Why Plastic Hurts Sea Life

Every year, millions of tons of plastic enter the ocean.

This plastic causes serious harm to sea life around the world.

Plastic bags, bottles, and nets drift through the water for hundreds of years.

Sea turtles often mistake plastic bags for jellyfish and eat them.

When animals eat plastic, it fills their stomachs and they stop eating real food.

Many seabirds feed plastic pieces to their chicks by mistake.

Whales and dolphins also swallow large amounts of plastic waste.

Fishing nets that are lost or thrown away trap fish, seals, and sea turtles.

These animals [cannot] escape and often die from the entanglement.

Over time, plastic breaks into tiny pieces called [microplastics].

Fish and other small sea creatures eat these [microplastics] without knowing it.

[Microplastics] move up the food chain and eventually reach the food humans eat.

The ocean covers more than seventy percent of our planet and needs our protection.

Reducing plastic use and cleaning up beaches can make a real difference.

Together, we can help protect the ocean and all the creatures that live in it.