Plastic pollution is the accumulation of synthetic plastic products to the point where they create problems for wildlife and their habitats.(credible; cited sources) There’s approximately 2,68,000 tonnes of plastic in the ocean.(reliable; written by authors affiliated with the subject) There are several harmful consequences of plastic simply existing in the ocean, example: plastic blocking the surface preventing sunlight from reaching the marine animals and plants.
I’ve always been passionate about the environment and have participated in several rallies that focused on cleaning up water bodies. Due to this relevancy, I chose this subject for my research project.
Plastic Pollution
In 2015, the world produced 381 million tonnes of plastic, of which 141 million tonnes was from packaging, with only 20% recycled.(credible, reliable; University of Oxford is a trusted resource for information) Animals eat plastic coverings that protect the food, and since indigestible, they remain in the stomachs of these animals causing them to eventually die of starvation or food poisoning.
Every year more than 8 million tonnes of plastic ends up in the ocean, killing 1 million seabirds and causing damage worth $8 billion to marine ecosystems.
India is the 15th largest producer of plastic. In 2019, the country produced approximately 24,940 tonnes of plastic per day, 40% remaining uncollected. (credible; trusted newspaper publishing) Plastic accounts for 8% of India’s solid waste produced annually. The uncollected trash often clogs sewers, water bodies and pipes. It’s mistaken as food and eaten by animals- hence why the municipal government burns the waste. The ingested plastic is life-threatening, it reduces fitness, nutrient uptake and efficiency in feeding- vital aspects of an animal's survival.(credible; NGO regarding conservation of environment)
Ganges, a water body, is number two among rivers that dump the most plastic into the sea. In 2018, species like the Ganges dolphins, Indian skimmer etc, are threatened by extinction, pollution in the river being one reason. (credible; trusted newspaper publishing)
The dumping of plastic threatens 700 marine species that live in the Arabian sea. In Mangalore, a port city in India, a study found that there were nylon and plastic rope remnants in the guts of oil sardines and mackerels. The toxic organic pollutants in plastic latch onto microplastics and enter the food chain,(credible; published article) harming predators.
China, is the biggest contributor to plastic pollution. The country previously imported 45% of world's plastic for recycling, but in 2018 this was banned. Allegedly, the imported plastic was poured into the water, instead of being recycled .(credible, reliable; renowned source of information) From China alone, 3.5 million tonnes of plastic is let into the water- a majority of this waste coming from single-use plastics. (reliable; consists data that is verified) In 2019, 200 million m³ of waste was found floating on the coastline. Sea creatures were found tangled in plastic bags, plastic nets and fishing rope, and the waste had managed to settle on the sea bed. (reliable)
The Yangtze river in China carries 33,30,00,000 Kg of plastic waste into the oceans, which results in depleting fish stocks. This occurred because China imported more plastic, marked recyclable, than what could actually be recycled, which led to incineration or dumping in the river etc. (reliable; author’s affiliated with subject)
Microplastics have been found in several water bodies in China, (credible; published journal) These are ingested by fish and consumed by other predators, making this infiltrate our food chain. These microplastics are also a threat to the coral reefs of China.
Indonesia’s the world’s second largest plastic contributor, with approximately 3.22 million metric tonnes of plastic waste thrown in the ocean. (reliable; data is backed with factual evidence) Indonesia is home to several marine animals like turtles, whales, dolphins, etc and the world’s largest tuna fishing nation. These plastics are eaten by fish, which are eaten by bigger predator fish. A sperm whale was found dead as it ingested 1000 plastic pieces. (credible, reliable; published journals) Ingesting plastic makes them feel less hungry, since it’s indigestible, causing these animals grow weaker, making them more prone to attacks. Researchers analyzed the faeces and vomit of manta rays, and it had 26 and 66 pieces of plastic respectively. The plastic damages their growth and reproductive systems, and since already endangered there is a bigger risk of extinction.
After reading the information above, I was incredibly saddened. Many don’t know the effects of these animals dying on our ecosystem. When a predator dies or goes extinct, there is an imbalance in the ratio of prey : predators and these high numbers of prey will feed on more plants/animals than can be supported by the food web, this also leads to fewer carcasses for scavenger animals to feed on.
Offshore drilling
Each drill rig used in offshore drilling uses around 8 to 12 anchors, these anchors are then dragged across the sea floor. Corals and marine animal habitats, which are fragile when too much physical force is applied, are disturbed and damaged, further endangering these communities. Rusting in pipes can result in reduced water quality, leaks in the same can cause water to become toxic and potentially undrinkable or unusable. Though oil drilling is beneficial for jobs increase and boosting the economy of the country, routine drilling can cause disturbances in terms of sound waves (used to find sediment and rock layers that have trapped oil) and physical disturbances (like anchors, drills, etc.) (credible, reliable; published journals)
The total refining capacity in India was 148.97 million tonnes, the production being only 34.0 million tonnes. (credible; ) India imports 82% of its oil needs. (credible, reliable) It had set the world record in 2013, for having the deepest water depth dug by an offshore drilling rig. (credible; though old it is by the government website) This gives access to a lot more crude oil/hydrocarbons but digging deeper depths can lead to higher oil spills risk, fires etc (reliable; contains factual data) While trying to search for oil, seismic waves are used- these are audible for 2,500 miles and has the ability to deafen and kill animals like whales and dolphins who rely on sound waves to locate their prey. (credible, reliable; government site) It completely drowns out vocalization making it harder for such animals to locate their prey. These waves kill zooplankton which are the foundation of the marine ecosystem, eaten by almost all predators, so a decrease in prey can affect the entire food chain.
