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Should we help sea turtles that get eaten by birds and if we should how should we help?

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Should we help sea turtles that get eaten by birds and if we should how should we help?

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Is there any country that have completely banned plastic?

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Is there any country that have completely banned plastic?

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The Coral Propagation Program has been our main focus over the recent years, and it is by far the one that has the most direct and visible impact when it comes to the restoration of local coral reefs. Thanks to the constant advances in science and research, our knowledge of coral biology and reproduction has increased greatly over the past few years and has allowed us to develop techniques to increase the growth rate of coral colonies, while at the same time increasing their resilience to external destructive pressures.

While the science behind this method can be complex, its practical application is fairly simple and can be done by almost anyone, regardless of prior knowledge, skills, or physical prowess. The majority of the experience takes part on board a boat or from a beach, and customers who wish to take part in the snorkelling or SCUBA Diving portions of the activity can do so at their discretion.

The materials that we use are completely eco-friendly and we do not cause any unnecessary extra damage to the existing reef while harvesting our fragments. These two key points are what sets our method apart from the vast majority of other coral propagation programs around the world. Our same methodology is currently being used in a large number of reef restoration programs worldwide, as well as in some high-profile projects such as the Maya Bay restoration effort on Koh Phi Phi.

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Coralyfe - Coral Propagation Activities: Plant new corals, Save the Reef

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The Coral Propagation Program has been our main focus over the recent years, and it is by far the one that has the most direct and visible impact when it comes to the restoration of local coral reefs.

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national oceanic and atmospheric administration

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When corals are stressed by changes in conditions such as temperature, light, or nutrients, they expel the symbiotic algae living in their tissues, causing them to turn completely white.

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Effects of trash entering the ocean and what action we can do to help

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empowering action against the global health crisis of plastic pollution through science, education, and advocacy

We're working toward a future free of plastic pollution.

We conduct scientific research to understand the issue and find viable solutions.

We advocate for better regulation of plastic usage and disposal on local, state, and federal levels.

We make complex topics easy to understand so that everyone can make informed decisions.

Discovered 5.25 trillion particles of plastic smog equaling 270,000 metric tons (which is less than 1% of the new plastic made in a single year)

Diverted 16 billion microbeads from the ocean with the #beadfree pledge resulting in the Microbeads Free Waters Act of 2015

Explored 50,000+ nautical miles on 19 research expeditions over 10 years

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5 Gyres empowers action against the global health crisis of plastic pollution through science, art, education, and adventure.

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Fighting Plastic Pollution in the Oceans - Plastic Soup Foundation

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Plastic pollution in the oceans needs to be stopped at the source. Discover the Plastic Soup Foundation and our work to protect the planet from plastic.

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Oceanic Society | Ocean conservation since 1969

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As America's oldest non-profit dedicated to ocean conservation, Oceanic Society invites you to join us for whale watching, worldwide nature tours, and more.

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Plastic pollution is one of the greatest threats to ocean health worldwide. But, there are many solutions to plastic pollution that you can participate in today. This article covers some of the basic facts about ocean plastic pollution and provides several specific plastic pollution solutions that everyone can take part in.

The Ocean Plastic Pollution Problem

With skyrocketing plastic production, low levels of recycling, and poor waste management, between 4 and 12 million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean each year-enough to cover every foot of coastline on the planet! And that amount is projected to triple in the next 20 years. Let that sink in for a moment.

In the ocean, plastic pollution impacts sea turtles, whales, seabirds, fish, coral reefs, and countless other marine species and habitats. In fact, scientists estimate that more than half of the world's sea turtles and nearly every seabird on Earth have eaten plastic in their lifetimes. Plastic pollution also mars otherwise beautiful beaches, coastlines, and snorkel and dive sites worldwide, even in remote areas such as Midway Atoll.

One of the reasons that plastic pollution is such a problem is that it doesn't go away: "plastics are forever." Instead, plastic debris simply breaks down into ever-smaller particles, known as microplastics, whose environmental impacts are still being determined.

Plastic Pollution Solutions: 7 Things You Can Do Today

Everyone can do something to help solve the plastic pollution problem, and millions of people worldwide are already taking action to reduce their plastic use. Here are seven ways you can make a difference, starting today.

