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Hello and welcome!

In this blog I am going to be exploring the impacts of plastic debris on marine life and ecosystems. I'll be taking a look at where the plastic is coming from, how it is affecting our oceans globally, and what the possible solutions are to the problem. First, let's examine why marine plastics present a global issue.

Why are marine plastics a global issue?

Marine plastic or plastic debris refer to the plastic rubbish in our oceans. This plastic poses two primary threats to marine life: entanglement and ingestion. Entanglement is when a part of an animal becomes trapped in a piece of plastic, often resulting in restricted development of the animal as it grows, and cannot break the plastic. Ingestion can occur when an animal mistakes plastic for prey or food. Ingestion can lead to starvation as the animals' stomach becomes full of plastic. These problems are pervasive across a number of species. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) estimates that at least 267 different species have experienced entanglement or ingestion.

Entanglement. (Source: http://www.ourendangeredworld.com/plastic-pollution)

Ingestion. (Source: http://www.oceanhealthindex.org/news/Death_By_Plastic)

The scale of plastic debris in the oceans is not fully known. However, marine plastic is found globally, in every ocean from the poles to the equator. The quantity of marine plastic can only be estimated, but UNEP studies suggest the figure in 2005/2006 was between 13,000 and 18,000 pieces of plastic rubbish in every square kilometre of ocean. Whilst there is no consensus on the exact amount of plastic debris in our oceans, it is clear that the problem is vast.