Today, humans have directly impacted virtually all parts of the earth. Out of the entirety of the Earth’s surface roughly 70 percent of it is covered by ocean and roughly 40 percent of that ocean bears a serious human “footprint” (Halpern et al., 2008).When most people today think of human impacts on the ocean overfishing, destruction of habitat, and pollution come to mind. However, until recently plastic, an emerging contaminant has gone unnoticed. Therefore, today scientists are still learning about the input and impacts of plastic into the ocean environment (Barnes, 2009). Plastics are found everywhere in the forms of milk jugs, candy wrappers, grocery bags, bottle caps, and drinking straws just to name a few. Humans on average generate
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For marine organisms plastic debris impacts “at least 267 species worldwide, including 86% of all sea turtle species, 44% of all seabird species and 43% of all marine mammal species. These impacts include fatalities as a result of ingestion, starvation, suffocation, infection, drowning and entanglement” (Laist, 1997). Fish, a huge source of nutrients and economic revenue for countries all over the world, have begun ingesting plastic fragments and debris in increasing amounts. One study revealed that out of 672 fish that were caught in the North Pacific Gyre 35% had ingested plastic pieces (Clean Water Action). Another study that focused on the ingestion and transfer of microplastics in the planktonic food web has shown that the organisms that make up the base of the food web, such as zooplankton are also ingesting plastics (Setala, 2013). In addition another study on persistent organic pollutants that are carried by plastic resin pellets within China, discovered that these plastics are not only transporting invasive species but also persistent organic pollutants within the marine environment (Zhang, 2015). This has the potential to lead to both plastic and toxic bioaccumulation through out the food web, which could have detrimental impacts on humans. In order to implement practices that can lead to a reduction in the amount of plastics entering the ocean it is important to identify
For marine organisms plastic debris impacts “at least 267 species worldwide, including 86% of all sea turtle species, 44% of all seabird species and 43% of all marine mammal species. These impacts include fatalities as a result of ingestion, starvation, suffocation, infection, drowning and entanglement” (Laist, 1997). Fish, a huge source of nutrients and economic revenue for countries all over the world, have begun ingesting plastic fragments and debris in increasing amounts. One study revealed that out of 672 fish that were caught in the North Pacific Gyre 35% had ingested plastic pieces (Clean Water Action). Another study that focused on the ingestion and transfer of microplastics in the planktonic food web has shown that the organisms that make up the base of the food web, such as zooplankton are also ingesting plastics (Setala, 2013). In addition another study on persistent organic pollutants that are carried by plastic resin pellets within China, discovered that these plastics are not only transporting invasive species but also persistent organic pollutants within the marine environment (Zhang, 2015). This has the potential to lead to both plastic and toxic bioaccumulation through out the food web, which could have detrimental impacts on humans. In order to implement practices that can lead to a reduction in the amount of plastics entering the ocean it is important to identify