1. Reduce Your Use of Single-Use Plastics

Wherever you live, the easiest and most direct way that you can get started is by reducing your own use of single-use plastics. Single-use plastics include plastic bags, water bottles, straws, cups, utensils, dry cleaning bags, take-out containers, and any other plastic items that are used once and then discarded.

The best way to do this is by a) refusing any single-use plastics that you do not need (e.g. straws, plastic bags, takeout utensils, takeout containers), and b) purchasing, and carrying with you, reusable versions of those products, including reusable grocery bags, produce bags, bottles, utensils, coffee cups, and dry cleaning garment bags. And when you refuse single-use plastic items, help businesses by letting them know that you would like them to offer alternatives.

2. Support Legislation to Curb Plastic Production and Waste

As important as it is to change our individual behaviors, such changes alone are insufficient to stop ocean plastic pollution. We also need legislation that reduces plastic production, improves waste management, and makes plastic producers responsible for the waste they generate. There are a variety of ways that you can support local, national, and international legislation that provide critical solutions to reduce plastic pollution. One such effort in the United States is the 2021 Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act, a comprehensive federal bill that aims to address the plastic pollution crisis, and there are a number of state level initiatives to introduce extended producer responsibility (EPR) legislation that makes plastic producers and distributors responsible for their products and packaging at the end of life.

At the international level, hundreds of organizations and businesses successfully worked together with United Nations member states to enact a global plastics treaty, signed by 175 member states, that will set global rules and regulations to reduce plastic pollution. And legislation that limits, taxes, or bans unnecessary single use plastic items, such as plastic bags, takeout containers, and bottles, has been successfully enacted in many places globally, and you can support the adoption of such policies in your community too. Here is a comprehensive resource and toolkit on legislative approaches to limiting plastic bags, foodware, microplastics, and more.

3. Recycle Properly

This should go without saying, but when you use single-use (and other) plastics that can be recycled, always be sure to recycle them. At present, just 9% of plastic is recycled worldwide. Recycling helps keep plastics out of the ocean and reduces the amount of "new" plastic in circulation. If you need help finding a place to recycle plastic waste near you, check Earth911's recycling directory. It's also important to check with your local recycling center about the types of plastic they accept.

4. Participate In (or Organize) a Beach or River Cleanup

Help remove plastics from the ocean and prevent them from getting there in the first place by participating in, or organizing a cleanup of your local beach or waterway. This is one of the most direct and rewarding ways to fight ocean plastic pollution. You can simply go to the beach or waterway and collect plastic waste on your own or with friends or family, or you can join a local organization's cleanup or an international event like our Global Ocean Cleanup or the International Coastal Cleanup.

Take Our 7-Day Fight Plastic Waste Challenge

Join the global movement to fight plastic waste with our 7-day challenge. With just a few minutes a day, you'll be on your way to reducing ocean plastic pollution from home.
Take the Challenge

5. Avoid Products Containing Microbeads

Tiny plastic particles, called " microbeads," have become a growing source of ocean plastic pollution in recent years. Microbeads are found in some face scrubs, toothpastes, and bodywashes, and they readily enter our oceans and waterways through our sewer systems, and affect hundreds of marine species. Avoid products containing plastic microbeads by looking for "polythelene" and "polypropylene" on the ingredient labels of your cosmetic products (find a list of products containing microbeads here).

6. Spread the Word

Stay informed on issues related to plastic pollution and help make others aware of the problem. Tell your friends and family about how they can be part of the solution, or host a viewing party for one of the many plastic pollution focused documentaries, like A Plastic Ocean, Garbage Island: An Ocean Full of Plastic, Bag It, Addicted to Plastic, Plasticized, or Garbage Island.

7. Support Organizations Addressing Plastic Pollution

There are many non-profit organizations working to reduce and eliminate ocean plastic pollution in a variety of different ways, including Oceanic Society, Plastic Pollution Coalition, 5 Gyres, Algalita, Plastic Soup Foundation, and others. These organizations rely on donations from people like you to continue their important work. Even small donations can make a big difference!

