Location
Parker-Reed, SSWAC
Start Date
1-5-2014 9:00 AM
End Date
1-5-2014 10:00 AM
Project Type
Poster
Description
Plastics are durable, cheap, and have high tensile strength resulting in their ubiquitous incorporation into society. There has been a rapid increase in plastic production worldwide. A significant amount of plastic waste, like other garbage, inevitably ends up in the worlds oceans. Marine species can be impacted by plastics by ingestion, entanglement, bioaccumulation, and even incorporation as a nesting material. This study aims to determine the effect of plastic on marine megafauna - namely seabirds, sea turtles and whales - using a variety of case studies worldwide. The percent of animals impacted by plastics was recorded from each case study. The results showed seabirds were most often impacted by ingestion, sea turtles by ingestion and occasionally entanglement, and whales by direct ingestion, entanglement, and possible bioaccumulation of persistent plasticizers and other organic chemicals. This analysis suggests that plastics in marine ecosystems are having a negative effect on marine megafauna in a number of ways, including decreased digestive function and entanglement.
Faculty Sponsor
Russ Cole
Sponsoring Department
Colby College. Environmental Studies Program
CLAS Field of Study
Interdisciplinary Studies
Event Website
http://www.colby.edu/clas
ID
603
Included in
Impacts of Marine Plastics on Seabirds, Sea Turtles, and Whales
Parker-Reed, SSWAC
Plastics are durable, cheap, and have high tensile strength resulting in their ubiquitous incorporation into society. There has been a rapid increase in plastic production worldwide. A significant amount of plastic waste, like other garbage, inevitably ends up in the worlds oceans. Marine species can be impacted by plastics by ingestion, entanglement, bioaccumulation, and even incorporation as a nesting material. This study aims to determine the effect of plastic on marine megafauna - namely seabirds, sea turtles and whales - using a variety of case studies worldwide. The percent of animals impacted by plastics was recorded from each case study. The results showed seabirds were most often impacted by ingestion, sea turtles by ingestion and occasionally entanglement, and whales by direct ingestion, entanglement, and possible bioaccumulation of persistent plasticizers and other organic chemicals. This analysis suggests that plastics in marine ecosystems are having a negative effect on marine megafauna in a number of ways, including decreased digestive function and entanglement.
https://digitalcommons.colby.edu/clas/2014/program/141