Venezuela has the largest oil reserve in the world, with Orinoco containing an estimated 1.4 trillions of oil resources (reliable; factual data, can be verified). Due to oil development, rivers and lakes are becoming even more polluted and have to clean 15,000 oil pits which collect contaminated sludge from oil wells. (reliable)
PDVSA, the state owned oil company, has neglected its messes which resulted in busted valves, cracked pipes, etc which managed to pollute waterways. (credible, reliable; trusted publishing) Oil sticks to the fur/skin of animals, damaging the animals’ insulating and water repellency ability, which potentially could cause them to die of hypothermia. Oil is also ingested when animals attempt to clean themselves by licking their skin, thus poisoning them. The oil also affects survival chances of eggs and larvae, which if is a threatened species, could make them at risk of extinction.
Climate change
Climate change is the change in the climate patterns, globally. Oceans are getting hotter, an increase in temperature can lead to corals getting bleached, making their shells weak. The homes of marine animals also get damaged. (credible; international organization regarding conservation) The water is becoming acidic, as the escalating levels of atmospheric CO2 dissolves in the water, changing the water pH, resulting in thinner shells, threatening shellfish, as they become more vulnerable to predators. The changed pH levels affect the corals too, as it makes it difficult for them to make and maintain the skeletal structures that protects them and gives them support. (credible; government site)
The Indian Ocean is considered to be the warmest ocean out of the 5 oceans in the world and over the next 50 years, it is expected for the ocean temperature to increase by 1°C to 3°C. (credible; published report) As the temperature rises, microorganisms like the phytoplankton are reducing. These organisms are the base of the food chain, and has resulted in ripple effects in the food chain since less number of producers result in lesser food for primary consumers, causing low energy in these animals and animals who feed on them, which leads in more prey being hunted for more energy, creating an imbalance in preys and predator, leading to extinction of a particular species due to overhunting.
USA is the second most polluting country world wide. 105 marine animal species in the Northeastern part have moved farther away, as these animals prefer colder temperatures, which is currently contrasting the rising water temperatures. As more greenhouse gases are let into the air, this dissolves in the water making the water more acidic, resulting in coral bleaching and has killed valuable oysters (credible; by trusted scientists and journalists) As water gets more acidic, the amount of carbonate ions, required for the structures of sea shells and coral skeletons, reduce- making maintaining and building the structures for shell animals difficult.
A study on the ‘Sea butterfly’ was done, where its shell was put in water- which dissolved within 45 days. This species is eaten by various predators, but without its shell it is even more defenceless. (credible; government site)
Offshore drilling and climate change, both have serious repercussions, simply reading them is jarring. The damage done to these animals is irreversible. As the temperature increases or the water bed is increasingly drilled, these animals are the only one’s facing the consequences of the actions of humans, and they are defenceless to all that is going around them. Action towards regulating offshore drilling or improving the water quality isn’t done nearly enough and due to the blatant disregard and negligence of humans towards these animals, they may go extinct, further disrupting the ecosystem and the food chain.
Conclusion
Offshore drilling is not the biggest threat to marine animals, because it is only done in places where high amounts of oil is found, which are not many, hence making the area affected limited, compared to plastic pollution and climate change, where the effect is widespread and not focused on particular areas
Between plastic pollution and climate change, I can conclude after the above research that plastic pollution is the biggest threat to marine animals. When water temperatures change, these animals either move or adapt, which helps them survive, but when plastic invades their habitat these animals are unaware of plastic being indigestible or it being toxic and simply ingest it- causing their nutrition uptake to reduce and for them to eventually die of starvation.
Sustainable alternatives to single-use plastic need to be provided for, before they have been implemented, which are less polluting, damaging to the environment and cheaper. Stone bags and water dissolving bags are good alternatives, but needs to be more accessible to the layman. Proper waste legislation enforcement to be implemented ensuring recyclable materials are actually recycled.
After drilling for oil, a body needs to be appointed that checks the water and soil quality that meets with standards that are uniform globally, and in case the company fails to meet the required quality standards, the company should be fined and then be made to meet the standards.
Consequences of climate change needs more awareness, a global effort needs to be made to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and added incentive should be given to people/places that use renewable resources of energy rather than burning hydrocarbons, so that more people opt for more eco-friendly ways of utilising energy and the amount of CO2 in the air decreases.