1. Plasticsinthe Ocean
There are studiesonplasticsinthe ocean,justasthere are inLake Erie.AccordingtoJenna
Jambeck,leadauthorof one study,there are a sumof 8 millionmetrictonsof plasticwaste inthe ocean
each year.She concludedthere are “five plasticsgrocerybagsfull of plasticforeveryfootof coastline in
the world.”(Schwartz,2015). The complex studyusedcalculationsthatbeganwiththe overall massof
waste producedperpersonannually.In192 nationsthat have coastline,the studyworkedthroughthe
proportionof that waste likelytobe plastic,andhow much plasticcouldendupin the oceanbecause of
each nation’swaste managementpractices.The researchersthenprojectedthe amountof waste going
forwardbasedon populationgrowthestimates.(Schwartz,2015).Thisindicatestome there isroom for
error inthese studiesandmore people needtotestherconclusion.Also,itprojectsnumbersbutnotthe
numberonhow muchplasticisproducedoverall.Anotherreasonplasticis sohardto measure is
because of the ocean’ssaltwater.The problemisanaestheticone:Exposedtosaltwater(97%) and
sum,and the jostlingof the surf,the debrisshredintotinypiecesthatbecome coastedwithtoxic
substanceslike PCBsandotherpollutants.(Schwartz,2015).
These plasticlevelsare affectingmore thanthe water.Fishthatlive inthe oceanare foundwith
plasticintheirsystems.A researchteam, ledbyecologistAndresCozar,fromUniversityof CadizinSpain
foundmesopelagicfishare eatingsmall piecesof plasticintheirZooplankton.(Netburn,2014).This
studyalsoconcludedsmallerpiecesare sinkingtothe Ocean’sfloor whenafishdiesorexcrete it out.A
bacteria’spopulationisgrowingonplasticmicrofragments, weighingthemdowncausingthemtosink.
(Netburn,2014).
An example of what’screatedwhenthese plasticsare collectedisthe GreatPacificGarbage
Patch.It is a collectionof marine debrisinthe NorthPacificOcean,whichislitterthatendsupinthe
ocean’sseas,andotherlarge bodiesof water.(Turgeon).These areasof spinningdebrisare linked
