An Ocean Citizen’s guide to ocean pollution

We all know that there is a great deal of pollution in our ocean. We see it washed up on our beaches. Sometimes we even see how it affects our marine life. On our trip to Lundy Island with young carers this year, we saw a seal with a frisbee stuck around its neck.

Although the seal was still able to go about its life, it’s likely that this is still having an impact on its health. The Lundy Diving crew told us that the seal is being monitored and experts are seeking an opportunity to remove the debris safely.

But there are many other examples we don’t see – or that we don’t see until it’s too late. This is why it’s so important for each of us to not only prevent plastic and other waste from entering our ocean in the first place, but also to carry out beach cleans and litter picks inland to remove any waste that could break down into harmful microplastics.

What is the scale of the ocean pollution problem?

According to figures from the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), between 19 and 23 million tonnes of plastic waste leak into our aquatic habitats every year. Those include not only our ocean, but also our rivers and lakes.

The UNEP also estimates that there is between 75 and 199 million tonnes of plastic waste in our ocean.

This plastic waste drifts on ocean currents and can end up accumulating in areas a long way offshore. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is the largest, and most well-known, of these plastic debris hotspots.

According to The Ocean Cleanup, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch has a surface area of 1.6 million square kilometres. That’s three times the size of France! It is made up of an estimated 1.8 trillion pieces of floating plastic.

But the problem with plastic pollution is that it doesn’t stay one size. The pieces of plastic gradually degrade due to exposure to the water and sun. As they get smaller, they become microplastics.

That means we can’t see them easily – and that they are more likely to be eaten by fish and other marine animals.

Microplastics don’t just come from litter breaking up though. They also enter our water systems when we wash clothes made from synthetic materials. This is because microplastics are too small to be caught by traditional filters in our water systems.

Biocides – chemicals that are toxic to marine life – and microplastics can also enter the ocean from the hull of boats. When Cal spoke to Wayne Peters on the Our Ocean Podcast earlier this year, he explained that there are other, less harmful solutions.

The option he chose for his electric sailing boat is a silicon coating, which requires a bit more work on his part but which is better for the marine environment.

What are the impacts of ocean pollution?

There are some highly visible impacts of ocean pollution, such as animal entanglement. Whales being entangled in both ocean waste and fishing gear, for instance, is an issue that we’ve discussed on the Our Ocean Podcast.

In severe cases, like the one Cal and Ellie Maclennan discussed on the podcast, this entanglement can prevent a whale from feeding, ultimately leading to starvation. There is a growing body of research exploring how entanglement of all kinds of marine animals can be reduced.

The problem with ocean pollution is that it doesn’t stay in the ocean. Fish and other animals can consume microplastics. These tiny plastic particles then stay in their tissues, so when we catch fish and eat them, we also end up eating microplastics.

Microplastics have now been found in human blood, as well as in many different foods and drinks that we consume without a second thought. We are only just beginning to understand how this can affect human health.

What can we do about ocean pollution?

As an ocean citizen, a good first step is to educate yourself about the scale of the problem.

None of us can tackle ocean pollution alone, but when we work together we can make a difference.

Simple steps each of us can take include:

– Making conscious choices about the clothing we buy and avoiding synthetic fabrics as much as possible.

– Choosing products with no or minimal plastic packaging.

– Avoiding single-use products wherever possible.

– Disposing of our waste and litter responsibly, ensuring that it doesn’t end up in our natural environment.

– Participating in beach cleans and litter picks to help remove plastic pollution from our ecosystems.

Beach cleans and litter picks can make a bigger difference than you might think. One study carried out in Norway found that removing bigger pieces of litter reduced the amount of microplastics in that area by 99 per cent.

When Noel Hawkins spoke to Cal on the Our Ocean Podcast last year, he told her that he regularly goes out to remote spots to collect litter with the Ullapool Sea Savers in Scotland. They remove as many big items of debris as possible to prevent them from breaking down into microplastics.

Participating in a beach clean or litter pick is also very satisfying on an individual level, because you can see the positive impact you’re having on the environment.

So, while ocean pollution can feel like a huge issue, when we focus on doing what we can in our local area, we can make a difference and support our ocean recovery.