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    • Plastic Pollution: Some types of plastic provide disproportionately serious threats to marine wildlife
     
    December 15, 2020

    Plastic Pollution: Some types of plastic provide disproportionately serious threats to marine wildlife

    MarineNews

    Deadliest plastics: bags and packaging biggest marine life killers, study finds

    Wide-ranging review finds whales, dolphins, turtles and seabirds at mortal risk from marine debris

    Review Abstract

    Pollution by plastic and other debris is a problem affecting the world’s oceans and is increasing through time. The problem is so large that prioritizing solutions to effect meaningful change may seem overwhelming to the public and policy makers. Marine megafauna are known to mistakenly eat anthropogenic debris and die from consequent gastrointestinal blockages, perforations and malnutrition, as well as suffer sublethal impacts. We collated information on which specific items were ingested and responsible for causing death across 80 marine species, including cetaceans, pinnipeds, sea turtles, and seabirds. We evaluated which items were responsible for the highest mortality, and which, if reduced by policy responses or other means, could result in the largest reduction in debris mortality. A limited number of consumer items were shown to be responsible for most megafauna deaths. Flexible plastic is responsible for the largest proportion of debris deaths, primarily due to gastric obstructions. Disproportionately lethal items included plastic bags/sheets/packaging, rope/fishing nets, fishing tackle and balloons/latex. Smaller items, including “microplastics,” though abundant, were seldom implicated in mortality. We provide suggestions to directly curb debris deaths of marine megafauna by prioritizing policies that would reduce or eliminate the input of disproportionately hazardous items into the marine system.

    Click here to read the report

    Tagged: CSIRO, megafauna, plastic, Policy, Pollution

    Ocean and Coastal Futures Ltd
    23 Hauxley Links
    Low Hauxley
    Morpeth
    Northumberland
    NE65 0JR

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