Ocean pollution is a major threat to marine life. Every year, millions of animals die from ingesting or becoming entangled in marine debris. This includes plastic bags, bottles, fishing nets, and many other types of trash that end up in our oceans. Ocean pollution comes from both land-based and ocean-based sources. Runoff from roads, agricultural lands, and urban areas carries trash and chemicals into waterways that lead to the ocean. Meanwhile, fishing fleets lose gear and dump waste directly into the sea. All of this garbage pollutes ocean habitats and poses dangers to the animals that call them home. So just how many animals are dying from ocean pollution each year? Let’s take a closer look at the statistics.
Estimating Animal Deaths from Ocean Pollution
Determining exact numbers of animal casualties from ocean pollution is difficult. Much of the harm goes unseen, occurring deep in the ocean or on remote shores around the world. However, conservation groups have made estimates based on available data:
– Up to 1 million seabirds die every year from ingesting and getting tangled in plastic debris. Seabirds mistake plastic bits floating in the ocean for food. Eating plastic can block their digestive tracts and cause them to starve. Birds also get caught in plastic fishing lines, nets, and rings, which strangle or drown them.
– Over 100,000 marine mammals perish annually from ocean garbage. Whales, dolphins, seals, and sea lions ingest plastic bags and other trash. This blocks their stomachs and airways, sometimes fatally. Like seabirds, marine mammals also become fatally trapped in abandoned fishing gear.
– Around 100 million sharks and rays die from pollution each year. Getting snared in drifting nets and lines is a major threat. Ingesting plastic also harms many species. One study found microplastics in the guts of all 402 sharks surveyed across four ocean basins.
– Up to 52 million land animals, such as lions, elephants, and deer, are also killed by ocean plastic every year. These animals access waterways or areas that lead to the ocean. They then fatally consume plastic debris washed ashore or carried back inland from the sea.
– The number of fish dying from ocean pollution is harder to determine. But experts believe the impacts are massive, with certain areas seeing reductions in fish populations of over 50%. Harm occurs when fish and other marine creatures, like turtles and invertebrates, ingest plastic instead of food. Ghost fishing gear also causes substantial losses, trapping animals inside lost or abandoned nets and lines.
Causes of Animal Deaths from Ocean Pollution
Several factors contribute to the high numbers of animal fatalities from ocean pollution each year:
– Plastic waste – Plastic makes up the majority of ocean trash. Every year, up to 13 million tons of plastic enters the oceans. It comes from sources like food and beverage packaging, microfibers in clothing, fishing gear, and plastic pellets from manufacturing. Plastic does not biodegrade; it just breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces over time. Marine animals often mistake these plastic bits for food or become entangled.
– Fishing gear – Abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing nets, lines, crab pots, and other gear leads to substantial animal deaths. This ghost fishing gear drifts through the ocean, trapping countless marine creatures. It can continue killing for years or decades before breaking down.
– Toxins – Chemical pollutants like fertilizers, pesticides, oil, and industrial chemicals wash into waterways and oceans. These can poison marine life and its food sources, leading to massive die-offs. Toxins build up in animal tissues and cause organ damage, reproductive failure, and death.
– Habitat degradation – Pollution can alter marine habitats and ecosystems, reducing their ability to support healthy wildlife populations. For example, fertilizer runoff creates algae blooms and dead zones depleted of oxygen. This kills off fish, turtles, and plants that are vital food sources for other animals.
The Most Severely Impacted Ocean Species
While pollution impacts marine life across the board, some ocean animals are more severely affected:
– Seabirds – Seabirds face some of the highest risks from ocean pollution. Their habitats are rife with plastic bits, which they easily mistake for prey like fish eggs. Species with large ranges or that flock together in dense breeding colonies suffer the greatest losses. Examples include albatrosses, petrels, and shearwaters.
– Sea turtles – Sea turtles often perish after eating plastic bags or balloons, which resemble their jellyfish prey. Six of the seven sea turtle species are classified as endangered or threatened, and pollution is a major factor inhibiting their recovery.
– Marine mammals – Whales, dolphins, and other marine mammals ingest and get tangled in ocean trash with grave costs. One sperm whale that washed up in Spain had 64 pounds of plastic clogging its digestive system. Slow-moving species like manatees are especially prone to getting trapped and drowned in floating debris.
– Fish – Small bait fish like anchovies, sardines, and herring often mistake tiny plastic bits for zooplankton or algae. Larger predators then consume the contaminated prey. Marine debris also smothers corals that many reef fish rely on for food and shelter.
– Sharks and rays – Slow-reproducing shark and ray populations cannot sustain substantial losses from ocean pollution. Getting snagged in lost fishing gear causes significant declines for species like manta rays, hammerheads, and tiger sharks.
Efforts to Reduce Animal Deaths from Ocean Pollution
Stemming the tide of animal casualties from ocean pollution will require action on multiple fronts:
– Reducing plastic use – Transitioning away from single-use plastics could prevent millions of tons of waste from reaching oceans each year. Alternatives like reusable bags, food containers, and bottles help curb plastic pollution.
– Improving waste management – Better solid waste collection and recycling, especially in developing nations, ensures more plastic is disposed of properly rather than finding its way into waterways and oceans.
– Fishing gear regulations – Laws requiring marking of nets and traps can enable retrieval of lost gear by fishermen. Charging disposal fees and offering recycling programs also promote proper disposal on shore.
– Pollution control – Implementing technologies like trash capture devices in rivers and runoff treatment prevents countless types of waste from flowing downstream into the sea.
– Community cleanup initiatives – Organized efforts to remove shoreline and floating debris takes deadly pollution directly out of waters. This protects wildlife immediately, especially when targeting heavily polluted areas.
– Public awareness – Educating people about the impacts of ocean pollution mobilizes them to make changes in their everyday habits and support anti-pollution policies. This helps drive wide-scale shifts in how we manage waste.
Conclusion
The millions of marine animals killed by ocean pollution each year represent an immense ecological tragedy. Lost wildlife includes some of the earth’s most amazing sea creatures, as well as fish that provide crucial nutrition for nearly 3 billion people. Curbing these unnecessary deaths will require drastically reducing plastic waste while also improving fishing practices and management of land-based pollution. With urgent action, we can create cleaner, healthier oceans that sustain marine life for generations to come. But we must act quickly before the spiraling impacts of pollution lead to even greater losses. The lives of countless seabirds, sea turtles, whales, sharks, and other remarkable ocean animals hang in the balance.
