PLASTIC POLLUTION OF THE OCEANS
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Did you know that there are whole patches of plastic garbage floating around in the oceans?
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You might be thinking of a whole island of trash called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. There are actually several garbage patches and the garbage is much more spread out. In addition, not all of the trash floats on the surface. Denser debris can sink centimeters or even several meters beneath the surface, making the vortex’s area nearly impossible to measure.
Image by: NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
But that's not the only problem:
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Plastic breaks down in water turning into microplastic. Microplastics can’t always be seen by the naked eye. They're tiiiiiny. They simply make the water look like a cloudy soup. This soup is intermixed with larger items, such as fishing gear and shoes.
Microplastic is harmful for:
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Humans
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Marine wildlife
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Soil
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Plants
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Marine wildlife such as seabirds, whales, fish and turtles mistake plastic waste for prey and many die of starvation as their stomachs become filled with plastic. When marine organisms ingest plastic, it enters their digestive systems, and over time it is transferred to humans through consumption. And animals can also get entangled by plastic debris, such as nets. Like Naya did in Chapter 1 of Blue Out!
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Several chemicals used in the production of plastic materials are known to be harmful to humans. And toxins leak into the soil and so into plants and vegetables that humans and animals eat on land.
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Over 400 million tons of plastic are produced every year. And at least 14 million tons of those end up in the ocean.
But hang on! Don't be scared! There are always people out the working to find goos solutions. So what can we do to help?
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limiting or eliminating our use of disposable plastics, such as plastic bags, bottle caps, plastic water bottles, and Styrofoam cups.
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Increasing our use of biodegradable resources
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Better laws concerning plastic productions
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Research, to find alternatives to plastic production
That’s it for today. If you want to read more, take a look at the websites that I used as references for my class. Or do your own research online.
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Sources:
National Geographic: https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/great-pacific-garbage-patch/
IUCN (International Union for conservation of nature): https://www.iucn.org/resources/issues-brief/marine-plastic-pollution#:~:text=Impacts on marine ecosystems&text=Marine wildlife such as seabirds,to swim, and internal injuries.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/info/patch.html
Class Dismissed!