Plastic In Our Waters

By: The Animal Center

As you know the ocean covers about 75% of earth meaning that it is home to many species including the nearly extinct Vaquita, hawksbill sea turtles, and whale sharks. In fact there are only estimated to be 10 Vaquita's left. In 1990 - 2000 humans made the most plastic in history. Trillions of single use plastic was littered on the ground or released into the ocean. What has once been a problem is now becoming a crisis. Marine Biologist, Sylvia Earle quotes “It is the worst of times but it is the best of times because we still have a chance.” The only way we can stop this nightmare is by taking action. Oiling issues and other pollution has been at its worst since the time it was discovered. Over 51 trillion single use plastic ends up in our oceans every year! The center of Biology Diversity lists the many ways that plastic has taken a toll on wildlife beginning with this:

A HEAVY TOLL ON WILDLIFE

By: www.biologicaldiversity.org

Thousands of animals, from small finches to blue whales, die

grisly deaths from eating and getting caught in plastic.

• Fish in the North Pacific ingest 12,000 to 24,000 tons of plastic each year, which can cause intestinal injury and death and transfers plastic up the food chain to bigger fish, marine mammals and human seafood eaters. A recent study found that a quarter of fish at markets in California contained plastic in their guts, mostly in the form of plastic microfibers.

• Sea turtles can mistake floating plastic garbage for food. They can choke, sustain internal injury and die — or starve by thinking they’re full from eating plastic. Tragically, research indicates that half of sea turtles worldwide have ingested plastic. New studies find plastic pollution is so pervasive on many beaches that its affecting their reproduction.

• Hundreds of thousands of seabirds ingest plastic every year. Plastic ingestion reduces the storage volume of the stomach, causing starvation. It’s estimated that 60 percent of all seabird species have eaten pieces of plastic, with that number predicted to increase to 99 percent by 2050. Dead seabirds are often found with stomachs full of plastic, reflecting how the amount of garbage in our oceans has rapidly increased in the past 40 years.

• Marine mammals ingest, and get tangled up in, plastic. Large amounts of plastic debris have been found in the habitat of critically endangered Hawaiian monk seals, including in areas that serve as pup nurseries. Entanglement in plastic debris has also led to injury and mortality in the endangered Steller sea lion, with packing bands the most common entangling material. Dead whales have been found with bellies full of plastic.

How you can help:

1. Use less single use plastic

2. Bring reusable bags to grocery stores

3. Do a trash pick up with friends

4. Educate yourself on oceans

5. Donate to charities or volunteer

Hopefully we can save our oceans before it is too late!

Best Regards, 𝚃𝕙ℯ 𝔸𝜼𝒊𝑚𝑎l ℂℯ𝑛ȶℯ𝑟