700 Marine Species Threatened by Plastic Debris: Study

In this article:

GLASS

MARINE SPECIES

PLASTIC DEBRIS

RESEARCHERS

THREAT

Science and Technology

700 Marine Species Threatened by Plastic Debris: Study

Fecha de publicación:

20 February 2015

Imagen principal:

Plastic fragments were the highest recorded substance for ingestion, with the green sea turtle and northern fulmar again, the Laysan albatross, the Californian seal lion, the Atlantic puffin, and the greater shear-water among the worst affected species.

"We found that all known species of sea turtle, and more than half of all species of marine mammal and seabird had been affected by marine debris - and that number has risen since the last major study," said Gall.

"And in nearly 80 per cent of entanglement cases this had resulted in direct harm or death," Gall added.

The authors say that while only four per cent of cases involving ingestion were known to have caused harm, further study of sub-lethal impacts are needed, with areas of concern around the impact upon metabolism and reproduction.