Marine pollution from plastics, chemicals, and noise affects the welfare of ocean animals at every scale, from individual ingestion injuries to ecosystem-level disruption.
Marine pollution creates multiple welfare insults for ocean animals. Seabirds and sea turtles ingest plastic debris causing intestinal obstruction, perforation, and starvation. Marine mammals become entangled in plastic debris including abandoned fishing gear causing drowning, strangling, and injury. Chemical pollutants accumulate in tissue causing endocrine disruption, immune suppression, and reduced reproductive success. Ocean acidification from CO2 absorption impairs the sensory and behavioral systems of many marine species. Noise pollution from shipping disrupts whale and dolphin communication and navigation. Individual welfare impacts from pollution range from acute deaths through entanglement to chronic health impairment from chemical exposure. The scale of marine pollution means welfare improvements require systemic policy changes rather than individual responses alone.