Plastic Pollutants in the Ocean Dane Lundy- Bio115

The rate of plastic pollution in our ocean has been increasing at an alarming rate. The world’s thirst for manufactured goods has led to massive amounts of plastic material being produced. Plastic litter will eventually make its way into our tributaries and be carried out into the open ocean. Garbage patches are huge marine landfills of drifting trash, mainly made up of plastic, and are held in place by the spiraling forces of the ocean’s gyres. Marine life is poised with a serious threat from plastic pollution. It can be fatal from both ingestion and entanglement, and can also alter native habitats of organisms. Humans risk economical and ecological harm from the growing threat to all marine life. Prevention, such as recycling and conservation, is the best solution at this point in time for the growing problem.

Modern day society has an extreme obsession with producing and consuming plastic. Nearly 1 million plastic bags alone were consumed worldwide just in the time it took to finish reading the abstract section of this poster. Another everyday item, the disposable plastic water bottle, is being consumed at a rate of 90000 bottles per minute just within America (Sholtus, 2009). The use of plastic can be found in just about every industry and area of manufacturing imaginable. In fact, it is estimated that 300 million tons of plastic is produced globally per year, yet, only 10% of that number ends up being recycled. Of the plastic waste not being recycled it is estimated that 7 million tons will end up as pollution in our oceans (Wassener, 2011). Polluted tributaries play an important role in carrying plastic litter into the ocean. A study done in Santa Monica used a mid-water and surface trawling net and collected 19 times the amount of plastic debris directly after a storm compared to before the storm due to run off and storm drains (Reish et al, 2005). A plastic wrapper thrown in a storm drain hundreds of miles inland will make its way through the drains directly into to our creeks, rivers and eventually into the ocean.

ABSTRACT

EFFECTS ON MARINE LIFE

SOURCE OF PLASTIC

feathers, seashells, tar lumps, etc. This change has led to a rise in density of the insect’s egg which could potentially affect other marine animals, such as crabs, that prey on the insects and their eggs. SEAPLEX also found that 9% of their sample fish collected during their study had plastic waste in their stomach which led them to estimate that roughly 12000 to 24000 tons of plastic per year is ingested by fish in the mediate depths of the North Pacific Ocean (“Plastic Trash”, 2012). Unfortunately marine wildlife often mistake small pieces of plastic for prey. The effects of ingesting plastic include: internal and external wounds, poisoning, inability to regulate feeding capacity, blockage of the digestive system leading to starvation and an overall deterioration of the body leading to death (Wabnitz & Nicholas, 2010). Sea turtles, who feed on jellyfish as a main source of food, have a very difficult time determining the difference between floating plastic bags and actual jellyfish. During a Brazilian study a single sea turtle being rehabilitated defecated 9 pieces of plastic bags and 11 pieces of hard plastic (Reish, 2005). While not as common as ingestion, entanglement in plastic debris is also a serious matter. When sea turtles become entangled in plastic sacks, ropes or nets, they are prevented from diving for food or surfacing for air. Amputated limbs caused by entanglement are not uncommon and can cause severe reduction in mobility (Wabnitz & Nicholas, 2010).

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is the largest and perhaps the most well known garbage patch in the world. It was the first garbage patch ever found and was discovered by sailor Charles Moore in 1997 when he took a shortcut home from Hawaii to Los Angeles after a yacht race. It is located in the Pacific Ocean and is actually two different patches, one is between California and Hawaii and is twice the size of Texas, while the other patch is off the coast of Japan and is nearly as big. There is an estimated 100 million tons of plastic swirling in both patches. The trash is centered in place by the slow moving spiral currents of the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre drawing trash in and keeping it there like a toilet bowl with out a drain. The plastic breaks down into small pieces that could take hundreds of years to biodegrade. Unfortunately, there is not a lot that can be done to get rid of these garbage patches, or at least there is no magic techno-fix. The sheer volume of trash would make it nearly impossible to physically clean up. The breakdown of plastics into mini bead sized pellets also poses another challenge for any sort of practical clean up effort. As of now, conservation is the best way to deal with garbage patches which can help to slow down the mass production of plastic and prevent trash from finding it’s way into our ocean and reaching the garbage patches (Fraser, 2008).

GREAT PACIFIC GARBAGE PATCH

Presently, the risk to humans from plastic in the ocean is perhaps not as dangerous or directly felt as it is with marine animals, yet, it is still a very serious threat and has the potential to become catastrophic. Besides ruining the natural beauty of our oceans and beaches, the main threat to humans comes from the risk of certain marine species being wiped out or contaminated. A study done by the Marine Pollution Bulletin researched 3 species of marine catfish and found that all 3 species had ingested plastic. The species contaminated play an important economical role in providing feeding resources to larger predators and could potentially put certain fisheries at risk with their plastic contamination (Possatto et al, 2011). Fishing is a major industry all over the world and if certain fisheries are forced to close there could be a major economic impact. Food shortages in certain regions are also a possible

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EFFECTS ON HUMANS

Trash piled up in a Baltimore stream. Almost all the trash seen here will eventually make it’s way out into the open ocean negatively affecting marine life. (Bluewaterbaltimore.org, 5/5/2013)

A boat glides through an area of the Great Pacifc Garbage Patch. (Cookiesound.com, 5/5/2013)

Marine wildlife is perhaps the most impacted by plastics in our ocean. The most common effects include change of habitat, ingestion and entanglement. Research done in 2005 found that drifting plastic debris was having an effect on sessile organism dispersal in the Atlantic Ocean. Exotic and invasive species were found to be colonizing floating pieces of plastic trash and travelling with the plastic debris into areas otherwise uninhabited by that particular specie. Although organism dispersal has been seen before from increased shipping during the last century, it is now being seen at an unprecedented level due to plastic debris and poses a high risk to the survival of native species (Barnes, D. K. A., & Milner, 2005). A study done in the Pacific Ocean by the group SEAPLEX found that the marine insect Halobates sericeus, or commonly known as a “water strider”, began taking advantage of plastic debris to lay their eggs on instead of natural existing surfaces such as

A decomposed albatross carcass shows the unimaginable amount of leftover remnants of ingested plastic which led to this birds death. (Wordpress.com, 5/5/2013)

consequence. Not only would developed nations be affected but so would any coastal community or local fishermen who depends on these species for survival. The toxic poison absorbed from the ingestion of plastic can affect the entire food chain and will eventually end up on the dinner plate (Fraser, 2008).

SOLUTIONS Recycling and conservation are the two best ways to slow down the increasing amount of plastic in our oceans. An individual effort and responsibility to make sure recyclables end up in the recycling can have a major positive impact. Making an extra effort to produce less waste can also directly alter the growing amount of plastic debris. Unfortunately there is no magic cure to solve the problem of the massive amount of plastic waste in the ocean but we can at least stop adding to the problem (Fraser, 2008).

REFERENCES

EFFECTS ON MARINE LIFE (Cont.) EFFECTS ON HUMANS (cont.)