Little Plastics, Big ProblemHave you ever seen a piece of litter on the ground in your hometown? Unf

Little Plastics, Big ProblemHave you ever seen a piece of litter on the ground in your hometown? Unfortunately, it’s very common. Whether you live right on the beach or thousands of miles from the ocean, however, that piece of trash may eventually end up in a waterway and find its way downstream to become marine debris.Plastic marine debris comprises one of the most prevalent and detrimental forms of oceanic pollution. Those plastics never biodegrade or mineralize; instead, they break down into smaller and smaller pieces. “Microplastics” are smaller than 5 mm, but plastics of all sizes are problematic. Common items containing these chemicals include water bottles, plastic bags, drinking straws, styrofoam packing materials, and even the polyester found in clothing.Large plastics can ensnare marine life. In marine mammals, birds, and sea turtles, this can lead to drowning as the animal is unable to surface for air, physical injuries while struggling for release, and death. Animals also swallow the plastics, which can fill their stomach cavity and make them feel full. Since they cannot pass large plastics, the animal will either succumb to starvation or internal injuries from the trash in their digestive tract. Large plastics can also entangle boats, which can be very costly to repair.Microplastics can affect marine life at the chemical level. Less is known about the exact effects on body chemistry, but plastic chemicals do build up through the food chain, a process known as “biomagnification.” Because of biomagnification, large predators higher up in the food web tend to have higher concentrations of these pollutants ingrained in their bodies..Nobody likes plastic marine debris, but luckily, we aren’t helpless to stop it. If you’re interested in getting involved, you can join the Ocean Conservancy’s annual International Coastal Cleanup (even if you are landlocked!). Not only does the ICC pick up trash, the data used from the collection helps scientists to study it. These studies are critical to understanding the origin and fate of plastic marine debris, and to ultimately eliminating it. Even if you can’t join an organized cleanup, you can always take the initiative and dispose of litter when it’s in your path.Further Reading:http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/types/plasticshttp://www.oceanconservancy.org/healthy-ocean/http://www.thegef.org/gef/sites/thegef.org/files/publication/STAP%20MarineDebris%20-%20website.pdfImage:http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/styles/gallery-display/public/midway_bottlecaps_PIFSC_CRED_0.jpg-JB -- source link

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