Difference between revisions of "Plastic in the Ocean"
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===Impacts on marine life=== | ===Impacts on marine life=== | ||
| + | Lost and discarded fishing gear is a primary cause for environmental, economic and public safety | ||
| + | concern, but plastics are far the most pervasive of marine litter items.<ref>UNEP/IOC Guidelines on survey and monitoring of marine litter, 2009.</ref> Plastic in water appears as food to animals such as sea birds, marine turtles and cetaceans and their ingestion can cause intestinal blockage, malnutrition and poisoning. One study found that 82 of 144 bird species examined contained small debris in their stomachs, and in many species the incidence of ingestion exceeds 80% of the individuals (Ryan, 1990<ref>Moore, C., Moore, S., Leecaster, M. & Weisberg, S., 2001. A comparison of plastic and plankton in the North Pacific central gyre. Marine Pollution Bulletin 42, 1297–1300.</ref>). On the other hand, animals can be caught, entangled and hurt by such debries which can lead to health problems or even death. | ||
===What is the dimension of the problem?=== | ===What is the dimension of the problem?=== | ||
| − | The plastic dominates the marine debris not only due its intensive production and use in the | + | Estimates for the rate of litter accumulation in the world’s seas and oceans vary substantially. The highest estimates suggest accumulation rates as high as 7 billion tonnes per annum.<ref>UNEP/IOC Guidelines on survey and monitoring of marine litter, 2009.</ref> |
| − | + | The plastic dominates the marine debris not only due its intensive production and extensive use in the last decades but also because it is not biodegradable. Therefore it can remain in the oceans for a long time and travel long distances through marine currents, accumulating along the shores or converging ocean zones. A conspicuous example of the latter is found in the central North Pacific Ocean, known as the [[Pacific trash vortex|Pacific trash vortex]], where the pieces of plastic outweigh surface [[plankton|plankton]] by a factor of 6 to 1.<ref>Moore, C., Moore, S., Leecaster, M. & Weisberg, S., 2001. A comparison of plastic and plankton in the North Pacific central gyre. Marine Pollution Bulletin 42, 1297–1300.</ref> | |
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==See also== | ==See also== | ||
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===External Links=== | ===External Links=== | ||
| − | + | United Nations Environment Programme: http://www.unep.org/regionalseas/marinelitter/ | |
==References== | ==References== | ||
Revision as of 15:22, 28 July 2009
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Contents
Introduction
The majority of marine debris is thought to be mainly composed by or originated from plastic litter, such as plastic bags and containers, bottle caps, lost or abandonned fishing nets and lines, styrofoam or small plastic pellets.
Where does it come from?
Estimates of plastic in the world’s oceans exceed 100 million tons. Though 20% comes from ocean sources like derelict fishing gear or ocean dumping, 80% comes from land-based activities, through wind-blown landifll waste, for example.
Impacts on marine life
Lost and discarded fishing gear is a primary cause for environmental, economic and public safety concern, but plastics are far the most pervasive of marine litter items.[1] Plastic in water appears as food to animals such as sea birds, marine turtles and cetaceans and their ingestion can cause intestinal blockage, malnutrition and poisoning. One study found that 82 of 144 bird species examined contained small debris in their stomachs, and in many species the incidence of ingestion exceeds 80% of the individuals (Ryan, 1990[2]). On the other hand, animals can be caught, entangled and hurt by such debries which can lead to health problems or even death.
What is the dimension of the problem?
Estimates for the rate of litter accumulation in the world’s seas and oceans vary substantially. The highest estimates suggest accumulation rates as high as 7 billion tonnes per annum.[3] The plastic dominates the marine debris not only due its intensive production and extensive use in the last decades but also because it is not biodegradable. Therefore it can remain in the oceans for a long time and travel long distances through marine currents, accumulating along the shores or converging ocean zones. A conspicuous example of the latter is found in the central North Pacific Ocean, known as the Pacific trash vortex, where the pieces of plastic outweigh surface plankton by a factor of 6 to 1.[4]
See also
Internal Links
External Links
United Nations Environment Programme: http://www.unep.org/regionalseas/marinelitter/
References
- ↑ UNEP/IOC Guidelines on survey and monitoring of marine litter, 2009.
- ↑ Moore, C., Moore, S., Leecaster, M. & Weisberg, S., 2001. A comparison of plastic and plankton in the North Pacific central gyre. Marine Pollution Bulletin 42, 1297–1300.
- ↑ UNEP/IOC Guidelines on survey and monitoring of marine litter, 2009.
- ↑ Moore, C., Moore, S., Leecaster, M. & Weisberg, S., 2001. A comparison of plastic and plankton in the North Pacific central gyre. Marine Pollution Bulletin 42, 1297–1300.
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