Sofia Martinez
Marine animals are dying from ingesting plastic or getting entangled in plastic waste, and fish are no exception. It is difficult to determine the exact number of fish killed by plastic annually, but a World Wildlife Fund study estimated that at least 100,000 marine animals die from plastic pollution each year. This includes turtles, dolphins, sharks, whales, sea lions, and many species of fish. With plastic production increasing globally, plastic waste is finding its way into oceans and rivers, threatening marine ecosystems and the animals that inhabit them.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of marine animals killed by plastic annually | 100,000 marine mammals, turtles, and fish, according to a World Wildlife Fund study. This is likely an underestimate. |
| Number of sea birds killed by plastic annually | 1 million |
| Number of sea turtles killed by plastic annually | At least 1,000 |
| Number of fish species containing microplastics | Hundreds |
| Number of plastic pieces in every square mile of the ocean | Over 46,000 |
| Number of plastic pieces dumped into the ocean daily | 13,000 to 15,000 |
| Number of plastic tons entering the ocean annually | 8 to 10 million |
| Number of plastic tons in the ocean that are abandoned fishing gear | 640,000 |
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What You'll Learn
- Marine animals mistake plastic for food
- Plastic fishing nets and debris cause entanglement and drowning
- Plastic waste is ingested by tiny marine creatures, entering the food chain
- Plastic waste damages coral reefs, which provide habitats for fish
- Plastic waste affects all life, from microscopic animals to large predators
Marine animals mistake plastic for food
Marine animals are swallowing plastic at alarming rates, mistaking it for food. According to a report by the American NGO Oceana, there have been nearly 1,800 cases of turtles and marine mammals that have swallowed plastic objects off the American coast since 2009.
There are several reasons why marine animals mistake plastic for food. One explanation is that plastic can physically resemble food. For example, plastic pellets look like tasty fish eggs, and plastic bags resemble jellyfish, the favourite food of sea turtles. Colour also plays a role, with young turtles preferring white plastic, while seabirds called shearwaters opt for red plastic.
Another reason is that plastic can be mistaken for food through an animal's use of echolocation. Toothed whales and dolphins use a sophisticated sonar-type technique to find their prey. Some scientists believe that unnatural objects such as plastic waste confuse this sonar and are incorrectly interpreted as food.
Additionally, plastic can be attractive to marine animals through its odour. Experiments suggest that some species of seabirds and fish are attracted to plastic by its smell. Specifically, the chemical compound dimethyl sulfide (DMS), which is known to attract foraging birds, is released from plastic when algae growing on it are eaten by krill.
The consequences of marine animals mistaking plastic for food can be devastating. Plastic can lacerate their intestines, obstruct digestion, and cause starvation. It can also lead to entanglement, causing suffocation, drowning, or physical trauma that can result in fatal infections.
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Plastic fishing nets and debris cause entanglement and drowning
Plastic fishing nets and debris in the ocean are a significant cause of fish mortality, particularly through entanglement and drowning. This issue is widespread, with an estimated 100,000 marine animals dying from plastic pollution each year, according to the World Wildlife Fund. However, this number likely underestimates the true impact, as it only accounts for a few species.
Fishing gear, both active and derelict, poses a severe threat to marine life. Derelict fishing gear, or gear that is lost or abandoned, continues to "ghost fish," entangling and killing marine animals. This includes nets, lines, buoys, traps, and other equipment that can ensnare fish, crustaceans, birds, and other creatures. The impact of this gear is devastating, with approximately 640,000 tonnes of plastic entering the oceans annually in the form of ghost fishing equipment.
Marine animals, such as whales, dolphins, seals, sea lions, and sea turtles, frequently become entangled in this fishing gear and other plastic debris. This entanglement can lead to drowning, especially for smaller animals like sea turtles, seals, and smaller whales, as the gear restricts their movement and ability to surface for air. Larger whales, while not at immediate risk of drowning, face exhaustion and increased vulnerability to infection.
Entanglement can also cause severe injuries, with the gear cutting deep into the flesh of marine animals, leading to potentially fatal infections. It impedes the animals' ability to swim and feed, further endangering their survival. Additionally, entangled animals become more susceptible to vessel strikes as they cannot avoid boats and ships in the water.
Plastic fishing nets and debris have far-reaching consequences for marine life, with entanglement and drowning being significant contributors to fish mortality. The issue is not limited to a specific species but affects a wide range of marine ecosystems.
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Plastic waste is ingested by tiny marine creatures, entering the food chain
Plastic waste in the ocean is a significant threat to marine life, with an estimated 100,000 marine animals killed by plastic pollution each year. This figure only accounts for a few species, and the true number is likely much higher. Marine mammals, such as whales and dolphins, are particularly vulnerable to plastic pollution, as they can become entangled in plastic debris or ingest plastic waste.
Plastic waste is also ingested by tiny marine creatures, such as zooplankton and phytoplankton, which form the base of the food chain. These tiny organisms are crucial food sources for larger creatures, and when they ingest plastic, it enters the food chain. For example, filter feeders like oysters, scallops, and mussels can eat microplastics along with algae, and these plastics then pass up the food chain to larger predators such as seals, sharks, and dolphins.
The ingestion of plastic by marine wildlife was first observed in 1966 when researchers found plastic container lids and toys in dead Laysan albatross chicks. Since then, over 700 species, including seabirds, fish, turtles, and marine mammals, have been confirmed to eat plastic. This number is expected to increase as wildlife continues to encounter human waste.
