Most of the world's population lives within a couple miles of the ocean. Here on the Central Coast of California we love our coastline. The coast has the priciest homes, considered by many to be in the most desirable areas to live, and is the destination for most tourists. People love to play in the surf, fish, swim, and boat. Yet, despite our love of the sea, humans act like there is a big flush handle by the sea shore.
In the 2010 documentary, "Synthetic Sea," Captain Moore, the researcher behind the film, discovered that "for every pound of naturally occurring plankton (food for many sea animals) there's six pounds of plastic. By 2008, in the same study region, they recorded a staggering increase of 45 to 1 ratio of plastic to plankton. "Over 70 species of birds have been found to ingest some plastic, particularly the plastic that mimics their natural food supply."
Plastic does not break down. It does get smaller and smaller and manages to "cause more harm throughout the entire web-of-life as it travels up the food chain." And folks, there is no such thing as biodegradable petroleum based plastic.
There were less tan-colored pieces of plastic in 2008 than in 1999. Moore believes they have been eaten by birds and other plankton feeders, because they resemble krill. Color is an important factor, as is shape, as it mimics food. As has been shown, plastic does not break down anywhere in our environment. It just gets smaller and smaller to cause more harm throughout the entire web-of-life as it travels up the food chain. Thus, the quality of life for the entire marine ecosystem has been undermined and ruined.
Here's a most disturbing fact: all the plastic that has ever been produced still exists. The garbage just continues to grow.
As usual, much of the scientific research stays in journals. However, there are staggering pollution and reproductive issues that will not go away and will contribute to the continued dramatic dwindling numbers of ocean creatures.
Evolutionary biologists tell us, we come from the sea." I'll add, unless we change the equation we will die by the sea.
Is there an answer? Eliminate all plastic manufacturing for domestic use. It's hard to imagine that in today's political climate this is likely to happen. And we can support science to help it search for a compound that will degrade the plastic already in the ocean, but this will require human will and tax/ and or private money; things most people don't want to think about or commit to.
While the ocean and environment dies, politian's argue about not funding birth control for women and fight over teaching evolution as science in our schools.
In the movie "Apocalypse," Marlon Brando's character holds his head in his hands, and whispers, "The horror of it all."
