A study released in the scientific journal Science Advances in 2017 mentioned more than 8 million tons of plastic penetrating the ocean every year. Moreover, at least 51 trillion microplastic particles contaminate the oceans and seas, not only creating visual pollution, but threatening the wildlife that lives in it.
Oceanic waste has been a danger to more than 800 animal species, of which 40 percent of them are ocean mammals and 44 percent are seabirds. According to some estimations, the commonly found wastes in ocean, like plastic bottles and glasses, are disposable instant containers. Should this keep going, in 2050 the amount of plastic will be exceeding the number of fish, and 99 percent of waterbirds will have a diet of plastics.
The behavior of waterbirds consuming plastic caught the attention of Jose Derraik, a New Zealand researcher. In his scientific article published in 2002 he stated a proof that some types of seabirds choose certain shapes and colors of plastic waste because they are similar with their food in the ocean. The birds mistakenly presume the floating plastics with their prey.
At least more than one million seabirds, one hundred thousand sea mammals, sea turtles and countless fishes die every year because of the impact of plastic waste. Derriak stated that individual adult seabirds can intake plastic particles to their chicks on feeding.
Laysan Albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis) is one of the seabirds that has been badly affected by plastic waste. About 98% of Laysan Albatross chicks—and Southern Giant Petrel (Macronectes giganteus)— inadvertently ingest various plastic particles such as beads, buttons, fishing line, plastic toys, plastic bags, and various other wastes that come from food given by their parent.
Almost all pollution that occurs in the ocean comes from activities that take place on land. In many parts of the world, garbage and sewage—particularly from urban areas—flows into the ocean causing pollution and eutrophication[1] to sea water. At least five major marine ecosystems are currently most threatened by the eutrophication process: the East China Sea, the South China Sea, the Bay of Bengal, the Gulf of Mexico, and the northern coast of Brazil.
Indonesia is undoubtedly one of the countries affected by oceanic plastic waste. In 2016, the Indonesian Institute of Sciences mentioned that the annual plastic consumption per capita in Indonesia reaches 17 kg, with a growth rate of up to 6-7% per year. This plastic waste is then broken down into microplastics and enters the food chain of many marine wildlife, including seabirds.
Technically, plastic products function to support human life to be more practical because they are easy to use, durable and inexpensive. However, its excessive use can threaten environmental sustainability due to its very difficult to decompose. Human’s behavior and lack of ability to recycle plastic waste, compared to produce, has driven the plastic waste pollution surging up and contaminating the ocean.
According to a report presented by Ellen MacArthur Foundation in the World Economic Forum in 2016, plastic consumption will absorb 20% of all global oil production in 35 years. If we ignore these numbers and percentages—while discarding disposable plastic bottles, bags and glasses—imagine how much space is left in the ocean in 2050 to accommodate the plastic waste that we throw away. The fish population could even get outnumbered by the amount of plastic debris. Our behavior in consuming plastic products can be one determining factor to the conditions of the ocean in the future. (MEI)
[1] The rapid reproduction process of aquatic plants due to abundant nutrients they obtain as an effect of excessive fertilization.