and governments. Here are some key strategies that can help reduce plastic waste:

Reducing Plastic Consumption

The most effective way to reduce plastic pollution is to reduce our consumption of plastic. There are many ways that we as individuals plastic can take simple steps to decrease their plastic use, such as:

• Using reusable bags, bottles, and containers.
• Avoiding single-use plastics like straws, cutlery, and plastic wrap.
• Opting for alternatives like glass, metal, or biodegradable materials.

Recycling and Proper Waste Disposal

We can also try to recycle more, to ensure that plastic waste is disposed of properly. Many communities can promote recycling programs, and individuals should ensure that they sort and dispose of their plastic waste correctly.

Clean-Up Efforts

Mass clean-up efforts by volunteers happen all over, especially near coastal communities. Organizations like The Ocean Cleanup are working on large-scale projects to remove plastic debris from the oceans.

Legislation and Policy

Despite the difficulties, many governments and international organizations have begun to take action to address plastic pollution. Bans on single-use plastics, incentives for companies to reduce plastic packaging, and funding for research into alternative materials have all been used to help the issue, though much, much more still needs to be done.

True Investigator Says…

We know and have known that plastic pollution is a serious threat for a long while. Unfortunately, this problem is only growing worse. Entire oceanic ecosystems are falling prey to the effects of plastic contamination and destruction. Sadly, these problems are also becoming too big to reverse, even with many good people doing their best to clean up our oceans. Either way, it’s time that everyone—individuals, industries, and governments—come together and take action to protect the oceans for future generations.