OCEAN HEALTH IN OUR HANDS

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Background Information

What happens to marine debris?

Ocean pollution is the collection of trash and debris in the ocean. Given that the average American throws away 185lbs of plastic trash every year, it's not surprising that over 90% of ocean debris is plastic waste. Plastic does not biodegrade, but instead becomes brittle due to salt water and UV light exposure. Eventually, plastics that enter the ocean from land photodegrade into microplastics that sink and ultimately end up in the ocean food webs. Animals are not equipped to digest the microplastics, so the plastic pieces and associated toxins build up in their bodies. Microplastics accumulate up the food chain, meaning that the highest concentrations of plastic contaminants are found in predatory animals, not the animals that eat the plastics directly. This phenomena is called bioaccumulation. Bioaccumulation of plastics and chemicals is a potential risk for humans due to the modern seafood diet.

How do ocean currents impact plastic accumulation?

The distribution of pollution in the world’s oceans is determined by ocean currents. Gyres are sets of currents that rotate around ocean basins. These vortexes cause pollution to accumulate into masses, the largest known trash mass is The Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Many envision these masses of marine debris to be floating trash islands, but in fact, the accumulation of plastic in these ocean gyres is more dangerous and harmful to our oceans than that. These “garbage patches” are actually areas with high concentrations of microplastics and toxic chemicals that span from the ocean surface to the sea floor impacting organisms at every life stage in every ocean layer. One of the best ways to prevent plastics from ending up in the ocean is to limit single-use plastics. Switching to reusable alternatives, such as reusable water bottles and grocery bags, reduces the amount of plastic that has the potential to end up in the ocean.

What can we do?

Unfortunately, plastic isn’t the only pollution risk that humans pose to the world’s oceans. Chemical pollution can exacerbate the negative impacts on the delicate ecosystems that coastal communities rely on for economic security, food security, and storm protection. It is important to understand these land-sea connections so that we can protect these environments from human impacts. Simply limiting single use plastics and avoiding fertilizers and pesticides can improve the well-being of our oceans, and ensure that human communities can reap the benefits of healthy oceans for generations to come.