Plastic is suffocating the ocean by killing plankton.
First of all -let's look at the importance of Plankton:
(Phyto)plankton serves as the lungs of the ocean - it lets off oxygen in the process of photosynthesis (see definition below), which facilitates ocean health. It provides the mechanism wherein sunlight gets converted into food stuffs. It serves as the basic building block and food for ALL other marine creatures.
Plastic breaks down into (sub) microscopic particles, which Plankton attach themselves to, which causes havoc in several ways:
1.) De-oxygenation: Plastic blocks sun light from getting to plankton, which prevents the organism from being able to photosynthesize and thereby oxygenate the ocean (organism produces oxygen as a by product of photosynthesis). Without sunlight, plankton dies, causing suffocation and de-oxygenation of the ocean. This results in dead zones, rapidly increasing in size and number.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…/climate-change-oxygen-loss-…
These are the organisms that we are killing with plastic (one of many). These are the lungs of the ocean. Gorgeous footage here:
www.planktonchronicles.org/…/ceratium-grow-fingers-to-catc…/
2.) Depletion of Food: As plankton, the most basic building block and important food source for all ocean creatures becomes more scarce, it sets off a chain of food scarcity all the way up the food chain.
3.) Contamination of marine creatures: Plankton attaches itself to plastic particles. The plastic is a magnet for other contaminants. Being an oily petroleum-based product, it attracts other petroleum based chemicals, debris and oils. These contaminant laden globules (plankton, plastic and added contaminants) are consumed by fish and mammals causing higher concentrations of contaminants, all the way up the food chain, wreaking havoc on the health of all these creatures.
This is all in addition to the obvious harmfulness of LARGER garbage: animals getting caught in 6 pack rings, fishing netting, wire etc. AND the fact that we are eating plastic through marine animals which act as endocrine disrupters and causing who knows what other types of havoc.
Dictionary Definition of Photosynthesis
“the process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water. Photosynthesis in plants generally involves the green pigment chlorophyll and generates oxygen as a byproduct.”
Dictionary Definition of Plankton:
"Plankton are microscopic organisms that float freely with oceanic currents and in other bodies of water. Plankton is made up of tiny plants (called phytoplankton) and tiny animals (called zooplankton)."
National Geographic Curriculum re: How plankton directly effects air quality, tells us that 70% of oxygen is created by marine creatures:
http://nationalgeographic.org/activity/save-the-plankton-breathe-freely/
Triple whammy - explained here too:
http://www.algalita.org/plastic-debris-delivers-triple-tox…/
btw: "The oceans are by far the largest carbon sink in the world. Some 93 percent of carbon dioxide is stored in algae, vegetation, and coral under the sea." Worldwatch. (Absorbtion rate has been reduced by 10% in recent years.). sigh. This is why i think plastic reduction is of even greater importance than carbon fuel emissions reduction. Govt. needs to pay attention to this.
Moral of the story: Don't use single-use plastic. Effect policy any way you can. Demand alternatives to plastic.
(Phyto)plankton serves as the lungs of the ocean - it lets off oxygen in the process of photosynthesis (see definition below), which facilitates ocean health. It provides the mechanism wherein sunlight gets converted into food stuffs. It serves as the basic building block and food for ALL other marine creatures.
Plastic breaks down into (sub) microscopic particles, which Plankton attach themselves to, which causes havoc in several ways:
1.) De-oxygenation: Plastic blocks sun light from getting to plankton, which prevents the organism from being able to photosynthesize and thereby oxygenate the ocean (organism produces oxygen as a by product of photosynthesis). Without sunlight, plankton dies, causing suffocation and de-oxygenation of the ocean. This results in dead zones, rapidly increasing in size and number.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…/climate-change-oxygen-loss-…
These are the organisms that we are killing with plastic (one of many). These are the lungs of the ocean. Gorgeous footage here:
www.planktonchronicles.org/…/ceratium-grow-fingers-to-catc…/
2.) Depletion of Food: As plankton, the most basic building block and important food source for all ocean creatures becomes more scarce, it sets off a chain of food scarcity all the way up the food chain.
3.) Contamination of marine creatures: Plankton attaches itself to plastic particles. The plastic is a magnet for other contaminants. Being an oily petroleum-based product, it attracts other petroleum based chemicals, debris and oils. These contaminant laden globules (plankton, plastic and added contaminants) are consumed by fish and mammals causing higher concentrations of contaminants, all the way up the food chain, wreaking havoc on the health of all these creatures.
This is all in addition to the obvious harmfulness of LARGER garbage: animals getting caught in 6 pack rings, fishing netting, wire etc. AND the fact that we are eating plastic through marine animals which act as endocrine disrupters and causing who knows what other types of havoc.
Dictionary Definition of Photosynthesis
“the process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water. Photosynthesis in plants generally involves the green pigment chlorophyll and generates oxygen as a byproduct.”
Dictionary Definition of Plankton:
"Plankton are microscopic organisms that float freely with oceanic currents and in other bodies of water. Plankton is made up of tiny plants (called phytoplankton) and tiny animals (called zooplankton)."
National Geographic Curriculum re: How plankton directly effects air quality, tells us that 70% of oxygen is created by marine creatures:
http://nationalgeographic.org/activity/save-the-plankton-breathe-freely/
Triple whammy - explained here too:
http://www.algalita.org/plastic-debris-delivers-triple-tox…/
btw: "The oceans are by far the largest carbon sink in the world. Some 93 percent of carbon dioxide is stored in algae, vegetation, and coral under the sea." Worldwatch. (Absorbtion rate has been reduced by 10% in recent years.). sigh. This is why i think plastic reduction is of even greater importance than carbon fuel emissions reduction. Govt. needs to pay attention to this.
Moral of the story: Don't use single-use plastic. Effect policy any way you can. Demand alternatives to plastic.