These seven ideas only scratch the surface for ways you can help address the growing problem of plastic pollution in the oceans. The important thing is that we all do something, no matter how small. For more ideas and resources, sign up to join our Blue Habits community of people worldwide committed to joyful daily actions that improve ocean health.

Reduce Plastic Pollution From Home with Our 7-Day Challenge

Join the global movement to fight plastic waste by participating in our 7-day challenge.
Take the Challenge

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7 Ways to Reduce Ocean Plastic Pollution Today

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Plastic pollution is one of the greatest threats to ocean health worldwide. But, there are many solutions to plastic pollution that you can participate in

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Over 400 million tons of plastic are produced every year for use in a wide variety of applications. At least 14 million tons of plastic end up in the ocean every year, and plastic makes up 80% of all marine debris found from surface waters to deep-sea sediments.

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England
Everyday materials

Identify and compare the suitability of a variety of everyday materials, including wood, metal, plastic, glass, brick, rock, paper and cardboard for particular uses Living things and their habitats

Compare and group together a variety of everyday materials on the basis of their simple physical properties

Living things and their habitats

Identify that most living things live in habitats to which they are suited and describe how different habitats provide for the basic needs of different kinds of animals and plants, and how they depend on each other

Identify and name a variety of plants and animals in their habitats, including microhabitats

Describe how animals obtain their food from plants and other animals, using the idea of a simple food chain, and identify and name different sources of food

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England Everyday materials Identify and compare the suitability of a variety of everyday materials, including wood, metal, plastic, glass, brick, rock, paper and cardboard for particular uses Living things and their habitats Compare and group together a variety of everyday materials on the basis of their simple physical properties Living

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Plastics in the Plankton, Plastics on Your Plate

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Students investigate the impacts of plastics on marine organisms in different marine ecosystems. They construct a food web for an assigned ecosystem, using it to illustrate the principle of biomagnification visually. Students draw on evidence presented in this lesson and in the previous lesson, Plastics, Plastics, Everywhere, to justify an argument about whether plastic pollution affects humans as well.

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Plastic has already entered the food chain. Animals carry microplastics in their bodies. When they are themselves eaten, those microplastics are also ingested. This process is called 'trophic transfer' of microplastics. Since one animal eats another, microplastics can move through the food chain. The main question is what happens to the toxins and chemicals that are associated with these plastics.

Plastic in the food chain and bio-accumulation of pollutants

When plastic ends up in the environment, it tends to bind with environmental pollutants. With plastic that moves through the food chain, the attached toxins can also move and accumulate in animal fat and tissue through a process called bio-accumulation. In addition, chemicals are often added to plastic during the production process, to give them some desired properties. These chemicals can in turn leak from the plastic, even when that plastic is inside the body of an animal.

Toxins shared in the food chain

Plastic is by no means the only way that toxins, such as PCBs and dioxins, end up in the food chain. The role of plastic in bioaccumulation of toxins is quite small compared to exposure via the animals' normal food. Animals that excrete swallowed plastic may actually cleanse their bodies because toxins present in the body have attached themselves to the plastic.

It is a different story for plastic additives. Unlike PCBs and dioxins, these substances have not accumulated in the food chain over the decades. When Japanese researchers found a particular flame retardant in the tissues of seabirds, it was certain that it came from swallowed plastic to which the flame retardant was once added.

Number of animals affected by plastic

The number of individual animals affected by plastic would be very difficult to estimate but would run into the billions. Attempts have been made to determine the number of species affected. In 2015, Dutch researchers found that the number of marine species that swallow or get caught in plastic had doubled since 1997: from 267 to 557. This number is now above 2000, with the caveat that only a very limited number of animal species have been investigated. It is even more difficult to determine whether plastic threatens the survival of a certain species, let alone the influence of plastic on the food chain.

Arrow worms

Arrow worms are transparent torpedo-shaped creatures which live in the sea and hunt for zooplankton.

As has been recorded on film, arrow worms consume plastic microfibers. The digestive tract of this animal is as long as its body. The curled fiber blocks the tube, with the result that the intake of real food is blocked. This recording shows how plastic enters the food chain because arrow worms are in turn eaten by animals higher up the chain. Amphipods that live at the deepest point of the ocean, the eleven-kilometer-deep Mariana Trench, were examined for the presence of plastic. These animals all had plastic in their bodies, almost always microfibers from synthetic clothing.

