4. Marine Animals Eating Plastic
Plastic doesn’t just accumulate in the ocean and make for an unsightly mess. It is hurting and killing a great deal of marine life all over the world.
Ingestion of plastic pollution can be downright deadly for marine animals. And sadly, it’s a common occurrence. Last summer a necropsy on a deceased sei whale found in the Chesapeake Bay showed the animal had been unable to feed due to a laceration in its stomach caused by a plastic DVD case. In 2013 in Spain, scientists found a dead sperm whale and determined its cause of death was intestinal blockage. In its digestive system were 59 pieces of plastic waste totaling 37 pounds in weight. Sea turtles are now ingesting twice the plastic they were 25 years ago. In total, it is estimated that ingestion of plastic kills 1 million marine birds and 100,000 marine animals each year.
Sadly, ingestion of plastic isn’t the only threat that this type of pollution poses to marine animals. Plastics can also entangle marine animals, making movement, feeding and growth difficult or even impossible. Plastic-based ropes, fishing nets, and even soda can holders can get wrapped around heads, flippers, and tails of marine animals. A recent literature report released by NOAA states that roughly 200 different marine species worldwide have been reported suffering entanglements, with 115 of those species reported originating in the United States. And because some species happen to inhabit areas where plastic pollution is more common, a larger portion of their population is more susceptible to entanglements. This fact proves true for species like the Hawaiian monk seal which swim and feed in areas close to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.