Microplastics, formed by the breakdown of larger plastic items, pose a significant threat to marine organisms. These tiny particles can be ingested by small creatures, such as zooplankton, and can leach toxic chemicals into their bodies. These toxins can then pass up the food chain, potentially affecting human health as well.
The impact of plastic pollution on marine life is devastating and far-reaching. It is essential to address this issue and reduce plastic waste to protect marine ecosystems and the creatures that depend on them.
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Plastic waste damages coral reefs, which provide habitats for fish
While it is difficult to know the exact number of fish that have died from plastic, a World Wildlife Fund study estimated that at least 100,000 marine animals die from plastic pollution annually. This figure is likely an underestimate, and the true number could be much higher. Marine mammals, such as whales and dolphins, are particularly vulnerable to plastic pollution due to entanglement and ingestion.
Plastic waste also poses a significant threat to coral reefs, which provide essential habitats for fish. Coral reefs are already under pressure from climate change and warming ocean temperatures, and plastic pollution adds to this burden. Plastic debris clings to the coral, causing physical damage and increasing the likelihood of disease. It is estimated that over 11 billion plastic items are entangled in coral reefs in the Asia-Pacific region alone.
Plastic waste can carry bacteria and other harmful microorganisms, which can infect coral reefs when their surfaces are abraded by plastic. This damage allows pathogens to enter the coral, leading to diseases such as skeletal eroding band disease, white syndromes, and black band disease. The presence of plastic waste increases the overall likelihood of disease in corals from 4% to 89%.
Additionally, plastic pollution can contribute to the spread of coral diseases by carrying pathogens within and between reefs. The plastic itself may also contain chemical additives that attract corals, leading to ingestion and further degradation of the reefs. The impact of plastic waste on coral reefs is devastating, and it is essential to address this issue through reduced plastic consumption, proper recycling, and effective waste management.
By reducing plastic pollution and its impact on coral reefs, we can help protect the habitats of fish and other marine life that depend on these ecosystems for survival.
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Plastic waste affects all life, from microscopic animals to large predators
Plastic waste is a grave and multifaceted threat to all life in the ocean, from microscopic animals to large predators. It is estimated that marine plastics contribute to the death of more than 100,000 marine mammals every year, and this is only the tip of the iceberg. Marine animals are affected by plastic waste in a variety of ways, from entanglement and injury to ingestion and toxic contamination.
Large items of plastic can entangle marine mammals and fish, leading to starvation, injury, and vulnerability to predators. Discarded fishing nets can also smother and break coral reefs, preventing their healthy growth. An estimated 300,000 whales, dolphins, and porpoises die from entanglement in ghost gear each year. One such example is the case of a pregnant pygmy sperm whale that was found stranded on a beach near Melbourne, Australia. An autopsy revealed that its stomach was clogged with ingested plastic, which eventually led to its death. Another instance is that of a sperm whale that died due to inflammation caused by nearly 30 kilograms of indigestible plastic in its body.
Small plastic fragments can be mistaken for food by seabirds and other marine species, leading to suffocation, starvation, and toxic contamination. Microplastics, or plastic particles smaller than 5mm in diameter, are invisible to the naked eye, making them easy for wildlife to consume. They can accumulate in the tissues of animals, potentially affecting their health and development and causing reproductive issues. They can also adsorb toxins, which can transfer to the fatty tissues of the organisms that ingest them, leading to bioaccumulation and biomagnification of toxic chemicals in the food chain. A recent study found that a single plastic particle can adsorb up to one million times more toxic chemicals than the water around it.
The impact of plastic ingestion extends beyond individual animals. As larger predators consume smaller animals that have ingested plastic, the concentration of toxins increases up the food chain. This process is known as biomagnification. Marine apex predators, such as great white sharks and orcas, are particularly vulnerable to the cumulative impact of microplastics in the food chain and the bioaccumulation of toxic chemicals.
Plastic waste has reached every corner of the natural world, from the deepest point of the Mariana Trench to uninhabited islands. It is estimated that almost 10% of the global plastic production ends up in the oceans, with about 8 to 10 million tons of plastic entering the water every year. The waves and storms carry plastics to even the furthest reaches of the ocean, where they accumulate into large gyres or become embedded in shorelines and delicate coastal ecosystems.
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Frequently asked questions
It is estimated that at least 100,000 marine animals die from plastic pollution every year. This includes turtles, dolphins, whales, sea lions, sharks, and birds.
Plastic waste kills fish in two main ways: ingestion and entanglement. Turtles, for example, often mistake plastic bags for jellyfish and eat them, leading to fatal blockages in their digestive systems. Abandoned fishing nets and other plastic debris can entangle marine animals, causing injuries, suffocation, or drowning.
Plastic pollution affects not only individual animals but entire ecosystems. Coral reefs, for example, are damaged by plastic pollution, which can cause disease and bleaching. This, in turn, affects the fish and other marine animals that rely on the coral reef as their habitat.
Millions of tons of plastic waste reach the oceans through runoff, wind activity, and waste left on beaches. Rivers eventually drain into the sea, carrying plastic waste from cities and towns. The fishing industry also contributes to plastic pollution, as tons of waste are created annually, including abandoned fishing gear.
Reducing plastic waste and improving waste management are crucial to minimizing the impact of plastic on marine life. Educating communities about the dangers of plastic pollution and promoting sustainable alternatives can help reduce plastic pollution and protect marine ecosystems.
