Effects Of Plastics On Marine Life

Why are plastics harmful to marine life?

Plastics are part of marine debris, which are defined “as any persistent manufactured or processed solid material discarded, disposed of or abandoned in the marine and coastal environment” (Gall, 2015). Glass, metal, paper and plastic are the waste materials that are found the most inn the marine environment (Gall, 2015). They are starting to be recognised as a global problem (Gall, 2015), due to the fact more and more plastics are being produced, and consequently, more are ending up in the ocean, and is more abundant in some areas – like the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It is mainly an increasing problem due to single use plastics, such as straws, and water bottles. In 2010, 275 million metric tons

Most fishing nets are made from nylon and will affect ecosystems in the shallow waters and in the depths of the ocean floor. In shallow waters, marine mammals such as whales and seals get entangled and leads to external injuries, which could lead to strangulation due to “lethal necklaces” and starvation (Gregory, 2009). These external injuries will also prevent them from fleeing danger and predators (Gregory, 2009). On the ocean floor, fishing nets can get caught where coral reefs and sea mounts are present, which damages the environment for animals and plants alike. If the netting is never recovered, as it is difficult to do so in most cases, this leads to ghost fishing, potentially indefinitely (Gregory, 2015). In a report conducted by Gall, 71% of 44,006 individuals from 395 different species had encountered some sort of entanglement (Gall, 2015). Death is a common consequence with entanglement – all entanglement records in a report conducted by Laist involves dead animals (Laist,

Although most plastics float, many sink to the bottom of the ocean, and have been found at many different depths (Gregory, 2009), affecting all sorts of habitats.

Another reason why plastics are harmful to marine life is because they prompt hitch hiking. Floating plastics debris are the most common transport in the ocean and are responsible for the widespread propagation of many animals and plants across the globe. Barnacles, polychaete worms and molluscs use them as a means of transport and a mobile home (Barnes, 2002). For species found in many of the globe’s oceans, this isn’t an issue. However, hitch hikers can sometimes be invasive species o Attract sessile and motile organisms (Gregory, 2009) o Can also provide habitats for the larval and juvenile stages of certain marine organisms (Gregory,