Plastic in fish and behavioural changes

Swedish scientists have shown that nanoplastics can enter the brains of fish through the food chain and lead to abnormal behavior. Nanoplastics in algae are eaten by water fleas, which in turn are food for fish. This is how plastic particles move through the food chain. The researchers made simulations of the food chain, with and without nanoplastics. In contrast to the fish that were not fed nanoplastics, the fish that did eat them showed abnormal behavior: slower eating and hyperactive behavior. It was a laboratory study, but the accumulation of plastic in living organs can also take place in nature, especially if the animals live for a long time. Fish that swim slower are easy prey. In this way, plastic can disrupt the natural balance.

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How Plastic Has Entered the Food Chain - Plastic Soup Foundation

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Plastic has entered the food chain through fish and other marine animals. What animals are affected by plastic, and what does it mean for us? Read more.

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The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a collection of marine debris in the North Pacific Ocean. Marine debris is litter that ends up in oceans, seas, and other large bodies of water.

The area in the center of a gyre tends to be very calm and stable. The circular motion of the gyre draws debris into this stable center, where it becomes trapped. A plastic water bottle discarded off the coast of California, for instance, takes the California Current south toward Mexico. There, it may catch the North Equatorial Current, which crosses the vast Pacific. Near the coast of Japan, the bottle may travel north on the powerful Kuroshiro Current. Finally, the bottle travels eastward on the North Pacific Current. The gently rolling vortexes of the Eastern and Western Garbage Patches gradually draw in the bottle.

The amount of debris in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch accumulates because much of it is not biodegradable. Many plastics, for instance, do not wear down; they simply break into tinier and tinier pieces.

For many people, the idea of a "garbage patch" conjures up images of an island of trash floating on the ocean. In reality, these patches are almost entirely made up of tiny bits of plastic, called microplastics. Microplastics can't always be seen by the naked eye. Even satellite imagery doesn't show a giant patch of garbage. The microplastics of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch can simply make the water look like a cloudy soup. This soup is intermixed with larger items, such as fishing gear and shoes.

The seafloor beneath the Great Pacific Garbage Patch may also be an underwater trash heap. Oceanographers and ecologists recently discovered that about 70 percent of marine debris actually sinks to the bottom of the ocean.
Marine Debris
80 percent of plastic in the ocean is estimated to come from land-based sources, with the remaining 20 percent coming from boats and other marine sources. These percentages vary by region, however. A 2018 study found that synthetic fishing nets made up nearly half the mass of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, due largely to ocean current dynamics and increased fishing activity in the Pacific Ocean.

While many different types of trash enter the ocean, plastics make up the majority of marine debris for two reasons. First, plastic's durability, low cost, and malleability mean that it's being used in more and more consumer and industrial products. Second, plastic goods do not biodegrade but instead, break down into smaller pieces.

In the ocean, the sun breaks down these plastics into tinier and tinier pieces, a process known as photodegradation. Most of this debris comes from plastic bags, bottle caps, plastic water bottles, and Styrofoam cups.

Marine debris can be very harmful to marine life in the gyre. For instance, loggerhead sea turtles often mistake plastic bags for jellies, their favorite food. Albatrosses mistake plastic resin pellets for fish eggs and feed them to chicks, which die of starvation or ruptured organs.

Seals and other marine mammals are especially at risk. They can get entangled in abandoned plastic fishing nets, which are being discarded largely due to inclement weather and illegal fishing. Seals and other mammals often drown in these forgotten nets-a phenomenon known as "ghost fishing."

Marine debris can also disturb marine food webs in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre. As microplastics and other trash collect on or near the surface of the ocean, they block sunlight from reaching plankton and algae below. Algae and plankton are the most common autotrophs, or producers, in the marine food web. Autotrophs are organisms that can produce their own nutrients from carbon and sunlight.

If algae and plankton communities are threatened, the entire food web may change. Animals that feed on algae and plankton, such as fish and turtles, will have less food. If populations of those animals decrease, there will be less food for apex predators such as tuna, sharks, and whales. Eventually, seafood becomes less available and more expensive for people.

