How Many Animals Are Killed By Plastic A Year

Information About Sea Turtles: Threats from Marine Debris

The Problem: Over 1 meg marine animals (including mammals, fish, sharks, turtles, and birds) are killed each year due to plastic debris in the ocean (UNESCO Facts & Figures on Marine Pollution). Currently, it is estimated that there are 100 1000000 tons of plastic in oceans around the world. It is expected that another sixty billion pounds will be produced this twelvemonth solitary. In some areas, the buildup of plastics is estimated to bridge five million square miles. To put it into perspective, that is the equivalent of the area of the U.S. plus India. How does that much plastic get there? Eighty percent of the plastic debris comes from land. It washes out to sea from our beaches, streets and highways. It flows out through storm drains into streams and rivers. It flies away from landfills and into the stomachs of sea turtles everywhere. Most of the droppings is recognizable. Plastic bags, bottles, balloons, degraded buoys, packaging materials and nutrient wrappers all contribute to the debris. While large plastics are a substantial pollutant, over time these plastics will pause downward into smaller, more toxic pieces. Not simply are these pocket-size plastics more hands ingested, but they also act every bit hosts for invasive species, carrying them to other regions of the bounding main exponentially increasing the amercement caused by plastics. In addition, certain plastic contains toxic additives that are distributed into the water and enter into the food concatenation.

Many turtles, that have been killed by consuming debris, had plastic numberless or fishing line in their stomachs, some as small as half of a fingernail. Ocean turtles are especially susceptible to the effects of consuming marine debris due to their bodies' own structure. They take downward facing spines in their throats which foreclose the possibility of regurgitation. The plastics get trapped in their stomach, which prevents them from properly swallowing food. As well, many sea turtle rehabilitation facilities unremarkably deal with "bubble butts," turtles that bladder as a result of trapped gas caused by harmful decomposition of marine debris inside a turtle's body. The gases cause the turtle to bladder, which leads to starvation or makes them an easy target for predators.

Species Affected: All species of sea turtles, adult green turtles to a lesser degree, are affected past marine debris. Juvenile light-green turtles are heavily affected by marine droppings.

The Solution: Education is important to solving marine pollution. The public can get involved in this issue by:

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle plastics;
Use reusable cloth bags instead of plastic bags when shopping;
Support local, regional and nationwide bans on plastic grocery numberless;
Don't litter. Instead, volunteer at local beach clean-up events;
Make certain to properly secure your garbage to prevent any fly-away plastics;
Don't release balloons into the air. They travel far and end up in our oceans being consumed by ocean turtles that error them for nutrient.

Instance Study: Cities and countries all over the globe are now considering or implementing bans on plastic bags. Canada, Australia, the U.S. and Europe, for example are all considering bans or other measures to reduce consumption. In Ireland, plastic numberless take been taxed since 2002, estimating a reduction in plastic handbag use by almost 90 percent. And in January 2008, People's republic of china'southward Land Council put a nationwide ban on plastic bags. The cabinet has demanded all stores go plastic bag-free later on June ane. Non simply will this reduction have a positive impact on the environment, but information technology is estimated that it will salve Prc's 37 1000000 barrels of oil.*

*Drilling for oil also causes sea turtles impairment in the course of pollution from spills.

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