Ocean Plastic: Keep it Clean!

Written by Francesca Dina, MMF Volunteer

Modern life has seen the development of longer lasting, more practical and lightweight materials for everyday use. While convenient and cost effective, the disposable nature of these everyday materials, unfortunately, has led to the production of much bigger quantities of waste, especially in the form of plastic.

The IUCN estimates that at least 8 million tons of plastic ends up in our oceans every year. This plastic waste can be found in a number of forms, including plastic bags; foam cups; bottles; balloons; industrial products like strapping bands, plastic sheetings and hard hats; and fishing gear waste like nets, buoys, traps and lines. Waste from the fishing industry is one of the biggest contributors to plastic in the ocean, but run-off from industrial land and inadequate waste disposal, construction and illegal dumping are other major sources.

The Dangers 

Plastics and other materials that float on the surface represent an obvious danger to marine life. Species like dolphins, whales and seabirds can mistake floating plastics for food and  ingest them, which can result in obstruction of airways or digestive pathways. Marine species can also become trapped by or entangled in plastic debris. Entanglements can result in animals  being unable to swim to the surface. Entangled animals can also suffer severe injuries, which in turn can cause infections and other internal issues. At worst, plastic debris can cause the death of the animals they impact.

An Australian Fur Seal found by the MMF research team severely entangled with fishing line.

Luckily, the Marine Response Unit, operated by Zoos Victoria, is able to do something about these affected animals. If you witness an animal that appears to be in distress, or has a visible entanglement, you can call (1300 245 678) the MRU to report what you have seen and they will be able to address it. Remember to always maintain a safe distance from marine mammals (30m from seals on land, 5m from seals on man-made structures, 100m from dolphins, and 200m from whales) when making your report.

Although most plastic waste floats, after a while the sun and waves can degrade it into smaller pieces, or microplastics. Many studies are researching t the effect of microplastics on ocean life; these tiny particles can pass through water filtration systems, can leach toxic chemicals into the surrounding environment, biomagnify through the food chain, and pose a great potential threat.

The Solution?

What can we do to about this problem? The most important solution resides in how these products are made. Governments, research institutions and industries need to work together to design products that are environmentally friendly. A key element to this design process will be keeping in mind the disposal of these materials in order to reduce the amount of waste that ends up in the ocean. Policy makers and governments need to support and encourage research and innovations that have this goal.

On an individual level, the most obvious solution is to reduce plastic use and recycle whenever possible. Being aware of how and why you use the plastics that you have around you is an important first step. Using reusable rubber cups rather than plastic ones would help reduce the amount of litter that ends up in the oceans, for example. Avoiding plastic bags in favour of reusable ones is also another example. Read more about disposable items to swap out in favour of reusable in our Plastic Free July 2020 blog.

There are also many organisations that do regular waste clean up. The Ocean Conservancy, for example, has an International Coastal Cleanup program, run in September, that encourages volunteers to participate in world wide cleanup events. The Australian Marine Conservation Society is also sending a petition to the Australian government to encourage banning single use plastics. 

Most importantly, MMF’s outreach team seeks to educate the wider community about the issue of marine debris, and inform them on the easy solutions that communities can undertake to contribute to the reduction of marine plastic. Our social media pages, online blog content, and in-person workshops and presentations highlight the litter issue and the ways it can be addressed.

Check out our Marine Litter Project for more information on how your community group can be more involved with MMF’s conservation mission.   

We only have one earth, and the ocean provides us with so many services. Let’s keep it clean!