5 Marine Animals Affected By Plastic In The Oceans
When you hear the phrase ‘deadliest predator in the sea’, you may think of great white sharks, killer whales and jellyfish… when in fact, the biggest threat is actually plastic pollution. It is estimated that 75 to 199 million tonnes of plastic is currently found in our oceans, this is causing harm to HUNDREDS of marine species. We’re going to take a deep dive into just 5 types of marine species MOST affected by our own careless mistakes, and how to help make a change.
1. Sea Turtles
From the moment these beautiful creatures are born, sea turtles risk injury and harm through the pollution of the waters they live in. Researchers estimate that ‘over half of all sea turtles in the world have ingested plastic’, the turtles often mistake plastic for food and ingest it, or, alternatively, get tangled and stuck in the trash unavoidably floating among them. Turtles struggle to lay their eggs, as the sand they usually dig in, is covered in trash and plastic, meaning they cannot nest properly, and most eggs will not survive, in fact, 1 in 1,000 eggs will survive to an adult turtle. Some of the most hazardous plastic that turtles encounter includes old fishing nets, can holders, and bottle lids- and according to research, these singular bits of plastic and litter have a 20% chance of killing them. Turtles are actually a very essential species to the health of ocean ecosystems, they maintain coral reefs, seabeds, and even help to keep a good population in the seas. Taking all of these things into consideration, it would be a real shame to lose these majestic animals, and see them extinct.
2.Crabs
As strange and random as it is, crabs are scientifically proven to be ‘attracted’ to plastic. “Our study shows that oleamide attracts hermit crabs,” says The University Of Hull’s Paula Schirrmacher, a PhD candidate who worked on the paper. An additive in plastic called ‘Oleamide’ is a pheromone and stimulant for particular marine species, including shrimp. Although this is seemingly great news for the crabs, it is not good for our ecosystems. As scavengers, hermit crabs may mistake oleamide as a food source, creating a trap, which can harm them. “It is critically important to understand how plastic additives work on molecular levels, especially on reproductive success,” says Luana Fiorella Mincarelli, a PhD student who works in the research cluster. Outside of this strange addiction for plastic, crabs are also at risk from microplastics because the plastics can easily enter their gills, as well as by ingestion. If that wasn’t already bad enough, plastic entry through the gills increases the chance of the microplastics passing up the food chain to humans, when we extract the crabs for cuisine purposes.
3.Seabirds
One of the most affected species in the marine world when it comes to plastic pollution are seabirds such as gulls, fulmars, razerbills, and puffins. The main reason these graceful creatures are so prone to plastic pollution is because the birds consume and digest a lot of plastic, and the harmful chemicals they contain, (mistaking it for food), which eventually causes them declining kidney function and even affects growth. Previous scientific studies have shown that ‘leached chemicals from plastic can disrupt hormone release and reproduction.’ They also found that some stomach oil samples from fulmar chicks already had some of the toxic plastic chemicals in it before the experiments began - possibly due to the young being fed this plastic by the parents. Hopefully hearing the results from this research will encourage the planet to learn more about how we can help, stay tuned until the end of the blog to learn more.
4.Seals and sea-lions
Seals and sealions are actually the most common type of marine animal found entangled in plastics,fishing nets, or other types of debris. According to NMFS and IMMP, fishing gear has the greatest impact on marine mammals, as it was involved in 75% of entanglement cases, when researched upon. Hook-and-line fishing gear specifically was ingested the most by seals and sealions, along with non-fishing related plastics like plastic straps and bags. Another huge culprit in affecting sea lions and seals is plastic packing bands and rubber bands, they continue to deeply impact the Steller Sea Lion population.These plastic packing bands and rubber bands can become so embedded in the animal that it can lead to severe infection or even death. As our waters get engulfed in plastic, this water turns toxic, due to all of the harmful chemicals getting released into it. These deadly toxins are absorbed by many marine animals, but seals and sealions in particular as they have thick layers of blubber skin, and it absorbs pollutants from our industrial waterway.
4.Whales
Yes, even the ocean giants are being affected by plastic pollution, mainly through their diet and digestion. Whale’s main source of food is usually squid, but sometimes this ‘squid’ whales see, is actually floating plastic bags and debris. The whales mistake this plastic for food, which results in gastric obstructions and ultimately, death. One stranded whale that was found had ingested 135 plastic items, the highest number recorded for this species. Like sea lions and seals, whales also get entangled in things like abandoned fishing nets, causing them to sadly die a painful and slow death. In fact, each year, approximately 300,000 whales, dolphins, and porpoises get accidentally tangled in nets. POPs (persistent organic pollutants) have been found in species such as ; humpback whales, sperm whales, and pilot whales; these pollutants enter a whale’s body when the plastic is ingested, and are sometimes stored within their blubber- similar to seals and sea lions.
7 Ocean pollution facts:
100 million marine animals die from plastic waste alone each year
By 2050, the pollution of fish will be outnumbered by our dumped plastic
The largest trash site in the world (Great Pacific Garbage Patch) is twice the surface area of Texas
80% of global marine pollution comes from agriculture, sewage and pesticides
1 in 3 marine species get found entangled in plastics yearly
The majority of fish we consume will have ingested plastic and microfibres
cigarette filters are the most common item found from beach pickups, (more than 60 million in 30 years)
If we start making changes now, we could save our precious oceans and marine life
( Sources: https://www.condorferries.co.uk/ and https://www.seasave.org )
How we can help:
As awful as all of this information and statistical evidence is, we can make changes, starting from now. Preventing water pollution altogether may not be possible yet, but we can help out bit by bit, by doing things like:
-Picking up your own litter
-Taking part in a beach clean up
-Don't put fertiliser on the grass right before it rains
-Compost garden waste
-Never discard of any fishing gear or litter into the sea
-Do not pour oil down the sinks or drains
-Research and find out more about pollution and changes you can make
We can make change together, save our oceans, save our marine species, and save ourselves.
Thank you for reading! -Solutions 4 Plastic Team.