WHAT IS MARINE DEBRIS?
Marine debris (or marine litter)
is human-created rubbish that has deliberately or accidentally been released into the marine environment.
Common examples include plastic bottles, food packaging, cigarette butts and fishing nets.
WHY IS MARINE DEBRIS ONE OF THE MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES WORLDWIDE?
Have a look at some facts to get you up to speed
- Every year ~8 million tonnes of marine debris enter the world’s oceans.
- 75% of all marine debris is plastic.
- By 2050 it is expected the weight of plastic in the ocean will be greater than the weight of fish!
- Plastics never biodegrade; instead they ‘photodegrade’ meaning they gradually become smaller and smaller pieces.
- 90-95% of all open ocean marine debris is ‘microplastic’ (plastic pieces less than 5mm in size).
- These microplastics cause injury, make breathing difficuly, reduce feeding & growth and cause individuals to produce fewer offspring.
- Hundreds of different species world wide ingest and may be killed by marine debris. This includes whales, turtles, sharks and sea birds.
18,000 pieces
of plastic are estimated to float in every square kilometre of ocean.
633 species
worldwide including 77 Australian species are impacted by marine debris.
Over 75%
of what is removed from our beaches is made of plastic.
YOU CAN HELP REDUCE MARINE DEBRIS
Here are some tips on how you can make a difference.
WHAT DOES MARINE DEBRIS MEAN FOR OUR OCEANS?
Tangaroa Blue Foundation highlights the marine debris and ocean pollution issue in our oceans – can you be part of the solution?