These dangers are compounded by the fact that plastics both leach out and absorb harmful pollutants. As plastics break down through photodegradation, they leach out colorants and chemicals, such as bisphenol A (BPA), that have been linked to environmental and health problems. Conversely, plastics can also absorb pollutants, such as PCBs, from the seawater. These chemicals can then enter the food chain when consumed by marine life.
Patching Up the Patch
Cleaning up marine debris is not as easy as it sounds. Many microplastics are the same size as small sea animals, so nets designed to scoop up trash would catch these creatures as well. Even if we could design nets that would just catch garbage, the size of the oceans makes this job far too time-consuming to consider. The National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration's Marine Debris Program has estimated that it would take 67 ships one year to clean up less than one percent of the North Pacific Ocean.

Many expeditions have traveled through the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Charles Moore, who discovered the patch in 1997, continues to raise awareness through his own environmental organization, the Algalita Marine Research Foundation. During a 2014 expedition, Moore and his team used aerial drones, to assess from above the extent of the trash below. The drones determined that there is 100 times more plastic by weight than previously measured. The team also discovered more permanent plastic features, or islands, some over 15 meters (50 feet) in length.

All the floating plastic in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch inspired National Geographic Emerging Explorer David de Rothschild and his team at Adventure Ecology to create a large catamaran made of plastic bottles: the . The sturdiness of the Plastiki displayed the strength and durability of plastics, the creative ways that they can be repurposed, and the threat they pose to the environment when they don't decompose. In 2010, the crew successfully navigated the Plastiki from San Francisco, California, to Sydney, Australia.

Scientists and explorers agree that limiting or eliminating our use of disposable plastics and increasing our use of biodegradable resources will be the best way to clean up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Organizations such as the Plastic Pollution Coalition and the Plastic Oceans Foundation are using social media and direct action campaigns to support individuals, manufacturers, and businesses in their transition from toxic, disposable plastics to biodegradable or reusable materials.

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The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a collection of marine debris in the North Pacific. Marine debris is litter that ends up in the ocean, seas, and other large bodies of water.

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The world’s plastic pollution crisis, explained

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Much of the planet is swimming in discarded plastic, which is harming animal and possibly human health. Can plastic pollution be cleaned up?

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We develop and scale technologies to rid the oceans of plastic

Our cleaning technologies are deployed around the world as we conduct the largest cleanup in history. For over ten years, The Ocean Cleanup has been researching, extracting, and monitoring plastic pollution in oceans and rivers globally - with millions of kilograms removed to date.

A planet-sized problem

Trillions of pieces of plastic pollute our oceans today, and the problem is worsening. This plastic has a devastating impact on marine wildlife and ecosystems. Plastics can persist for many decades, continuously degrading into microplastics. These can be ingested by wildlife and later enter the human food chain. Plastic pollution is a global crisis requiring urgent action.

We aim to clean up 90% of floating ocean plastic pollution

The Ocean Cleanup is a non-profit organization developing and scaling technologies to rid the oceans of plastic. To achieve this objective, we use a dual strategy: intercepting plastic in rivers to cut the inflow of pollution, and cleaning up what has already accumulated in the ocean and won't go away by itself. When the oceans are clean, we can put ourselves out of business.

The Ocean Cleanup is cleaning up floating plastics caught swirling in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a plastic accumulation zone with over 100,000,000 kilograms of plastic.

Learn more

To clean the oceans, we also need to stop new trash from flowing into them. By tackling 1000 rivers around the world, we can halt 80% of riverine pollution reaching our oceans.

Learn more

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The Ocean Cleanup is a non-profit organization developing advanced technologies to rid the oceans of plastic. We aim to remove 90% of the floating plastic with the help of ocean cleanup systems and river interception technologies.

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Why 99% of ocean plastic pollution is "missing"

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POWERFUL VIDEO: Why We Need to Stop Plastic Pollution in Our Oceans FOR GOOD | Oceana

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Action we can take to stop plastic pollution

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Effects of trash on ocean life

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Trash entering the ocean