Plastic In the Oceans
by: Lauren and Molly
Introduction
You will be amazed to know that over one million sea birds and animals die each year due to plastic trash in the ocean. The focus of our research was to show how plastic in our ocean affects ocean wildlife and habitats. Every day people use plastic and we don't even think about what happens to it or where it ends up going.
Important Discussing Points
- How the animals and ocean life are being affected
- How trash is ending up in the ocean
- Other things it harms
The Ocean Plastic Issue
Ocean Animals
Marine trash is killing thousands of animals every year. It comes from many different places that we may not even think of. It can take most plastics over hundreds of years to leave the ocean. Plastic in the ocean is toxic to the marine life and environments.
- Between 50,000 to 90,000 northern fur seals are estimated to be dying each year entangled in Marine debris
- 95% of dead beach birds collected had plastic in their stomachs
- Plastic chokes coral reefs and smothers very important environments
- More than 260 different species of ocean animals are reported to have been entangled in, or have ingested marine debris
- In the ocean pieces of plastic look like jellyfish or squid and small pieces look like fish eggs thus, marine animals eat it thinking that its food
You will be amazed to know that over one million sea birds and animals die each year due to plastic trash in our ocean
Pros and Cons
Even though there are a lot of cons such as killing and injuring our marine life plastic in our ocean is 100% preventable. We only have a little bit of time to take action and clean our ocean!
- Around 20% of plastic comes from ships or off-shore platforms. The rest is blown, washed off the land, or dumped in on purpose
- Most plastics don't biodegrade so unless removed from the ocean the plastic will remain there for hundreds of years
- Scientists discovered microscopic pieces of plastic can be found everywhere in the ocean, it can even be found in plankton which are the main part of the ocean food chain.
- Plastic in the Ocean is 100% preventable.
Historical Significance and Future Implacations
Sciencetists believe that over six million tons of trash is entering our ocean each year. Its things like this that will deturmine our oceans future if it keeps being this way.
- Annual Production of plastic and the use of plastic has risen from 1.5 million tons in 1950 to 230 million tons in 2009
- Ingestion of plastic by animals as well as entanglement in plastic is killing thousands of animals each year.
- The way the plastic is affecting these animals is quickly making the population of them lessen, eventually some have the possibility of become extince.
- Sea turles are one of the animals that are on the endangered list and eating plastic is making them die off faster
- 90% of floating marine trash may be plastic
Depending on plastic levels in the future depends on the ocean life, this is why an action needs to be taken to remove trash from our ocean and stop it from entering.
Sustain Life
People making shapes on beach
Clean Seas Please
Defend the Ocean
think! some fish caught from the sea for food contain plastic that they had eaten. when this food is served to people, people are also consuming plastic
Controversises and Positive Actions that are being taken
We are currently trying to clean up our oceans and keep them clean. Plastic in the ocean harms both animals and even humans and most people don't even think about how it could be affecting them.
- In 1988 we made it illegal for ships to dump plastic into the ocean
- Plastic can choke and/or starve animals. The size of plastic that the animal injested determines wheather it survives or not
- Plastic can clog filters of any knd. It can also hinder boat propellers and engines
What can you do?
- Help take care of the beach -whenever you visit a beach and spend the day there make sure to clean up after yourself by not leaving any trash there, aslo if you see a piece of trash laying on the beach pick it up and throw it away
- Support oganizations that are working to protect the ocean
- Don't dispose of your trash into the ocean -if you are doing something like taking a boat ride don't throw any trash you are done with into the ocean
- Use fewer plastic products -even if you don't live by an ocean using fewer plastic products can still help because your plastic still has to go somewhere
Ocean Trash is a Problem You Can Solve
Conclusion
Garbage in our ocean is runing marine environments and killing ocean animals, and there are many different sorces of which debris is coming from. We can take actions to help prevent that from happening and hopefully clean up our oceans. The amount of plstic entering is rising which is why it is important to make a difference and change the oceans future.
Millions of animals in our ocean environment are dying each year. The cause of it is garbage that is entering the ocean. The amount of deaths is astonishing also many ocean environments that are critical are being distroyed the humans impact with the trash is hugely impacting our ocean and slowly destroying the marine life, thus we are the ones that can take actions and change the output.