Impacts of Plastic To The Ocean - Arlina Yang
- Arlina Yang
- Nov 1, 2020
- 2 min read
Plastic is undeniably one of the major factors polluting not just the ocean, but our whole environment. The plastic pollution is accumulated through items such as bottles, bags, and many other things ranging from packaging to fishing nets. There are an estimated amount of 100 million tons of plastic present in the ocean, and the plastic affects the ocean in a multitude of ways including injuring marine animals, threatening food safety, and impacting tourism.
Injuring Marine Animals
Marine animals are the most affected by plastic pollution in the ocean, as at least eight million tons of plastic end up in our ocean every year (IUCN). Most of the animals mistake the plastic as prey, therefore unintentionally causing ingestion of plastic debris, suffocation, and entanglement of the marine animals. Sadly, there are over one million marine animals dead each year who have fallen prey to either one of the three ways. A commonly used example of marine animals are none other than turtles, who are especially vulnerable to plastic pollution due to their anatomy. After consuming debris, their downward facing spines prevent chances of regurgitation and proper swallowing of food, eventually leading to starvation or suffocation. Entanglement of fish nets additionally lead to the drowning of these innocent turtles, as they would not be able to surface for air.
Threatening Food Safety
Plastic pollution further threatens the safety of food, since toxic chemicals gradually accumulate on the surface of the plastic from exposure to seawater for an extended period of time. After a marine animal, a fish for example, accidentally ingested plastic debris. This then enters their digestive system and with many others on the food chain or web, the plastic debris is bound to be passed onto one another and accumulate in number. Another factor that endangers food safety is from chemicals, for example lead, oil, mercury, and other metals can be found in the ocean. These can not only contaminate our water supplies but they also severely affect the marine habitat
Impact of Tourism
Beaches are one of the most commonly visited places for any foreigners, as the locality, the sight of the glimmering ocean is impossible to say no to. Though due to plastic pollution, the littered beach could very much lead to a decrease in tourism-related incomes. As well as costs to clean up or maintain the cleanliness of the beach could add up as I’ve mentioned above, eight more million tons of plastic are added each year, so who knows when the beaches will be actually fully cleansed? Impacts of tourism-related incomes will decrease as shops and restaurants nearby will lack customers and consequently shut down.
There are many details and impacts of plastic pollution to the ocean that weren’t mentioned in this article. Though this serves as an overall outlook on such an important problem that our environment is facing and the consequences it has brought. With factors of injured or dead marine animals, the safety of food, and the impact of tourism all threatened by plastic pollution ways to help limit the amount of plastic in the ocean includes reducing the use of single use plastic, recycling properly, participating in cleanups, supporting beneficial bans, avoid buying single-use plastic water bottles unless recycled correctly, and spread the word!
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