An estimated 8 million tonnes of plastic enter the ocean annually. Microplastics are now found in every ecosystem on Earth, from deep ocean trenches to Arctic sea ice. Over 800 marine and terrestrial species are known to interact with plastic debris.
Large plastic items — fishing gear, packaging bands, and six-pack rings — entangle marine mammals, seabirds, sea turtles, and fish. Entanglement causes wounds, infection, drowning, and starvation. Ghost fishing gear (lost or abandoned nets) continues to catch and kill wildlife long after abandonment.
Seabirds, sea turtles, fish, and marine mammals ingest plastic mistaking it for prey. Plastic creates false satiety, blocks digestive tracts, and delivers chemical contaminants. Seabird chicks fed plastic by parents can starve with full stomachs.
Microplastics and nanoplastics are ingested by invertebrates, fish, and marine mammals across the food chain. They carry persistent organic pollutants and endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Research documents physiological disruption, reproductive impairment, and behavioral changes.
Wildlife rehabilitation centers remove plastic from entangled and injured animals. Ghost gear recovery programs (World Animal Protection, Global Ghost Gear Initiative) remove derelict fishing equipment from oceans. Policy solutions — plastic bans, extended producer responsibility, better waste management — address root causes.
Long-term monitoring of plastic ingestion rates, entanglement incidents, and population trends in sensitive species provides welfare benchmarks. Research programs like the OSPAR Commission track marine litter across European waters. Science-based targets guide policy evaluation.