THe Issues of Ocean Trash
Habitat Disruption The effects of marine debris include but are not limited to the confines of the main currents of the ocean. Every year at an increasing rate, ocean trash not only washes up on shorelines but studies that have been conducted show that pieces of marine debris can be found as deep as 4000 meters under the surface of the ocean on the sea floor11. Another issue that ocean trash presents is the issue of species using floating debris as transportation. Sometimes called “rafting” the transportation of non-native species to certian ecosystems throughout the ocean can disrupt natural habitats6.
Ingestion of plastics has proven to be one of the most fatal effects of ocean trash. Plastics, which often mimic the appearance of food that many aquatic species eat, are often physically ingested. Animals such as sea turtles and even certain types of whales have been reported to be found dead with stomachs full of plastic. Once plastic is ingested by an animal, it can either cause immediate choking, clog up vital organs, or give an animal the false sense of being full resulting in starvation8.
By D. Larios