Plastics discarded on beaches or dumped into the
ocean from ships can disintegrate into particles the size
of sand grains that resemble the prey of a variety of organisms.
These particles can fill the stomachs of birds
and other sea creatures and cause dehydration, malnutrition,
and eventually starvation. Because tiny plastic
particles can accumulate as they move through food
webs, some level of plastic is found in most of the seafood
people eat.