WATER LITTER
A DANGEROUS THREAT TO THE WORLD
ECOSYSTEM ALTERATION
ECOSYSTEM ALTERATION means that water litter can harm ecosystems.
1. Mechanical beach raking uses a tractor or other mechanical device to remove marine debris from beaches and marine shorelines. This can harshly impact shoreline habitats.
2. This removal technique can be harmful to aquatic vegetation, nesting birds, sea turtles, and other types of aquatic life.
3. Beach raking also can contribute to beach erosion and disturbance of natural vegetation.
ENTANGLEMENT
1. Marine life can become entangled in marine debris causing serious injury or death.
2. ENTANGLEMENT can lead to increased vulnerability to predators, or other injury, suffocation, starvation or drowning.
3. Lastly, marine debris (marine litter) can constrict an entangled animal's movement which can cause exhaustion, or develop an infection from deep wounds caused by tightening material.
INVASIVE SPECIES
1. Marine debris can contribute to the transfer and movement of invasive species.
2. Floating marine debris can carry invasive species from one location to
another.
3. In a study performed by the British Antarctic Survey, it was discovered that man-made debris found in the oceans has approximately doubled the number of different species found in the subtropics.